Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Hardware-software co-design approach could make neural networks less power hungry

A team of researchers developed a neuroinspired hardware-software co-design approach that can make neural network training more energy-efficient and faster. The approach uses a type of energy-efficient neural network called spiking neural networks, combined with the soft-pruning algorithm to minimize computing power and time.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalNature Communications·DateDec 19, 2018

Making steps toward improved data storage

Researchers at Kyoto University successfully created intense terahertz pulses to fine-tune the switching behavior of a phase-change memory material. This breakthrough could lead to faster and more stable memory technologies with increased density.

SourceKyoto University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateNov 6, 2018

Putting underused smart devices to work

Researchers at IMDEA Networks Institute are exploring a novel 'DisCoEdge' system to optimize device usage and create new services. The system aims to spread heavy computational tasks and large storage over simple devices, enabling novel applications like cooperative data sharing and corporate storage systems.

Fright and flight: Deciding when to escape

Researchers have discovered a subcellular mechanism by which the brain classifies threat levels and decides when to escape, involving connections between two brain regions. The 'threshold computation' process is weak and unreliable, but becomes sufficient when threat levels rise, enabling animals to make instinctive decisions.

SourceSainsbury Wellcome Centre·JournalNature·DateJun 21, 2018

When emotional memories intrude, focusing on context could help, study finds

A study by psychologists at the University of Illinois found that focusing on contextual details of emotional memories can improve cognitive performance and reduce negative effects. By shifting focus away from emotion and toward context, individuals can redirect brain resources to tasks and process memories more deeply.

Researchers find algorithm for large-scale brain simulations

A new algorithm enables larger parts of the human brain to be represented using the same amount of computer memory, significantly reducing the memory required for simulations. This breakthrough allows researchers to simulate neuronal networks on the scale of the human brain for the first time, enabling studies of complex brain functions.

SourceFrontiers·JournalFrontiers in Neuroinformatics·DateMar 5, 2018

Neural networks everywhere

MIT researchers developed a special-purpose chip that increases the speed of neural-network computations while reducing power consumption. The chip can calculate dot products for multiple nodes in a single step, improving efficiency and making neural networks more practical for handheld devices.

Pores with a memory

Researchers have developed a process to produce porous films made from shape memory polymers with precise dimensions, which can be reversibly changed with light. The films feature micropores that switch between different shapes and/or sizes, expanding possibilities in fields such as electronics and separation processes.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateFeb 6, 2018

The brain's creativity controls

A Harvard researcher found that specific brain network patterns are associated with creativity, including the default mode network for imagination and the salience network for information filtering. The study's predictive model showed accuracy in estimating creative potential based on brain scan data.

SourceHarvard University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 17, 2018

How odors are turned into long-term memories

Researchers at Ruhr-University Bochum investigate the brain area responsible for storing odours as long-term memories. They found that the piriform cortex is involved, but only works in interaction with other areas, and requires instruction from the orbitofrontal cortex to establish long-term memory.

SourceRuhr-University Bochum·JournalCerebral Cortex·DateDec 22, 2017

Researchers develop data bus for quantum computer

Physicists at the University of Innsbruck have developed a technique to transfer quantum information between systems encoded differently, enabling local modification of quantum bits. This 'data bus' approach allows for more robust coupling between quantum processors and memories, paving the way for universal quantum computing.

SourceUniversity of Innsbruck·JournalNature Communications·DateNov 6, 2017

Selective memory

Researchers developed a new cache-management scheme that improves the data rate of in-package DRAM caches, reducing metadata transfer and increasing bandwidth. The 'Banshee' system adds three bits of data to each entry, enabling efficient storage and retrieval of frequently used data.

Rhythm of memory

A study by Prof. Dr. Marlene Bartos and her team found that inhibiting circuits in the hippocampus create high-frequency brainwaves that support parallel processing and storage of information, a key mechanism for laying initial traces of memory.

SourceUniversity of Freiburg·JournalNature Communications·DateOct 23, 2017

Superconducting nanowire memory cell, miniaturized technology

Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a new nanoscale memory cell that holds promise for successful integration with superconducting processors. The device provides stable memory at a smaller size than other proposed memory devices, eliminating magnetic-field cross-talk and enabling faster and more powerful computing.

Random access memory on a low energy diet

Researchers from Dresden and Basel have developed a novel memory chip concept that can store data magnetically without continuous refreshing, reducing energy consumption and heat generation. The breakthrough uses an electrical voltage instead of current to activate the magnetic material, enabling more efficient data storage.

SourceHelmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf·JournalNature Communications·DateJan 3, 2017

Dementia diagnosis delayed by complex referral criteria

A study found that complex referral criteria are contributing to delays in dementia diagnosis, with some clinics requiring multiple investigations. Alternative approaches, such as primary care-led processes and direct access to memory clinics, may speed up diagnosis while reducing pressure on GPs and specialists.

SourceSAGE·JournalJournal of the Royal Society of Medicine·DateNov 8, 2016

A tiny machine

Researchers at UCSB have developed a functional nanoscale computing device, operating on an unconventional type of logic that could be packed into a block no bigger than 50 nanometers. This technology has the potential to store and process data much faster, reducing energy consumption and increasing computing efficiency.