June 8, 2023: The purpose of memories, our unusual solar system and we celebrate World Oceans Day. Read it all below! —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | Both memory and imagination rely on a brain region called the hippocampus. In fact, without memory, imagination is not possible. Fantasy is created by combining bits and pieces of experience with emotions, inner commentary and things people have read or heard about. Why this is cool: From an evolutionary perspective, the purpose of memories is actually for future planning, according to a new analysis. This chain of neural events even loops back on itself. We also need to form memories of our simulations of the future so that when we have an experience, we have something to draw on.
What the experts say: "It's amazing that we're not all psychotic all the time, that we're not all delusional, because our brains are clearly making stuff up a lot of the time about things that could be," says Loren Frank, a systems neuroscientist at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the University of California, San Francisco. | | | Observations from NASA's Kepler mission, along with two recent mathematical models that predict planetary formation, indicate that there are four potential arrangements in solar systems: the first having planets all of similar size; the second being a random mix of planet sizes; third, biggest planets nearest the sun; and last, smallest planets close to the sun and bigger planets further out (which is the arrangement of our own solar system).
Why this is cool: For a long time scientists thought our own solar system was typical of most planetary systems. But new data from Kepler demonstrated that most solar systems have an even arrangement of similarly-sized orbs.
What the experts say: The powerful James Webb Space Telescope and other facilities may soon be able to test some of these ideas. "It's more scientifically robust to make predictions and then check them, rather than observing surprising things and painting on a theoretical gloss afterward," says University of Chicago astrophysicist Daniel Fabrycky. | | | • Vaccines using mRNA technology have been shown to reduce disease in farm animals, and it's all but impossible for them to end up in your food, despite false claims by anti-vaccine activists, writes David Verhoeven, assistant professor of vet microbiology and preventative medicine at Iowa State University. He has been developing mRNA vaccines since long before the pandemic. | 6 min read | | | Credit: naturepics_li/Getty Images | | | The depths of the ocean remain some of the last undiscovered territory on planet Earth. In honor of World Oceans Day today, check out some of our latest coverage. What we don't know about the oceans may shock you! | | | • The Mystery of Milky Seas Is Finally Being Solved
Scientists are uncovering more about an eerie phenomenon that has bewildered seafarers for centuries. | 15 min read | | | • Ocean Discoveries Are Revising Long-Held Truths about Life
New findings show that the ocean is much more intertwined with our lives than we ever imagined. | 5 min read | | | • Greatest Migration on Earth Happens under Darkness Every Day
Trillions of tiny animals may be coordinating their movements in ways that affect every organism on the planet. | 13 min read | | | We're still experiencing smoky skies here in New York City, and along the East Coast. What a surreal experience to be pulling out my KN-95 masks again after a merciful hiatus! In case you missed it, check out this article on when we can expect clear skies again. | This newsletter is for you! Let me know what you like (or don't) so we can keep evolving into something better. Email me directly at newsletters@sciam.com. | —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters . | | | | Scientific American
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