Payal Dhar (she/they) is a freelance journalist, writing on science, technology, and society. They cover AI, engineering, materials science, cybersecurity, space, games, online communities, and any shiny new technology that catches their eye.
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Snakes' mind-bending 'heat vision' inspires scientists to build a 4K imaging system that could one day fit into your smartphone'Intelligence comes at a price, and for many species, the benefits just aren't worth it': A neuroscientist's take on how human intellect evolvedNew 'DNA cassette tape' can store up to 1.5 million times more data than a smartphone — and the data can last 20,000 years if frozenScientists asked ChatGPT to solve a math problem from more than 2,000 years ago — how it answered it surprised themScience news this week: A human population isolated for 100,000 years, the biggest spinning structure in the universe, and a pit full of skulls A small device is designed to be implanted under the skin of the scalp and deliver LED light into the brain tissue beneath.The minimally invasive wireless device, which is placed under the scalp, receives inputs in the form of light patterns, which are then conveyed to genetically modified neurons in brain tissue. In the new study, these neurons activated as if they were responding to sensory information from the mice's eyes. The mice learned to match these different patterns of brain activity to perform specific tasks — namely, to uncover the locations of tasty snacks in a series of lab experiments.Scientists create world's first microwave-powered computer chip — it's much faster and consumes less power than conventional CPUs The device marks a step toward a new generation of BMIs that will be capable of receiving artificial inputs — in this case, LED light — independent of typical sensory channels the brain relies on, such as the eyes. This would help scientists build devices that interface with the brain, without requiring trailing wires or bulky external parts. "The technology is a very powerful tool for doing fundamental research," and it could address human health challenges in the longer term, said, a bioelectronics researcher at Northwestern University and senior author of the study, which was published Dec. 8 in the journalThe device, which is smaller than a human index finger, is soft and flexible, so it conforms to the curvature of the skull. It includes 64 tiny LEDs, an electronic circuit that powers the lights, and a receiver antenna. Additionally, an external antenna controls the LEDs using near-field-communications — electromagnetic fields for short-range communications as is done for contactless card payments. The compact device is designed to be placed under the skin, rather than being implanted directly into the brain."It projects light directly onto the brain , and the response of the brain to that light is generated by a genetic modification in the neurons," Rogers told Live Science.Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors Brain cells don't normally respond to light that is shone on them, so gene editing is required to make that happen. "The genetic modification creates light-sensitive ion channels," Rogers explained. When activated by light, these channels allow charged particles to flow into brain cells, tripping a signal that then gets sent to other cells."Through that mechanism, we create light sensitivity directly in the brain tissue itself," he said. The genetic modification of the brain cells was done using a viral vector, a harmless virus made to deliver the desired genetic tweak into specific cells in different regions of the brain., the researchers used a similar approach to activate just one group of brain cells, but the new device enabled them to toggle the activity of many neurons across the brain.Scientists create world's first microwave-powered computer chip — it's much faster and consumes less power than conventional CPUs " is not just stimulating the part of the brain that's naturally responsible for visual perception, but across the entire surface of the cortex," Rogers said. Thus, sending different patterns of illumination creates a corresponding distribution of neural activity."It's like we can project a series of images — almost like play a movie — directly into the brain by controlling sequence of patterns."The researchers tested the implant in the mice by wirelessly instructing it to produce various patterned bursts of light. The mice were trained to respond to each pattern with a specific behavior, indicating that they could distinguish between the patterns transmitted. With each type of signal, they had to go to a specific cavity in a wall, and for choosing correctly, they'd get sugar water as a reward., a neuroengineering researcher at Carnegie Mellon University who wasn't involved in the study, called it a novel technique for using light to tune circuits across the brain."It may have various applications in neuroscience research using animal models … and beyond," he said. For instance, the researchers see potential for this device in future prosthetics. Applications could include adding sensations, like touch or pressure, to prosthetic limbs, or sending visual or auditory signals to vision or hearing prostheses.," Rogers said."There are tremendous advantages because you don't need to disrupt the brain tissues. You can use different wavelengths of light to control different regions of the brain." Rogers said that from a technology standpoint, the platform could scale to cover much larger areas of the brain and contain more micro-LEDs. However, they would have to rethink the power-supply requirements to support a larger device. It should technically work in humans as it does in mice, but further research will be needed before any tests are attempted in humans.Payal Dhar is a freelance journalist, writing on science, technology, and society. They cover AI, engineering, materials science, cybersecurity, space, games, online communities, and any shiny new technology that catches their eye. She has written for Science News, Scientific American, Nature, Washington Post, Guardian, Chemical & Engineering News, IEEE Spectrum, and others. They also write science-fiction and fantasty. You can follow her @payaldhar.bluesky.social or read her work at 'As if a shudder ran from its brain to its body': The neuroscientists that learned to control memories in rodents 'Intelligence comes at a price, and for many species, the benefits just aren't worth it': A neuroscientist's take on how human intellect evolved 'As if a shudder ran from its brain to its body': The neuroscientists that learned to control memories in rodents Rare dusting of snow covers one of the driest places on Earth and shuts down massive radio telescope — Earth from space
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