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Is it okay for children to count on their fingers?

A recent study published in Frontiers in Education found that using fingers to count and play number games improved math test scores significantly. This challenges traditional teaching methods that discouraged finger use, instead suggesting that finger training could be a valuable tool for teachers.

SourceFrontiers·JournalFrontiers in Education·DateJun 23, 2017

Neurons can learn temporal patterns

A study at Lund University reveals individual neurons can learn precise timed intervals, expanding the brain's learning capabilities and potential applications in AI research. This breakthrough may also shed light on autism, ADHD, and language disorders in children.

SourceLund University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 29, 2017

Mobile gold fingers

American researchers have characterized 'gold fingers' using ion mobility mass spectrometry and identified the exact gold binding sites. The study reveals that gold ions force zinc ions out of zinc fingers, changing their conformation. This finding could lead to new metal-based antiviral and antitumor drugs.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateMar 27, 2017

Mimicking biological movements with soft robots

Researchers have developed a method to automatically design soft actuators for complex motions, enabling the creation of soft robots that can bend and twist like living tissues. This breakthrough streamlines the process of designing soft robots, allowing for the creation of robots with enhanced mobility and dexterity.

SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 19, 2016

Your left hand knows what your right hand is doing

A study published in Cell Reports found that training participants to use their non-dominant hand by tricking their brain through virtual reality showed significant improvements in motor skills. The researchers used fMRI scans to track brain activity, which was correlated with improved performance.

SourceCell Press·JournalCell Reports·DateDec 13, 2016

Finger swipe-powered phone? We're 1 step closer

Michigan State University researchers have developed a low-cost nanogenerator that can harness energy from human motion, powering devices such as smartphones and headsets without batteries. The device, called FENG, is flexible, biocompatible, and scalable, with advantages including being lightweight and robust.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalNano Energy·DateDec 9, 2016

Molecular switches researched in detail

The researchers used spectroscopy to visualize the arginine finger bonded to the GTP molecule at high precision, revealing how its snap affects geometry and charge distribution. This discovery has implications for understanding switch processes in the body and developing treatments for cancer and genetic diseases.

SourceRuhr-University Bochum·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 7, 2016

Learning Morse code without trying

Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology developed a system that teaches people Morse code in four hours using vibrations felt near the ear. Participants were 94% accurate keying a sentence and 98% accurate writing codes for every letter, even while playing games and feeling the taps without paying attention.

In a first, brain computer interface helps paralyzed man feel again

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have successfully developed a brain-computer interface that allows a paralyzed man to feel sensations in his arms and fingers. The technology, which uses microstimulation of sensory cortex, enables the individual to distinguish pressure intensity and even identify objects through touch.

SourceUniversity of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences·JournalScience Translational Medicine·DateOct 13, 2016

Mystery solved: The case of the slipping finger

Haptics researchers at Northwestern University have discovered that ultrasonic vibrations cause fingers to bounce on touchscreens, reducing friction. This phenomenon is caused by the air trapped between the finger and screen compressing and acting like a spring, allowing the finger to fall onto a cushion of air instead of the screen.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 1, 2016

Help at hand for people watching their weight

Researchers from the University of Sydney have developed a portable and easy-to-use method to help people estimate portion size using only their hands. The 'finger width' method was found to be more accurate than household measures, with 80% of food sizes assessed within 25% of their true weight.

SourceUniversity of Sydney·JournalJournal of Nutritional Science·DateJul 12, 2016

Using cellphone data to study the spread of cholera

Researchers at EPFL used mobile phone records to reconstruct the spread of a cholera epidemic in Senegal in 2005, revealing critical roles of human mobility patterns and sanitation infrastructure. The study's findings highlight measures to improve sanitation at transmission hotspots as key to reducing future outbreak progression.

SourceEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 23, 2016

How the index finger can be fooled

A new study by Bielefeld University's CITEC researchers reveals that the human brain can be fooled into perceiving a larger displacement of the index finger when it actually remains stationary, due to changes in contact area with the skin. This finding has implications for developing virtual sense of touch technologies.

SourceBielefeld University·JournalCurrent Biology·DateApr 8, 2016

Scientists work their magic on 'shrunken finger illusion'

Researchers at KU Leuven found that the human brain completes missing parts of objects using visual cues, leading to the 'shrunken finger illusion'. This counterintuitive phenomenon suggests our brains rely on visual system, not imagination, to fill in gaps. The study's findings provide new insights into perception and cognition.

SourceKU Leuven·JournalCurrent Biology·DateMar 31, 2016

A sensitive subject

Researchers at UCSB have cataloged patterns of vibration in the skin of the entire hand for the first time, enabling a greater understanding of how we sense the world through touch. These vibrations, which travel beyond the tips of the fingers, provide rich tactile information that helps us identify and navigate our surroundings.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalACM Transactions on Intelligent Systems and Technology·DateMar 28, 2016

Mind-controlled prosthetic arm moves individual 'fingers'

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine have successfully controlled a prosthetic arm to move individual fingers using brain mapping technology. The study, published in the Journal of Neural Engineering, represents a potential advance in technologies to restore refined hand function to those who have lost arms to injury or disease.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalJournal of Neural Engineering·DateFeb 15, 2016

Dead men punching

Researchers used cadaver arms in experiments supporting the idea that human hands evolved for both manual dexterity and fistfighting. They found humans can safely strike with 55% more force with a fully buttressed fist than with an unbuttressed fist.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalJournal of Experimental Biology·DateOct 21, 2015

Bio-inspired robotic finger looks, feels and works like the real thing

A bio-inspired robotic finger developed by Florida Atlantic University's Erik Engeberg has been shown to mimic human motions and offer advantages over traditional mechanisms. The finger uses shape memory alloy technology and a unique thermal training technique to recover its trained shape, demonstrating rapid flexing and extending motion.

SourceFlorida Atlantic University·JournalBioinspiration & Biomimetics·DateOct 8, 2015

Confusion afoot

A University of Oxford study reveals people can't accurately identify their toes even when prodded, with errors in toe identification associated with brain damage and conditions like anorexia nervosa.

SourceUniversity of Oxford·JournalPerception·DateSep 22, 2015

How the mind sharpens the senses

Researchers at Ruhr-University Bochum found that mental focussing can improve tactile acuity by 17 percent after a four-day Zen-retreat. This improvement is comparable to those achieved through intense long-term training or physical stimulation, challenging the current understanding of neuroplasticity.

SourceRuhr-University Bochum·JournalScientific Reports·DateAug 27, 2015

Stanford team's brain-controlled prosthesis nearly as good as one-finger typing

A team led by Stanford electrical engineer Krishna Shenoy has developed a technique to make brain-controlled prostheses more precise, enabling people with spinal cord injuries to tap out commands with greater accuracy. The new approach continuously corrects brain readings to give users a more natural way to interact with devices.

SourceStanford University School of Engineering·JournalNature Communications·DateJul 30, 2015