Today in Science: Consciousness may come from electrical fields in our brain

This newsletter is for the science-curious mind in search of discovery and awe November 13, 2024: How consciousness arises in the brain, cyborg cells could be cancer killers, and a fishing tackle box that makes music. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor TODAY'S NEWS Jim Lill playing his guitar made from a car. Jim Lill • Musician Jim Lill rigged up his car to be a giant guitar and tested other unconventional materials for how well they produce sound and tone. He showed that soda cans and an old fishing tackle box could achieve tones comparable to expensive, industry-standard gear. | 6 min read • A Biden administration proposal that would require employers to provide cooling measures for workers under extreme heat conditions may be nixed by the incoming Trump administration. | 2 min read • Insects have played a secret role in the creation of some of the world's most important historical documents (yes, insects). | 17 min listen More News TOP STORIES Electric Brain The electrical fields produced by neurons, called "ephaptic" fields, may play a leading role in our mind's workings, writes Tamlyn Hunt, a researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara. This is different from the traditional neuroscientific view that jolts of energy firing in the spaces between neurons fuels perception, memory, cognition and even consciousness. How it works: Neurons are electrogenic and produce electric fields. If strong enough, these fields can influence the electrical excitability of nearby neurons, called ephaptic coupling. One study found that the speed at which ephaptic fields spread through brain gray matter is about 5,000 times faster than neural firing. Such magnetic field interactions could control brain functions for which so called neural code hasn't been ironed out by scientists. What the experts say: "It would be exceedingly strange if evolution hadn't grasped upon this effect for important brain functions," says Hunt. "Ephaptic field effects may in fact be the primary mechanism for consciousness and cognition, rather than neural firing." Cyborg Cells Scientists implanted an artificial hydrogel skeleton into bacteria cells to create "cyborg cells." The hydrogel is like a dense mass of wet molecular noodles, the researchers say. And compared with living cells, the resulting cells are tougher and sturdier, enabling them to survive toxic stressors that would kill ordinary bacterial cells like E. coli.  Why this is interesting: The researchers showed that cyborg cells can be programmed with genetic "circuits" (sets of genes that let cells do simple computations). And they could equip the cells with genes that help them invade tumor cells. What's next: Creating the cyborgs is simpler than creating artificial cells from scratch, so the researchers are next programming cyborg bacteria to deliver vaccines and attack cancer cells. If you want to dive deeper into the science that interests you most, consider a subscription to Scientific American. Take advantage of special discounts for Today in Science readers! EXPERT PERSPECTIVES • A new study published in the Lancet research journal estimates that, without prevention measures, antimicrobial resistance will kill more than 39 million people in the next 25 years. Average annual deaths are forecast to rise by nearly 70 percent during that time. Antimicrobial resistance means that harmful microbes evolve immunity to our most powerful antibiotics, as happened with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). One solution would be for the U.S. Congress to institute a subscription-type model where the government would contract with drug companies to provide antibiotics for a fixed fee, incentivizing more research and development, writes Howard Dean, a physician and former governor of Vermont. | 4 min read Colored scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of bacteria cultured from a mobile phone. Tests have revealed the average handset carries 18 times more potentially harmful germs than a flush handle in a men's toilet. Steve Gschmeissner/ Science Source  More Opinion WHAT WE'RE READING • Buttons are making a comeback. After more than a decade of everything becoming a touchscreen, manufacturers are re-buttonizing electronics. | IEEE Spectrum • A striking visualization of how Hurricane Helene devastated trees in North Carolina. | The Washington Post • Follow these steps to get your address scrubbed off the Internet. | CNET For decades, scientists have bandied two prominent hypotheses of consciousness: the Global Workspace Theory and the Integrated Information Theory. In simple terms, the former posits that information can be centrally accessed by multiple regions of the brain, while the latter hypothesizes that information is integrated across all brain systems. The interactions of electric fields underlying brain function could add an exciting new element to both proposed explanations of consciousness.    Thank you for being a part of our community of science-curious readers! Tell me how I can improve this newsletter by emailing: newsletters@sciam.com. We'll be back tomorrow! —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters here. Scientific American One New York Plaza, New York, NY, 10004   Support our mission, subscribe to Scientific American here   Unsubscribe Email Preferences View in browser