Summary: A new study reveals that wild chimpanzees combine vocal calls in structured ways to create new or more specific meanings, echoing key features of human language. Researchers documented over 12,000 calls from chimpanzees in Côte d’Ivoire and found that they formed at least 16 different two-call combinations.These combinations follow...
Moral Outrage Goes Viral, But Does n’t Drive Action Online
Summary: A new study analyzing over a million posts linked to online petitions found that while moral outrage boosts a post’s virality, it doesn’t significantly increase petition signatures. Emotional and morally charged content spreads widely on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), but fails to translate into real-world collective actions.In contrast,...
Exercise Raises Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s
Summary: Exercise enhances the effectiveness of stem cell-derived neuron transplants in a Parkinson’s disease (PD) rat model. Transplanted neurons alone improved basic motor functions, but when combined with voluntary exercise, the rats displayed significantly better agility and paw control.The researchers found that exercise helped transplanted neurons mature and form stronger...
Eye Movements Fixed the Speed Limit for What You Can See
Summary: The speed of your eye movements, called saccades, determines how fast an object can move before it becomes invisible to you. Objects that mimic the speed and trajectory of saccades can essentially “vanish” from perception, showing that our own movements shape what we can and can’t see.People with faster...
The test of the glioblastoma vaccine moves ahead
Summary: The phase 2B SURVIVE trial testing SurVaxM, a cancer vaccine for glioblastoma, will continue as planned following an interim analysis showing sufficient promise to proceed. SurVaxM, combined with standard treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, aims to extend survival and improve quality of life for patients with this aggressive...
How Memories Develop at the Synapse Stage
Summary: A groundbreaking new technique called EPSILON allows researchers to map the proteins involved in memory formation with unprecedented detail, providing a window into the molecular architecture of learning. This approach focuses on tracking AMPARs—key receptors that regulate synaptic strength—over time, illuminating how the brain encodes, strengthens, and stores memories.Using...
How We Assess AI as Creative or No, According to What We See Is Believing?
Summary: New research shows that people perceive AI systems as more creative when they observe not just the final product, but also the creative process and the robot in action. In a set of controlled experiments using identical drawings, participants consistently rated creativity higher the more they saw of the...
Had a Map of a Sugar Receptor Help Control Our Desires
Summary: For the first time, scientists have mapped the 3D structure of the human sweet taste receptor, offering critical insights into how we perceive sweetness and why we crave sugar. This detailed map, created using cryo-electron microscopy, reveals how sweeteners bind to a key receptor component, TAS1R2, which resembles a...
Oxygen Boost Promotes First Brain Growth
Summary: A new study reveals that raising oxygen tension during weeks four to six of brain organoid development significantly promotes neurogenesis, guided by the oxygen-binding protein neuroglobin. Using cerebral organoids and cutting-edge imaging, researchers monitored internal oxygen levels and linked their changes to key stages in early brain development.Multiomic analysis...
Parents in the majority report sensory overload from normal family chaos
Summary: A new survey finds that nearly 75% of parents experience sensory overload, when sounds, sights, and chaos from daily life overwhelm the brain. The most common triggers include children arguing, loud household noise, and clutter from toys and messes.The study also found that married parents and those living in...
