Neural Navigations #39

The recent, unusually strong solar storm resulted in stunning displays of color across the sky. Hopefully, you had the chance to see this amazing phenomenon. Meanwhile, the continent has been captivated by Eurovision 2024. As you read this, the winners are likely heading home. I hope you found the event enjoyable as well. Now, let's dive into this week's breakthroughs.

Science, Technology & Space

OpenAI has a livestreamed announcement planned for 10 a.m. PT on Monday — but it’s trying to keep expectations under control . The company is describing the event as “a chance to demo some ChatGPT and GPT-4 updates.” CEO Sam Altman, meanwhile,?promoted the event with the message , “not gpt-5, not a search engine, but we’ve been hard at work on some new stuff we think people will love! feels like magic to me.”

Webb found its strongest case yet of a rocky exoplanet with an atmosphere. The telescope is getting closer to analyzing rocky planets in other solar systems.

In the race for space metals , companies hope to cash in. Mining asteroids could, in theory, reduce the burden on Earth’s resources.

Blasting coffee grounds with ultrasonic waves creates a 60-second cold brew . Traditional cold brew coffee can take as long as 24 hours to properly prepare. Chemical engineers didn’t feel like waiting around that long.

Swarm of tiny snail robots stick together to form new structures. The bots use magnets instead of slime.

A father and son designed the world’s fastest quadcopter drone . Luke and Mike Bell’s ‘Peregrine 2’ averaged nearly 300 mph, and broke two Guinness records.

Brain, Body & Mind

Brain Language Model (BrainLM) uses generative artificial intelligence to map brain activity and its implications for behavior and disease. BrainLM leverages 80,000 scans from 40,000 subjects to create a foundational model that captures the dynamics of brain activity without the need for specific disease-related data.

Gene therapy breakthrough allows toddler born deaf to hear. She can hear sounds as soft as a whisper and is starting to talk.

A recent study investigated how cardiothoracic surgeons learn from failures, revealing that there is a threshold beyond which they no longer gain knowledge from their mistakes. The research highlights that this threshold varies depending on a surgeon's perceived ability to learn .

Neuralink admits patient’s brain implant is partially ‘retracted’. A number of threads have malfunctioned. The company hasn't said why.

A new study demonstrates the profound influence of gut microbes on behavior , particularly in the context of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The study reveals that gut discomfort in mice reduces social behaviors, a phenomenon reversible by specific bacterial introductions.

Researchers uncovered a critical aspect of infant vision, revealing that very young babies experience a unique visual diet consisting of simple, high-contrast patterns and edges found in everyday environments. This "diet" significantly influences their developmental trajectory.

FDA issues recall for diabetes app after over 200 reported injuries . The t:connect mobile app can crash and drain the insulin pump's battery.

Researchers uncovered a reciprocal relationship between depression and physical activity in adults. The findings reveal that current depression symptoms can deter physical activity years later, although the reverse isn't necessarily true—current inactivity doesn’t predict future depression symptoms.

Researchers unveiled a new combination immunotherapy that significantly boosts the immune response in patients with malignant gliomas . By integrating a personalized dendritic cell vaccine with poly-ICLC, an immune-boosting agent, the therapy has shown promise in enhancing the dendritic cells' capacity to combat this aggressive brain tumor.

A new study uncovered that aging clocks, which assess biological age, do so by measuring stochastic changes in cellular processes , particularly in DNA methylation. These clocks indicate that biological age, influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors, can deviate significantly from chronological age.

Children who consistently experience insufficient sleep from infancy through early childhood are significantly more likely to develop psychosis as young adults. Analyzing data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, researchers found that chronic sleep deprivation is a strong predictor of both psychotic disorders and psychotic episodes later in life.

Up to 40% of prevalent mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, stem from childhood maltreatment . The study estimates that addressing childhood maltreatment could prevent over 1.8 million cases of these disorders.

Researchers uncovered a crucial link between glucose levels, serotonin signaling, and fertility . By studying rats and goats, the team discovered that increased glucose availability stimulates serotonergic neurons, enhancing the release of reproductive hormones via the activation of kisspeptin neurons.

Researchers developed a novel vision implant, featuring electrodes as small as a single neuron . This advanced technology, designed to interface directly with the visual cortex, could significantly enhance the visual perception in individuals who are blind.

Researchers uncovered a critical link between exercise, muscle function, and brain health. Their study reveals that nerves activating muscles during exercise also trigger the release of molecules that enhance brain function .

Nature & Environment

Brazil floods drive thousands from their homes.

Scotland suddenly has a lot of mosquitoes . Surprisingly large populations of mosquitoes have been detected all over the country.

Expressive elephants use gestures and vocal cues to communicate . They might be saying: come here, move away, or maybe even smell me.

Snakes play dead, bleed, and poop to avoid being eaten. They really commit to the role.

Parrots sometimes kill each other’s chicks. Green-rumped parrotlets can be caretakers–or killers.

Devils Hole pupfish are clawing their way back from the brink of extinction . Record numbers of these strange inbred fish were counted in the hellscape they call home.