Bluesky Facebook Reddit Email

Sleep switch found in fruit flies

Researchers found a group of approximately 20 cells in the brains of fruit flies that controls when and how long they sleep. This sleep state is essential for long-term memory formation, suggesting a connection between memory and sleep. The discovery opens up new possibilities for understanding sleep and its role in memory consolidation.

Restoring memory, repairing damaged brains

Researchers develop a way to duplicate the neural mechanism of learning in rats, restoring memory function. The team's artificial hippocampal system can strengthen internal brain memory and enhance cognitive processes, paving the way for potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.

Scripps Research scientists identify mechanism of long-term memory

Researchers at Scripps Research Institute identified a change in calcium influx into specific brain neurons that is fundamental to long-term memory. This increase, known as a memory trace, is observed in normal fruit flies but absent in mutants with impaired long-term memory.

A-ha! The neural mechanisms of insight

A new brain-imaging study has identified specific brain activity associated with 'A-ha!' moments, which may promote the formation of long-term memories. The researchers found that higher activity in the amygdala during insight moments predicted more successful performance in memory tasks.

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Star-shaped brain cells feed long-term memory

Astrocytes are essential for making long-term memories, and their dysfunction can lead to amnesia. Long-term memory formation depends on the delivery of lactate from astrocytes into neurons.

Enzyme enhances, erases long-term memories in rats

Researchers at the NIH have discovered that increasing activity of brain enzyme PKMzeta enhances long-term memories in rats, while decreasing it erases them. This finding has significant implications for treating debilitating emotional memories and enhancing faltering memories in disorders of aging.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

UCI-Scripps study links cellular motors to memory

Researchers from UCI and Scripps discovered that myosin II proteins play a critical role in synaptic plasticity and learning, suggesting new therapeutic targets for memory-related disorders. This finding adds an unexpected dimension to the story of how memories are encoded.

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.

Extending lifespan has mixed effects on learning and memory

Research at Princeton University found that caloric restriction impairs long-term memory in early adulthood but does not further decline it with age. In contrast, reducing insulin signaling improves learning ability and maintains it better with age. The study has implications for treating cognitive decline associated with aging.

Preserving memory with age

Researchers found that longevity treatments have different impacts on learning and memory in C. elegans, a nematode species. Dietary restriction improved early adult memory but declined with age, while reduced Insulin/IGF-1 signaling enhanced memory performance but failed to preserve it with age.

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm)

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) tracks health metrics and safety alerts during long observing sessions, fieldwork, and remote expeditions.

University of Minnesota discovery gives insight into brain 'replay' process

Researchers have discovered that the brain's hippocampus replay process is a complex cognitive function that helps animals learn and maintain their internal representation of the world. This process involves replaying experiences, even those previously unencountered, to create connections within the cognitive map.

Does scent enhance consumer product memories?

A new study published in Journal of Consumer Research reveals that scent significantly enhances recall of product information, with scented products remembered better than unscented ones. The researchers found that product scent is more effective at enhancing memory for product-related information than ambient scent.

Scientists decipher the formation of lasting memories

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered a mechanism that controls the brain's ability to create lasting memories. The study found that signalling via the nogo receptor 1 plays a key part in this process, enabling the conversion of short-term memories into long-term ones.

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor tracks ventilation quality in labs, classrooms, and conference rooms with long battery life and clear e-ink readouts.

Neuroscientist from Tufts School of Medicine named NIH New Innovator

Reijmers is investigating the proteins involved in long-term memory storage, with potential applications in treating diseases like Alzheimer's. His research aims to understand the mechanisms of memory and apply them to various fields, including addiction, epilepsy, and spinal cord regeneration.

Building memories with actin

Researchers have discovered that actin reorganization in two stages is controlled by different pathways, making it easy to encode new memories but hard to hold onto them. The Rho-ROCK pathway initiates cytoskeletal changes, while the Rac-PAK pathway solidifies them, leading to heightened synapse sensitivity and memory persistence.

Meta Quest 3 512GB

Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.

