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People's opinions can shape how negative experiences feel

A new study from Dartmouth College finds that social information can significantly impact how people experience negative events, including physical pain and mentally demanding tasks. When others describe an experience as painful, individuals tend to feel it that way, even when the actual experience is low in intensity.

Can people distinguish between AI-generated and human speech?

Researchers assessed whether people can distinguish between AI-generated and human speech, discovering that short training minimally improves this ability. However, neural responses became more distinct for human versus AI speech, suggesting training can help in the future.

How a gourmet's palate becomes refined: taste training mechanisms

Researchers at Tohoku University demonstrated that taste sensitivity can be enhanced through learning in a novel 'sweet taste recall training.' After just three days of training, participants showed significant improvement in taste sensitivity for all five sweet substances, indicating a sharper perception of sweetness. This finding pro...

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

Depression may make learning to avoid unpleasant events harder

Researchers found that individuals with more severe depressive symptoms had difficulty learning to actively avoid aversive sounds, but their ability improved once they mastered the task. The study suggests that depressive symptoms may specifically interfere with learning to avoid unpleasant events rather than avoidance in general.

How the brain allows us to infer emotions

Researchers have identified the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) as the basis of emotional inference in animals and humans. In a study published in Nature, Xiaowei Gu and Joshua Johansen found that rats can learn inferred emotions by associating a neutral stimulus with an unpleasant experience.

Do dogs understand words from AIC buttons?

A new study published in Scientific Reports reveals that audio quality severely affects dogs' ability to recognize and respond to recorded words. Dogs excelled at responding to direct human speech, but struggled with AIC buttons, which lost frequencies necessary for conveying human speech.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

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

Learning about social interaction by studying dancing

A study published in JNeurosci found that brain activity associated with social coordination during dance is linked to specific movement patterns, particularly bouncing or flexing of the knees. This discovery sheds light on how the brain supports socially engaging activities while integrating dynamic sensory information.

Common phrases, not fancy words, make you sound more fluent in a foreign language

Researchers from Waseda University discovered that common phrasal expressions have a significant impact on how fluent speakers sound, even when controlling for smoothness and other acoustic features. This study suggests that language learners should focus on mastering everyday phrases rather than rare vocabulary to improve their fluency.

They’d rather die: the lesson that male roundworms refuse to learn

Researchers found that male worms fail to learn from experience and prioritize risk-taking over survival. In contrast, female worms quickly learned to avoid a disease-causing bacterium. The study discovered a neural receptor responsible for this difference, also present in humans.

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.

Mutations disrupt touch-based learning, study finds

Research from the University of Florida found that mutations in the Syngap1 gene can lead to disrupted perceptual learning in mice, affecting their ability to interpret touch-based information. This study provides possible answers for understanding autism, intellectual disability, and other conditions with sensory processing issues.

New study examines how physics students perceive recognition

A new study found that even when women receive similar amounts of recognition from peers as men for excelling in physics classes, they perceive significantly less peer recognition. The researchers discovered that men report higher perceptions of peer recognition than women in both lab and lecture courses.

Study provides novel insights into GenAI feedback

Researchers found that GenAI feedback offers timely and personalized feedback, educational benefits as an essay editor and tutor, and social benefits as a supportive environment. However, challenges include limited AI skills, dependency risk, and emotional understanding limitations.

New study uncovers hidden gender bias in workplace leadership programs

A new study published in Organization Science finds that passion benefits men more than women in high-potential designations, perpetuating gender inequities. The research highlights a double standard where men's passion is perceived as diligence, while women's passion is seen as emotional, hindering their career advancement.

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

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

MD Anderson Research Highlights for February 10, 2025

Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center have made significant advancements in treating oligometastatic prostate cancer, advanced urothelial cancer, and triple-negative breast cancer. Personalized risk-based screening is also being explored as a tool to reduce cancer deaths.

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.

Half of all students worry about plagiarism detection software

A study by the University of Copenhagen found that many students fear using plagiarism detection software, leading to counterproductive behavior and misdirected learning. The researchers recommend clearer guidelines, instruction on academic writing practices, and institutions' responsibility in explaining software limitations.

What social rejection teaches your brain

A USC study reveals that forming social ties relies on learning from positive outcomes, such as rewards, and tracking relational value. The findings help explain why we are drawn to certain people and how we navigate relationships, with implications for mental health and social behavior.

Desert ants use the polarity of the geomagnetic field for navigation

Researchers found that desert ants rely on the polarity of the geomagnetic field to navigate during learning walks, contradicting previous findings in other insects. The team manipulated magnetic fields and observed the ants' behavior, concluding that a compass-like navigation system is useful for short-distance navigation.

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.

People with dyslexia and dyscalculia show less bias, study shows

Researchers found those with dyslexia exhibited less implicit bias than those with no disability, while those with dyscalculia showed even less bias compared to both groups. This study provides new insights into the development of people with conditions like dyslexia and dyscalculia.

Childhood social interactions combat stereotypes

Research reveals that children who attended day care regularly are more likely to overcome stereotypical beliefs in adulthood. Participants who spent time in day care were quicker to adjust their behavior when interacting with people of different ages.

