How is memory encoded in your brain? If you are like me, you assume that it is encoded in the manner in which your brain cells are connected together. Strong and weak connections between brain cells create memories. Some people think that it is not how memories are encoded. To prove that it is otherwise, … Continue reading Science and Technology links (May 18th, 2018)
It looks like avoiding food most of the day, even if you do not eat less, is enough to partially rejuvenate you. Google researchers use deep learning to emulate how mammals find their way in challenging environments. We know that athletes live longer than the rest of us. It turns out that Chess players also … Continue reading Science and Technology links (May 11th, 2018)
Oculus, a subsidiary of Facebook, has released its $200 VR headset (the Oculus Go). You can order it on Amazon. The reviews are good. It is standalone and wireless which is excellent. The higher-quality Oculus Rift and its nifty controllers are down to only $400, with the caveat that it needs a cable back to … Continue reading Science and Technology links (May 5th, 2018)
Our heart regenerates very poorly. That is why many of us will die of a heart condition. Harvard researchers find the mice that exercise generate many more new heart cells. The researchers hint at the fact that you might be able to rejuvenate your heart by exercising. Cable TV is losing subscribers faster than anticipated. … Continue reading Science and Technology links (April 29th, 2018)
You probably can’t write the two forms of the letter g, even if you have seen them thousands and thousands of times. Some neurodegenerative diseases might result from a fungal infection. This would include diseases like Parkinson’s. The theory seems to be that many of us get infected with nasty things that remain dormant in … Continue reading Science and Technology links (April 22nd, 2018)
Somewhat depressingly, there is very little evidence that you can improve people’s overall cognitive abilities: Although cognitive ability correlates with domain-specific skills—for example, smarter people are more likely to be stronger chess players and better musicians—there is little evidence that chess or music instruction makes people smarter. Rather, smarter individuals are more likely to engage … Continue reading Science and Technology links (April 13th, 2018)
Mammals have a neocortex, some kind of upper layer on top of our ancestral brain. It is believed to be the key evolutionary trick that makes mammals smart. Yet birds have no cortex, but some of them (parrots and crows) are just as smart as monkeys. Thus Güntürkün and Bugnyar conclude that a specific cortical … Continue reading Science and Technology links (April 7th, 2018)
People who score higher on intelligence tests tend to have larger brains. Twin studies suggest the same genetic factors influence both brain size and intelligence. The effects of campaign contact and advertising on Americans’ candidates choices in general elections is zero. A related fact: in 2016, Clinton has outspent Trump throughout the election by more … Continue reading Science and Technology links (March 30th, 2018)
Sending your kids to highly selective schools is maybe less useful than you think: “However, once we controlled for factors involved in pupil selection, (…) the variance in exam scores at age 16 explained by school type dropped from 7% to <1%.” Ugly people are more likely to be great scientists: we find that attractiveness … Continue reading Science and Technology links (March 23rd, 2018)
From the beginning of the 20th century to 2010, the life expectancy at birth for females in the United States increased by more than 32 years. The 3 major causes of death for females in 1900 were pneumonia and influenza, tuberculosis, and enteritis and diarrhea. In 2010, the 3 major causes were heart disease, all … Continue reading Science and Technology links (March 16th, 2018)