Calcium -- the secret to honeybees' memory

Researchers have discovered that calcium modulation affects long-term memory specifically while leaving learning and short-term memory intact. The study found that increased calcium levels during learning led to stronger responses to olfactory stimuli associated with food, indicating improved memory performance.

Memories may be formed throughout the day, not just while sleeping

A study on rats reveals that neural replay of past experiences occurs both during and after wakefulness, forming long-term memories more accurately. The hippocampus replays events in peppered bursts, often involving different settings, suggesting elements of past experience are constantly reactivated.

MIT-led team IDs gene key to Alzheimer's-like reversal

A team led by Li-Huei Tsai has pinpointed the exact gene responsible for reversing Alzheimer's-like symptoms in mice. The researchers found that drugs targeting HDAC2 reverse cognitive function and boost memory formation, offering new hope for treating neurodegenerative diseases.

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition is a durable star atlas for planning sessions, identifying targets, and teaching celestial navigation.

Dietary fats trigger long-term memory formation

Researchers found that consuming fat-rich foods enhances memory consolidation, triggering long-term memories of the activity. OEA, a compound produced in the small intestine, plays a key role in this process.

An end to fear

A team of Dutch researchers successfully reduced the fear response in human volunteers using beta-blocker propranolol. The treatment weakened fear memories, allowing them to be erased from long-term memory. This breakthrough has implications for treating anxiety disorders and offers a new approach to intervention.

Remember that time? New study demystifies consumer memory

A new study by Nicole Votolato Montgomery and H. Rao Unnava found that consumers tend to favor vacations with improved outcomes over those with worsened outcomes when evaluated immediately, but reverse preferences emerge after a delay.

Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount

Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount provides precise tracking capacity for deep-sky imaging rigs during long astrophotography sessions.

'Fly guy' makes memory breakthrough

A Canadian scientist has made a significant breakthrough in treating intellectual disabilities by manipulating the genes of fruit flies. The research found that disrupting a specific gene called FMR1 leads to long-term memory loss, and that a class of drugs can help restore memories.

Discovery of molecular switch wins Eppendorf/Science prize

Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli has discovered a type of molecular switch in mice that determines whether a long-term memory is formed from an experience, improving spatial memory and synaptic connections. His research holds hope for developing new therapies for age-related memory loss and Alzheimer's Disease.

BCM neuroscientist receives international Eppendorf-Science award

A Baylor College of Medicine neuroscientist has identified a single molecule that can affect memory, with findings showing that reducing activity of a key protein increases the expression of genes and proteins needed for long-lasting memories. The study also reveals that short exposure to experiences creates long-term memories.

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.

Memory enhanced by sports-cheat drug

Researchers have discovered that the blood-boosting effects of erythropoietin are not related to its impact on cognition. Instead, EPO directly influences neurons in the brain, improving memory and cognitive function. The findings may lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.

Study of marine snail leads to new insights into long-term memory

Researchers have discovered a complex process in the brain that regulates synaptic connections during learning and memory, involving a specific presynaptic protein regulated by postsynaptic calcium. This understanding may lead to interventions for human brain disorders and age-related memory loss.

Hebrew University research on octopuses sheds light on memory

Octopus brains utilize activity-dependent long-term synaptic potentiation (LTP) to store and recall memories, with findings suggesting a segregation of short and long-term memory systems. This process is comparable to that discovered in vertebrate brains, yet operates differently due to the octopus's unique brain anatomy.

Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C)

Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C) keeps Macs, tablets, and meters powered during extended observing runs and remote surveys.

Living fossils have long- and short-term memory

Nautilus pompilus demonstrated short-term memory lasting up to an hour before fading away, but remembering it again after 6 hours. The living fossil's memory was comparable to that of modern cephalopods, challenging the assumption that complex brains are necessary for memory.

Getting forgetful? Then blueberries may hold the key

Researchers found that phytochemical-rich foods like blueberries improve spatial working memory tasks within three weeks. The enhancement is attributed to flavonoids, which stimulate neuronal regeneration and improve cellular communications.

