Friday, August 18, 2023

Neuroscientists re-create Pink Floyd song from listeners' brain activity

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August 18, 2023

Neuroscience

Neuroscientists Re-create Pink Floyd Song from Listeners' Brain Activity

Artificial intelligence has turned the brain's electrical signals into somewhat garbled classic rock

By Lucy Tu

Energy

The Superconductor Sensation Has Fizzled, and That's Fine

The rise and fall of LK-99 offers a lesson on how to consider technology's role in urgently needed energy transitions

By Lauren Leffer

Natural Disasters

Why a Banyan Tree Damaged in the Maui Wildfire Was So Beloved

This 150-year-old tree has been a cultural hub for Hawaii's town of Lahaina for centuries

By Timmy Broderick

Basic Chemistry

'Quantum Superchemistry' Observed for the First Time Ever

A new type of chemistry performed at very cold temperatures on very small particles enables quick, precise reactions

By Stephanie Pappas,LiveScience

Astronomy

Arecibo Observatory Shuts Down Its Science

Although Arecibo Observatory is slated to become an education center, astronomers hope research might one day return to the site

By Anil Oza,Nature

Artificial Intelligence

AI Causes Real Harm. Let's Focus on That over the End-of-Humanity Hype

Effective regulation of AI needs grounded science that investigates real harms, not glorified press releases about existential risks

By Emily M. Bender,Alex Hanna

Mathematics

Mathematicians Discover Long-Sought 'Dedekind Number'

Researchers have found the ninth "Dedekind number" after a 32-year-long search

By Leila Sloman

Archaeology

400-Year-Old 'Vampire Child' Was Buried with Their Foot Padlocked so They Wouldn't Rise from the Grave

This child was buried 400 years ago in what is now Poland, face-down and with an iron padlock on their foot

By Tom Metcalfe,LiveScience

Basic Chemistry

Why Hair Turns Curly and Frizzy in the Summer, according to Chemistry

A chemist breaks down how hair follicles respond to summer heat and humidity

By Tara S. Carpenter,The Conversation US

Public Health

Why Are COVID Rates Increasing in the Summer?

COVID hospitalizations are slowly rising again this summer, causing scientists and clinicians to rethink if or when the disease will become a seasonal illness

By Lauren J. Young

Mental Health

Why Just One Sleepless Night Makes People Emotionally Fragile

Sleep loss dampens brain regions that help manage our emotions

By Eti Ben Simon
BRING SCIENCE HOME
Slime: Is It a Solid, Liquid--or Both?

Stretch it, smoosh it, leave it--what is it? Try your hand at some polymer chemistry to find out more about the strange nature of slime! Credit: George Retseck

A rabbit is fluffy, mud is squishy, and a balloon is stretchy. What substances can be fluffy, squishy and stretchy at the same time, and are so much fun to play with? Silly Putty, Gak and slime!

These substances can be confusing, too. Most substances become harder when cooled and flow much better as they warm up. Think of how honey slowly oozes from the bottle on a cold day and rushes out on a hot day. Silly Putty, Gak and slime are different. They can feel as hard as a solid when squeezed in your fist, but as soon as you release your grip, they ooze out through your fingers like a thick liquid. Why would slime be different? In this activity you will make your own slime, play with it and discover what makes it flow!

Try This Experiment
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Space & Physics: Are we in the "darkest timeline?"

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