“Emerging evidence suggests that the brain encodes abstract knowledge in the same way that it represents positions in space, which hints at a more universal theory of cognition.” | learn more
“Researchers from the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Naples Federico II in Italy discovered that when gut microbes from healthy human infants were transplanted into germ-free mice, the animals were protected from an allergic reaction […]
Dr. Francis Collins, the Director of the NIH, didn’t miss this opportunity to share the breakthroughs chosen by the journal Science. Of course, they helped fund many of them. Amazing stuff all around. | learn more
The interesting thing to me here is the methodology. They used nutrient biomarkers in blood instead of surveys to understand diet, and fMRI scans rather cognitive tests to understand brain activity. “A new [University of Illinois] study links higher levels […]
“Alongside new discoveries in gut-brain communication and the genesis of Alzheimer’s disease, the FDA advanced acceptance of psychedelic medicines, from psilocybin to marijuana.” | learn more
This is interesting and important because of the difficulty humans have using precise vocabulary to describe smells. “A more precise smell vocabulary can also help doctors diagnose neurodegenerative diseases.” | learn more
“A new technique using ultrasound to clear the toxic protein clumps thought to cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is moving to the first phase of human trials next year. The treatment has proven successful across animal tests and presents an […]
From the science journal Nature. “Their role in science may have had a significant impact on the world, or their position in the world may have had an important impact on science. In ten short profiles we reveal the human […]
“Researchers at MIT have now created ‘cyborg plants’ that can control a robot base to drive themselves where they want to go.” | learn more
“An exciting new study has demonstrated how a new kind of CRISPR technique can increase the expression of certain genes, instead of the more traditional approach of cutting or editing DNA. The method was tested in mice, targeting genes associated […]