Lifeboat Foundation

Jeramy Windle

In the context of sensory modalities, eyes work like tiny antennae, picking up light, electromagnetic waves traveling at blistering speeds. When humans look at the world, their eyes catch these waves and convert them into signals the brain reads as colors, shapes, and movement. It’s a seamless process, that allows people to see details clearly even when there’s a lot happening around them.

Researchers have discovered that fungi, despite lacking brains, exhibit forms of intelligence such as memory, learning, and decision-making.

Through experiments, fungi demonstrated strategic growth patterns when exposed to different physical setups, suggesting a form of communication within their mycelial networks. This groundbreaking study reveals the complex and intelligent behaviors of fungi, challenging our understanding of cognition in simple organisms.

Exploring Fungal Intelligence

Scientists have found that a specific protein complex significantly influences brain connectivity and cognitive behaviors.

Their studies on mice revealed that disruptions in this complex affect synapse formation and lead to behavioral changes, such as increased anxiety and impaired social interactions, pointing toward new treatment possibilities for mental health conditions.

Protein complex roles in brain connectivity.

Research on Heliconius butterflies illustrates how variations in brain circuits are aligned with their unique foraging behaviors, enhancing their spatial and visual memory.

A tropical butterfly species with uniquely expanded brain structures shows a fascinating mosaic pattern of neural expansion linked to a key cognitive innovation.

Continue reading “Brain Expansion: How Heliconius Butterflies Outsmart Their Peers” »

R.I.P. Phil Philip George Zimbardo. March 23, 1933 – October 14, 2024.

“Success is not about reaching a destination; it’s about the journey and the person you become along the way.”

Philip G. Zimbardo, one of the world’s most renowned psychologists, died Oct. 14 in his home in San Francisco. He was 91.

Continue reading “Philip Zimbardo, the psychologist behind the ‘Stanford Prison Experiment,’ dies at 91” »

The research focuses on “cellular senescence,” a process where cells stop dividing and enter a state associated with chronic inflammation and aging.

This cellular state, known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), involves the secretion of inflammatory proteins that accelerate aging and disease, such as dementia, diabetes, and atherosclerosis.

Would you like to see more applications for Neuralink in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Elon Musk’s brain technology startup, Neuralink, reported that its implant is functioning well in a second trial patient, identified as Alex. This implant is designed to help paralyzed patients control digital devices through thought alone. Unlike the first patient, Noland Arbaugh, who experienced thread retraction issues post-surgery, Alex has not faced similar problems. Neuralink implemented new measures to prevent such complications, including reducing brain motion during surgery. Both patients have been able to use the implant to perform tasks like playing video games, browsing the internet, and even designing 3D objects.

Exposure to certain pollutants, like fine particles (PM2.5) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), during pregnancy and childhood is associated with differences in the microstructure of the brain´s white matter, and some of these effects persist throughout adolescence. These are the main conclusions of a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by “la Caixa” Foundation. The findings, published in Environmental Research, highlight the importance of addressing air pollution as a public health issue, particularly for pregnant women and children.

An increasing amount of evidence suggests that air pollution affects neurodevelopment in children. Recent studies using imaging techniques have looked at the impact of air pollutants on the brain’s white matter, which plays a crucial role in connecting different brain regions. However, these studies were limited in that they only looked at one timepoint and did not follow the participants throughout childhood.

“Following participants throughout childhood and including two neuroimaging assessments for each child would shed new light on whether the effects of air pollution on white matter persist, attenuate, or worsen,” says ISGlobal researcher Mònica Guxens. And that is what she and her team did.

A neurological study from the Netherlands reveals that viewing art in person triggers emotions 10 times stronger than seeing the same works in reproduction.

Five artworks induced stronger positive responses in 20 participants in the Netherlands than museum shop posters of the same works.