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What is a thought made of? Scientists look beyond neurons—and raise new questions about AI

Researchers suggest that biological memory is connected to emotion and thought, and that AI may lack the biological infrastructure to replicate human-like consciousness. The study proposes a biochemical process connecting brain cells and chemistry to memory, potentially offering a new route to understanding mental processes.

SourceThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem·JournalInternational Journal of Psychiatry Research·TypeLiterature review·DateAug 18, 2026

Children and monkeys share a common understanding of geometry

A new study from Carnegie Mellon University reveals that baboons and macaques exhibit the same geometric intuitions as young children, suggesting a fundamental similarity in the primate mind. The research found continuity across all groups, including two species of non-human primates, human children, and adult humans.

SourceCarnegie Mellon University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 20, 2026

New twin study highlights the power of genetics

A new twin study reveals that innate IQ is a key predictor of future socio-economic status, with genetics playing a significant role. The study found that IQ is approximately 75% genetically predicted and that socio-economic status is mostly explained by genetics.

SourceLund University·JournalScientific Reports·DateMar 31, 2026

A roadmap for egocentric vision research

A new survey maps the major tasks in egocentric vision research, including subject understanding, object understanding, environment understanding, and hybrid understanding. The study identifies bottlenecks that limit progress, but also offers a roadmap for next-generation human-centered AI systems.

SourceMaximum Academic Press·JournalMachine Intelligence Research·DateMar 23, 2026

Key to human intelligence lies in how brain networks work together

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame investigated how brain networks are organized and work together to form a unified system. They found evidence for system-wide coordination in the brain that is both robust and adaptable, suggesting that intelligence reflects how brain networks are coordinated and dynamically reconfigured.

SourceUniversity of Notre Dame·JournalNature Communications·TypeImaging analysis·DateJan 26, 2026

A study links the autonomy of minors with neurodevelopmental disorders to better physical and mental health in their caregivers

A study by CIMCYC found that supporting children's functional development improves their independence, while also alleviating caregiving burden and enhancing caregiver health. The research highlights the importance of understanding child development and family well-being for building healthier environments.

SourceUniversity of Granada·JournalPeerJ·TypeObservational study·DateJan 15, 2026

Why AI is never going to run the world

Researcher Angus Fletcher argues that AI excels at logic but fails to replicate human creativity and problem-solving skills. He advocates for developing 'primal intelligence,' which involves intuition, imagination, emotion, and commonsense, and has developed a program to help people tap into this ability.

Common feature between forest fires and neural networks reveals the universal framework underneath

Researchers found that deep neural networks exhibit absorbing phase transitions, a phenomenon observed in physical systems like forest fires. This discovery provides a unified framework describing how the signal propagates between layers of neurons, enabling prediction of trainability and generalizability.

SourceSchool of Science, The University of Tokyo·JournalPhysical Review Research·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJul 18, 2025

New IQ research shows why smarter people make better decisions

A new study from the University of Bath found that individuals with a higher IQ make more realistic predictions, leading to improved life outcomes. Smarter people are significantly better at forecasting, making fewer errors and showing more consistent judgement compared to those with a lower IQ.

SourceUniversity of Bath·JournalJournal of Personality and Social Psychology·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJun 26, 2025

Predicting cognitive abilities from brain scans

A new study predicts cognitive abilities from brain scans by integrating multiple MRI modalities through a technique called stacking. The method achieves substantial predictive accuracy and improved test-retest reliability, suggesting a more reliable neural marker of cognitive function.

SourcePNAS Nexus·JournalPNAS Nexus·DateJun 24, 2025

Chinese Academy of Sciences explores the application of intelligent imaging technology

Researchers found AI-based imaging technology improves disease diagnosis accuracy, particularly in cardiology, oncology, neurology, and ophthalmology. The technology also enhances diagnostic efficiency and reduces healthcare disparities by delivering high-quality diagnostics to underserved areas.

SourceChinese Medical Journals Publishing House Co., Ltd.·JournalChinese Medical Journal·TypeLiterature review·DateJan 23, 2025

Study: Brilliant white male characters more believable, some viewers say

A recent study found that audience members tend to dismiss brilliant female and non-white characters as unrealistic, even when they portray real people and events. The researchers discovered an association between intelligence-related stereotype endorsement and decreases in viewers' perceived realism across different social identities.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalMedia Psychology·TypeSurvey·DateNov 22, 2024

‘Baby talk:’ Decoding how children’s vocal and cognitive cues sway adults

Researchers found that adults prioritize cognitive cues over vocal signals when evaluating a child's intelligence or negative emotions, while vocal cues dominate for assessing happiness or helplessness. This study provides insights into the complex dynamics of caregiver-child interactions and their evolutionary roots.

SourceFlorida Atlantic University·JournalEvolution and Human Behavior·TypeObservational study·DateAug 6, 2024

Guardian of drone: Towards autonomous sea-land-air cloaks

A team at Zhejiang University has developed a self-driving cloaked unmanned drone with an intelligent aeroamphibious invisibility cloak, capable of manipulating electromagnetic scattering in real-time across dynamic environments. The cloak integrates perception, decision-making, and execution functionalities using spatiotemporal modula...

Reshaping financial content: Enhancing consumer appreciation in Australian professional practice

A recent study found that a reimagined financial content structure improved consumer appreciation, particularly with clarity, organization and formatting. The new structure incorporated language improvements, explanatory videos, and hyperlinks, leading to higher levels of consumer appreciation compared to the existing structure.

SourceKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.·JournalThe Journal of Finance and Data Science·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 16, 2023

Computational model mimics humans’ ability to predict emotions

Researchers at MIT have designed a computational model that can predict other people's emotions, including joy, gratitude, and regret. The model uses insights into human intuition, incorporating factors such as desires, expectations, and observation of actions to make predictions.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJun 6, 2023

Robots and Rights: Confucianism Offers Alternative

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University argue against granting rights to robots, instead suggesting a Confucian approach of assigning roles to promote teamwork and harmony. This alternative perspective recognizes the moral status of robots as entities capable of participating in rites and contributing to society.

SourceCarnegie Mellon University·JournalCommunications of the ACM·DateMay 25, 2023

Study casts doubt on causal link between cognitive ability and obesity

A new study published in PLOS Medicine suggests that existing associations between cognitive ability and body mass index may be due to confounding by family factors. The research analyzed data from over 12,000 siblings and found a significantly smaller association when comparing siblings within families.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·TypeObservational study·DateApr 13, 2023