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.

Brain-wide decision-making dynamics discovered

Neuroscientists have discovered a global process across the brain that coordinates sensory input with motor action through learning. In trained mice, neurons link sensory evidence to action initiation, integrating information across multiple brain regions.

AI tool to guide UC medical students through reflective practice

A new AI tool called CAR-E is being developed to provide personalized coaching conversations for medical students and residents, encouraging reflective practice and enhancing their skills. The web-based tool will use a coaching approach to prompt students to think back on their clinical encounters and knowledge gaps.

How parents' support and emotional guidance shape homework success

New research from Hebrew University reveals that parents' understanding of their children's thoughts and feelings is crucial for providing effective emotional support. Parents who are good at mentalization can create a better homework environment, boosting children's independent learning and motivation.

Pink elephants in the brain?

A study published in Neuron reveals that neurons are wired to connect seemingly unrelated concepts, enhancing the brain's ability to predict what we see based on past experiences. Visual experience influences the organisation of feedback projections, which store information about the world.

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.

Learning dance moves could help humanoid robots work better with humans

A humanoid robot has been trained to learn and perform various expressive movements, including simple dance routines and gestures. The enhanced expressiveness and agility of the robot pave the way for improving human-robot interactions in settings such as factory assembly lines, hospitals, and homes.

How our brain decodes other people’s gaze

A UNIGE team has successfully determined the exact moment when the brain detects another person's gaze direction. The study enhances our understanding of autism spectrum disorders and offers therapeutic prospects for people affected by Alzheimer's disease.

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.

Just thinking about a location activates mental maps in the brain

Researchers have found that cognitive maps stored in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex are activated when navigating through space physically or mentally. The study used animal models to demonstrate that these mental maps can be created and used during purely mental run-throughs, even without physical movement.

Children’s visual experience may hold key to better computer vision training

A novel approach to training AI systems uses information about spatial position to identify objects and navigate surroundings, inspired by children's visual development. The method improves contrastive learning models' effectiveness by incorporating simulated spatial context information, outperforming base models in various tasks.

Infants hear significantly more speech than music at home, UW study finds

Researchers found that infants in English-learning environments were exposed to more spoken language than music, with the gap widening as they get older. The study used daylong audio recordings collected from home environments and crowdsourced annotations through Zooniverse, closing the gap on past studies that relied on parental reports.

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply powers sensors, microcontrollers, and test circuits with programmable rails and stable outputs.

“What was that?” — How brains convert sounds to actions

A new study reveals that neural activity related to sound detection and movement are temporally separated but share commonalities, with neurons adapting their activity based on experience. The findings shed light on the brain's complex processing of sensory information and behavioral choices.

Computer game in school made students better at detecting fake news

A study by Uppsala University found that a computer game called Bad News improved students' ability to identify manipulative techniques in social media posts and distinguish reliable from misleading news. The game, played individually or in groups, had positive effects on students' critical thinking skills.

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.

Zebra finch chicks don't babble for no reason

Research at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence reveals that zebra finch chicks' first vocalizations play a key role in memorizing adult songs. The chicks' babbling is necessary to initiate the sensory phase of song learning, enabling them to store and recall the learned song.

E-tongue can detect white wine spoilage before humans can

A recent study found that an e-tongue can detect signs of microorganisms in white wine within a week after contamination, four weeks before a human panel notices the change in aroma. This technology has the potential to augment traditional methods and allow winemakers to catch and mitigate problems sooner.

Creality K1 Max 3D Printer

Creality K1 Max 3D Printer rapidly prototypes brackets, adapters, and fixtures for instruments and classroom demonstrations at large build volume.

Chicks prove vision and touch linked at birth

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London discovered that newly hatched chicks can link touch and vision without prior learning, suggesting a pre-wired ability for cross-modal perception. This finding contradicts long-held beliefs and opens new avenues in understanding brain processing across senses.

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...

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

To appreciate music, the human brain listens and learns to predict

Researchers at University of California - San Francisco have developed a precise map of what is happening in the brain’s auditory cortex when someone hears a melody. The study found that some aspects of music are entwined with how we understand speech, while other important aspects stand alone. The brain uses two sets of neurons to ass...

Monkey see, monkey do: how sideline sports behaviors affect kids

A new study from the University of South Australia found a link between parents' sideline conduct and athletes' behaviours. When parents behaved well, their child was more likely to project positive behaviour. However, when parents behaved poorly, this was related to greater antisocial behaviours in their child.

Promoting prosocial behavior in the classroom and beyond

Christi Bergin's research focuses on improving prosocial behavior in classrooms and communities, leading to better student engagement, academic achievement, and relationships. Her approach aims to reduce teacher stress and burnout by promoting empathy and kindness among students.

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.

Podcasts and compulsory attendance improved student learning

A study by Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that using podcasts and compulsory attendance in small seminar groups increased student engagement and confidence. The changes led to a 36% increase in successful exam completion compared to the previous year.