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☆ Human sense of smell is faster than thought, new study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“For comparison, the duration of an eye blink is about 180 milliseconds,” Zhou added. “Our apparatus could be used for therapeutic purposes, such as olfactory training for patients with olfactory loss,” Zhou said. The researchers asked 229 adults in China to wear this device and smell different odor mixtures: two odors presented in quick succession within a single sniff. However, temporal sensitivity is not limited to hearing: our sense of smell can also perceive small temporal changes in odour presentations,” he wrote. In addition, this study sheds important light on the mysterious mechanisms that support human odor perception,” Datta wrote in an email.

Persons: Dr, Wen Zhou, Zhou, ” Zhou, “, Dmitry Rinberg, ”, Sanjay Gupta, Sandeep Robert Datta, ” Datta Organizations: CNN, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ohio State University, of Neuroscience, NYU Langone Health, CNN Health, Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School Locations: Beijing, China, New York

☆ Neurable’s BCI ‘brain-reading’ headphones could stop you burning out
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The MW75 Neuro comes in four colors, including silver. NeurableThe concept, says Alcaide, is to help users “build discipline and good habits” through rewarding good cognitive hygiene. Blackrock NeurotechThe MW75 Neuro is a "non-invasive" BCI. CNN’s Anna Stewart tries an early iteration of Neurable’s MW75 Neuro headphones with Deena Al Jassasi (right) at Healthspan Digital, a longevity clinic in Dubai. As more people wear the headphones, Alcaide says users can opt-in to share their anonymized data which can help improve functionality for new software features.

Persons: Ramses Alcaide, Woojin Lee, Neurable, Alcaide, you’re, ”, Miguel Nicolelis, Adam Molnar, ” Miguel Nicolelis, Neurobiologist, Duke University Nicolelis, Deena Al Jassasi, CNN’s Anna Stewart Organizations: CNN, University of Michigan’s, Interface, Dynamics, Duke University, Neurable, BCI, Blackrock, DCI Network, Institute of Neuroethics, Healthspan Locations: Boston, Alcaide, Blackrock Neurotech's Utah, Dubai

☆ How pregnancy changes the brain
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Researchers have created one of the first comprehensive maps of how the brain changes throughout pregnancy, substantially improving upon understanding of an understudied field. What brain changes mean for parentsThe functional implications these brain changes may have for birthing parents have yet to be determined, said Dr. Elseline Hoekzema, head of the Pregnancy and the Brain Lab at Amsterdam University Medical Center, via email. However, some of Hoekzema’s previous work has indicated associations between pregnancy-related brain changes and the ways a birthing parent’s brain and body respond and bond to infants’ cues, Hoekzema added. These findings are also in line with animal studies showing brain changes that were critical for the onset and continuation of maternal care. “Of the 50,000 brain imaging articles published in the last 30 years, less than half of 1% focus on health factors unique to women, like pregnancy.

Persons: Elizabeth R, Chrastil, ”, Emily Jacobs, ” Jacobs, Jacobs, Jodi Pawluski, Pawluski wasn’t, Magdalena Martínez García, wasn’t, Elseline Hoekzema, Hoekzema wasn’t, Hoekzema, ” Pawluski, “, ” Hoekzema, Pawluski, haven’t, Ann S, Bowers, Chan Zuckerberg, we’ve Organizations: CNN —, Neuroscience, University of California, UC Santa Barbara, Jacobs Lab, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Brain Health Initiative Locations: Santa Barbara, France, Spain

☆ 27-year-old Olympic gold medalist and Harvard grad says her health-care job helped her prep for the Games
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-06 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

American sprinter Gabby Thomas won her first Olympic gold medal in the 2024 Paris Games women's 200-meter final on Tuesday — an accomplishment that she credits, in part, to her second job. The 27-year-old, who took home bronze and silver during her Olympic debut at the Tokyo games, balances her career as an Olympian with a job in health care. Thomas holds a bachelor's degree in neurobiology from Harvard University and a master's degree in public health from the University of Texas Health Science Center. In the months leading up to the Games, Thomas trained three to six hours a day, but at night, she worked at an Austin volunteer health-care clinic for people without insurance. "I think I'm just so grateful to get to do what I love," Thomas told Olympics.com.

