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April 7, 2025—A new way to predict solar flares, the origin of consciousness in deep brain regions, and crucial weather satellites are not being maintained. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | A global mosaic, captured by the VIIRS instrument on the NOAA-21 satellite, created from overhead swaths over 24 hours between Dec. 5 and Dec. 6, 2022. NOAA STAR VIIRS SDR team | | An MRI image of the human brain. Alain Jocard/AFP via Getty Images | | In a recent experiment, people who were already undergoing deep brain electrode implantation therapy for severe headaches were shown an icon on a screen. The icon was designed to be consciously perceived only about 50 percent of the time. The researchers asked participants to move their eyes in a specific way to indicate whether or not they noticed the icon. Simultaneously, the scientists recorded neural activity in multiple brain regions during the task, including the thalamus and the prefrontal cortex. They found that brain activity when participants were aware of the icon was earlier and stronger in the thalamus than in the cortex. Why this matters: Neuroscientists have known for a long time that the outer layer of the brain, called the cerebral cortex, plays a part in conscious experience—being aware of our own thoughts. But this is the first time that scientists could measure if, and when, the deeper brain structures are involved in consciousness. What the experts say: When participants detected the icon on the screen, brain activity was stronger in sections of the deeper thalamus than in sections of the surface cortex, and seemed to be coordinated across the two areas. This suggests that the thalamus acts as a filter and controls which thoughts get through to awareness and which don't, says Mac Shine, a systems neuroscientist at the University of Sydney. | | Heliophysicists (sun scientists) used data from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory to examine coronal mass ejections on the sun's surface. They discovered that a distinctive flickering in the huge loops of roiling plasma that arch up out of the sun's atmosphere seems to signal that a large solar flare could soon occur. Why this matters: If strong solar flares spew out in Earth's direction they can cause geomagnetic storms that damage power systems on the ground or spacecraft in orbit. And solar flare radiation itself can disrupt communication networks and satellite operations. Until now, scientists haven't been able to accurately predict when solar flares will happen. The new analysis "gives us one to two hours' warning, with 60 to 80 percent accuracy, that a flare is coming," says Emily Mason, a heliophysicist at the San Diego research firm Predictive Science. This could give just enough warning so experts can adjust power grids or move satellites before they get damaged. What the experts say: For now, sun scientists can only see coronal flares from Earth's perspective, which means we can't see loops emanating from other places on the sun. But the European Space Agency is planning to launch a spacecraft called Vigil in 2031 that should give us a side-on view. "Being able to see the sun from more different angles is the single most important thing that we can do to improve our predictions," says Mason. | | | | |
- Last month, Utah became the first U.S. state to ban fluoride from municipal drinking water. This decision is going to land hardest on the one million children in the state, writes Megha Satyanarayana, cheif opinion editor at Scientific American. Ultimately, "taxpayers pay the price in helping cover the cost of something we know in great detail how to prevent—tooth decay," she says. | 6 min read
| | Yet another spate of devastating tornadoes struck last week in east Texas, Tennessee and other southern and southeastern states. As we reported in 2023, tornado alley is shifting east, with more frequent and more intense twister touchdowns. The cause? You guessed it: climate change. Warmer and moister air rises, forming supercell storm clouds that fuel tornados. | | Welcome to a new week of science discovery. Reach out any time and tell me how I can improve this newsletter: newsletters@sciam.com. See you tomorrow! —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | | |
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