Working memory has limited 'slots'

Researchers find working memory retains only a few high-resolution images for a short period, similar to a high-resolution camera. This limited capacity is linked to intelligence and fluid thinking abilities.

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope supports teaching labs and QA checks with LED illumination, mechanical stage, and included 5MP camera.

'Memory molecule' stores memories in neocortex

Researchers found that PKMzeta is necessary for storing long-term memories in the neocortex, a part of the brain responsible for higher-level cognitive functions. Persistent phosphorylation by PKMzeta is crucial for storing these memories.

Memory machine

Scientists found that long-term memories require a miniature molecular machine to maintain, which must be constantly active. Jamming this 'machine' can briefly erase memories, suggesting potential future treatments for memory problems.

New protein synthesis not essential to memory formation

Researchers challenge long-held assumption that new protein synthesis is necessary for recording memories in long-term storage. Brain chemistry changes caused by protein synthesis inhibitors can disrupt memory formation instead.

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

New mechanism found for memory storage in brain

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have discovered a new biochemical mechanism for memory storage, involving persistent changes in slow nerve currents. The discovery may also link memory and addiction, with potential implications for treating conditions such as epilepsy and diseases of memory.

New Brandeis research sheds light on memory by erasing it

Brandeis University researchers have identified CaMKII as a key molecule in memory storage, allowing them to induce and biochemically erase memory in rat hippocampus slices. This discovery holds promise for treating Alzheimer's and epilepsy by weakening overly strengthened synapses.

Enhanced environment restores memory in mice with neurodegeneration

Researchers found that enriched environments improved learning and memory in mice with neurodegeneration due to p25 activation. The animals showed significant gains on memory tests and recovered long-term memories weeks after training. However, no evidence of new neuron growth was observed.

Sleep enforces the temporal sequence in memory

Researchers found that sleep enforces the temporal sequence in memories by replaying experiences in a forward direction. This process enhances word recall when students were asked to reproduce learned words in the correct order.

Mutation improves memory, may lead to memory-enhancing pill

A gene mutation in mice results in enhanced long-term memory, pointing to a potential target for developing a drug to treat memory loss. The mutation affects the phosphorylation of a protein involved in regulating gene expression, leading to improved performance in memory tests.

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only)

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only) delivers reliable low-light performance and rugged build for astrophotography, lab documentation, and field expeditions.

Tracing the formation of long-term memory

A team of researchers from Baylor College of Medicine has found a key component in the formation of long-term memory in fruit flies. The study showed that increased calcium influx into mushroom body neurons parallels the creation of new synapses associated with long-term memory, and can be blocked by specific laboratory techniques.

Speak, memory: Research challenges theory of memory storage

Researchers challenge long-held theory of memory storage by discovering the neocortex drives dialogue between old and new brain regions during deep sleep. The study uses single-cell recordings to show synchronized communication, suggesting a reversal in traditional understanding of memory consolidation.

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2) captures 4K mapping passes and environmental surveys with dual cameras, long flight time, and omnidirectional obstacle sensing.

SUNY Downstate scientists discover memory molecule

Scientists at SUNY Downstate Medical Center discovered a molecular mechanism maintaining memories in the brain by inhibiting a specific enzyme, protein kinase M zeta. This finding may have applications in treating chronic pain and memory loss conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Amnesiac study offers insights into how working memory works

A new study offers insights into the role of the hippocampus in forming and recalling memories, particularly for working memory. The researchers found that the hippocampus plays a crucial role in connecting related pieces of information, but not necessarily in long-term memory.

You will remember this

Researchers at University College London discovered that brain activity before an event is linked to memory recall. The study used EEG scans to show that preparing the brain for a task can enhance long-term memory, and that this preparation can be done by being 'in the right frame of mind' and staying alert between cues.

GoPro HERO13 Black

GoPro HERO13 Black records stabilized 5.3K video for instrument deployments, field notes, and outreach, even in harsh weather and underwater conditions.