Persons: Gabby Thomas, Thomas, Olympics.com, I'm, — Organizations: Harvard University, University of Texas Health Science, Games, NBC News, NBC, CNBC Locations: Tokyo, Atlanta , Georgia, Los Angeles

☆ In new criteria for Alzheimer’s, some see much-needed progress while others fear profit may be driving ‘diagnostic creep’
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —With another pricey Alzheimer’s disease treatment expected to receive an approval decision soon, the nonprofit Alzheimer’s Association has published the final version of its new diagnostic criteria for the disease. Together with another protein, tau, which makes fibrous tangles that block the communication of nerve cells, they are considered a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. “There’s no evidence for it,” said Dr. George Perry, a neurobiologist and editor of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Two members of the panel were employees of the Alzheimer’s Association, which also takes funding from pharmaceutical companies. Widera says he hopes that in the next round of guidelines, the Alzheimer’s Association will consider the risks involved.

Persons: There’s, –, donanemab, “, ”, George Perry, Adriane Fugh, Berman, haven’t, Maria C, Carrillo, Alzheimer’s, It’s, Eric Widera, Widera, it’s, Aduhelm, Karl Herrup, Clifford Jack, ” Jack, “ It’s, Niles Franz, ” Franz, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Franz, ” Widera Organizations: CNN, Alzheimer’s Association, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Georgetown University, University of California San, American Geriatrics Society, Abbott Labs, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Nature Medicine, federal National Institute, Aging, Alzheimer’s Association International, National Institute, National Institutes of Health, NIA, Alzheimer’s, National Academy of Medicine, CNN Health, Association Locations: University of California San Francisco

☆ 5 tips to keep your brain sharp for when you're Biden's age
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Here are five expert tips for keeping your mind sharp into your 80s and beyond. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . With the President's cognitive capabilities making headlines again, here are five top tips from experts to keep your brain sharp for when you get to be Biden's age. A 2019 study concluded that tea drinkers have higher cognitive functions and better-organized brain regions when compared to non-tea drinkers. "But learning new things helps with brain plasticity, and if you are able to keep using your brain in new ways, you can have better mental outcomes as you age."

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Biden, you've, Talia Lerner, Jason Shepherd Organizations: Service, Business, Blue Zone, Northwestern University, University of Utah Locations: Ikaria

☆ Living with air pollution, especially from wildfires or agriculture, raises risk of dementia, US study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The study authors said it’s the first nationally representative study of the potential effects of particle pollution on dementia in the US, and the link to dementia was most robust in areas with pollution from agriculture and wildfires. Pesticides are neurotoxins to animals, she said, so those may be the particles in agriculture pollution that are affecting human brains, as well. As for wildfires, the smoke doesn’t just come from burning trees; things like homes and gas stations burn too, becoming the particle pollution that people breathe in. The new study cannot determine the exact mechanism connecting particle pollution and dementia, but scientists have some theories. A study in England found that adults living with the highest annual concentration of air pollution had 1.4 times the dementia risk as those living with the lowest annual concentration.

Persons: it’s, ”, Sara Dubowsky Adar, Boya Zhang, Adar, Caleb Finch, William F, It’s, Masashi Kitazawa, Kitazawa, ” Kitazawa, Finch, Zhang, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Zhang, “ Organizations: CNN, US Environmental Protection Agency, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Pesticides, ARCO, William, Kieschnick, University of Southern, World Health, Alzheimer’s Association, University of California, Alzheimer’s, CNN Health, World Health Organization Locations: United States, University of Southern California, Irvine, Canada, England, California

☆ Scientists tickle rats to learn about brain activity during play
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

To learn more about the neuroscience behind this widespread behavior, he and his colleagues played with and tickled rats and observed the rodents’ brain activity. Researchers studied how playing and being tickled affected rats’ brain activity. Key brain areaTo learn more about how playing and being tickled affect rats’ brain activity, the researchers devised a series of experiments. The researchers played “hand chasing games” with their rat subjects and gently tickled them, while tiny, wireless neural probes recorded the rats’ brain activity. Furthermore, in trials where the scientists inhibited activity in this part of the brain, the rats were less inclined to play or laugh when tickled.

Persons: Michael Brecht, they’re, Brecht, it’s, ” Brecht, “, ”, everyone’s, —, one’s, we’ve, Alexa Veenema, Veenema, ” Veenema, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, Bowl, Humboldt University, Michigan State University Locations: Berlin, Chicago

☆ Newly discovered ancient creature may have been the heaviest animal ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

This week, scientists shared discoveries of ancient species that lived and died tens of millions of years ago, providing tantalizing insights into creatures never documented until now. The colossal ancient whale, which swam the seas about 39 million years ago, likely weighed two to three times more than the blue whale. NASA/ESA/Joseph Olmsted (STScI)When the Hubble Space Telescope initially observed a young planetary system 32 light-years from Earth, it didn’t reveal any surprises. And the James Webb Space Telescope spied new details within the colorful, iconic Ring Nebula. The fruit flies in the groundbreaking study don’t typically reproduce through virgin births, also called parthenogenesis, although many animal species do.

Persons: Alberto Gennari, Michael Brecht, ” Brecht, Joseph Olmsted, Euclid, James Webb, —, Hala Alarashi, Alice Burkhardt, Ba, Emperor Nero, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Canadian Rockies, Humboldt University, NASA, ESA, Hubble, Telescope, Petra Museum, CNN Space, Science Locations: Ica, Berlin, Jordan, East Coast, United States

☆ Opinion | ‘Huberman Husbands,’ ‘Bro Diets’ and the ‘Masculine’ Branding of Fitness Culture
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Jessica Grose | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

It started with a suspicious green sludge at the bottom of our drinking glasses. I kept finding evidence of this murky, grassy sediment when I was unloading the dishwasher, and I asked my husband if he knew where it came from. He said something like, “Oh, that’s Athletic Greens” — a supplement powder that includes dehydrated fruits, vegetables and grains that you mix with water. And I would also hear him mention “zone 2” exercising — which, as a runner, I honestly wanted to know more about. (You can peruse mixed reviews on greens powders’ benefits here and here.)

Persons: Andrew Huberman, Canon, Joseph Bernstein, Huberman, Goop, ”, he’s Organizations: that’s Athletic Greens, Stanford, Athletic Greens

☆ Whale fossil may be the heaviest animal ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A colossal ancient whale discovered in Peru might be the heaviest animal on record, according to a new study. What’s more, Perucetus likely weighed two to three times more than the blue whale, which today weighs a maximum of 149.6 metric tons (330,000 pounds). Giovanni Bianucci“Discoveries of such extreme body forms are an opportunity to re-evaluate our understanding of animal evolution,” wrote J.G.M. “It seems that we are only dimly aware of how astonishing whale form and function can be,” they added. The lifestyle of a colossal whaleThe findings suggest that gigantism or peak body mass among cetaceans had been reached around 30 million years earlier than previously thought, according to the study.

Persons: Giovanni Bianucci, “, ” Bianucci, Perucetus, ”, ’, Bianucci, pacificus, Mystacodon selenesis, Mario Urbina Schmitt, Schmitt, Thewissen, David A, Waugh, weren’t, Ingalls, Brown, ” Thewissen Organizations: CNN, University of Pisa’s, sirenians, Peru “, National University of San, Ohio Medical University Locations: Peru, Italy, Ica, Peruvian, National University of San Marcos, Lima

☆ 5 things neuroscientists do to keep their brains healthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Erin Heger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Neuroscientists explain how they keep healthy brains with regular exercise, enough sleep, and more. Keeping your brain healthy is important for delaying neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's. But there's a lot more to keeping the brain healthy and the science behind it. Try new thingsExposing yourself to new people, places, and challenges can keep your mind sharp, improve brain plasticity and strengthen your brain, Shepherd said. "Your brain is not somehow totally separate from your body, so things that are helpful for your body are also good for your brain," Lerner said.

Persons: Neuroscientists, Emily McDonald, McDonald, Jason Shepherd, Talia Lerner, Shepherd, Sleep, Lerner Organizations: Service, University of Utah, Northwestern University, Research Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ It Rocks in the Tree Tops, but Is That Bird Making Music?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Marlowe Starling | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

According to Dr. Doolittle’s research, the song patterns of Eurasian blackbirds found in that region resemble Stravinsky’s compositional style. Neuroscience research points to the idea that this affinity between birds and humans is not so unusual. But the brains of monkeys and non-songbirds, like gulls, are organized in a different way, Dr. Bolhuis said. For example, both humans and birds can produce smash hits that evoke feelings in their listeners, the psychologist Dr. Tchernichovski explained. “This is the magic in music,” Dr. Tchernichovski said.

Persons: François, Bernard Mâche, zoomusicology, Igor Stravinsky’s, Dr, Johan Bolhuis, Bolhuis, Tchernichovski, ”, Birdsong, “ Locations: Ukraine

☆ Bilingualism May Stave Off Dementia, Study Suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Jaya Padmanabhan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Speaking two languages provides the enviable ability to make friends in unusual places. A new study suggests that bilingualism may also come with another benefit: improved memory in later life. Studying hundreds of older patients, researchers in Germany found that those who reported using two languages daily from a young age scored higher on tests of learning, memory, language and self-control than patients who spoke only one language. The findings, published in the April issue of the journal Neurobiology of Aging, add to two decades of work suggesting that bilingualism protects against dementia and cognitive decline in older people. “It’s promising that they report that early and middle-life bilingualism has a beneficial effect on cognitive health in later life,” said Miguel Arce Rentería, a neuropsychologist at Columbia University who was not involved in the study.

☆ An elephant living in a Berlin zoo has taught herself how to peel a banana
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Now a team of researchers in Berlin have documented an elephant using her trunk for another novel behavior: peeling bananas. Pang Pha was a baby when she arrived at the Berlin Zoo, where she was fed bananas. Lena KaufmannThe star of this new study, an Asian elephant named Pang Pha, was a baby when she arrived at the Berlin Zoo in 1987. When Pang Pha peels a banana, she doesn’t crack the stem and peel down the sides one by one. It’s also not possible to definitively say that she learned to peel bananas by copying her human caretaker.

☆ The 4-day workweek: Science explains why it could improve our minds, bodies, and companies' bottom lines
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Science explains why the four-day workweek could be good for employees and employers alike. There's no control group — a company or companies that maintained a five-day workweek, to compare against the four-day workweek companies. There's also a risk of "selection bias" — a particular type of company may be far more likely to volunteer for a four-day workweek trial. Here's what science has to say about the UK four-day workweek trial results. Cortisol, too, can affect sleep quality, so having fewer high-cortisol days (ahem, work days) may mean fewer days of meager sleep.

☆ The largest hedge fund in the world just named a 37-year-old woman as a co-CIO. Meet the top 11 execs leading Bridgewater into its new era.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Alyson Velati | Michelle Abrego | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Karen Karniol-Tambour will join co-CIOs Greg Jensen and Bob Prince to oversee the hedge fund's investment strategy. Despite a breakout year for many multi-strategy and macro hedge funds, Bridgewater lagged behind its peers. Nir Bar Dea, co-CEOBar Dea. Bridgewater AssociatesAs cochief investment officer, Jensen oversees Bridgewater's investment strategies and research efforts as well as its investment talent. Since joining Bridgewater in 1986, he has been a partner in building the hedge fund's investment process and products.

☆ Meet the 11 execs leading Bridgewater into a new era after Ray Dalio relinquished control of the hedge fund
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Alyson Velati | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Bridgewater AssociatesAs cochief investment officer, Jensen oversees Bridgewater's investment strategies and research efforts as well as its investment talent. Karen Karniol-Tambour, cochief investment officer for sustainabilityKaren Karniol-Tambour, Bridgewater's cochief investment officer for sustainability. Rebecca Patterson, chief investment strategistBridgewater's chief investment strategist, Rebecca Patterson. In 2012, she joined as the chief investment officer of Bessemer Trust, managing $85 billion in client assets. The partnership elected three directors to Bridgewater's operating board of directors, which now has control over Bridgewater after Dalio relinquished control of the hedge fund.

☆ CRISPR pioneer Feng Zhang is building a secretive new startup to solve gene-editing's biggest problem — getting into more parts of the body
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

CRISPR pioneer Feng Zhang is building a new gene-editing startup, Insider has learned. CRISPR pioneer Feng Zhang is in the process of launching yet another ambitious gene-editing startup, backed by approximately $200 million from some of biotech's biggest investors, Insider has exclusively learned. Aera was incorporated in September 2021, shortly after Zhang's research was published in Science. Aera is at least the seventh startup Zhang has cofounded, joining a list that includes base-editing biotech Beam Therapeutics, CRISPR company Editas Medicine, and gene-editing startup Arbor Biotechnologies. While the ARC protein seems tailored for brain delivery, Zhang's suite of proteins could reach other organs, Shepherd said.

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