Lifeboat Foundation

These technologies are helping researchers to explore what sets the human brain apart from those of other species, and how its cognitive abilities have evolved. For example, the role of non-invasive imaging in learning about cognitive abilities is discussed in a Perspective article by Feline Lindhout at the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK, and her colleagues¹. In another article, Evelina Fedorenko at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge and her colleagues also draw on this literature to argue that, in humans, language probably serves mainly as a communication tool rather than as a means for thinking or reasoning² — and that language is not a prerequisite for complex thought.

One desirable outcome for human neuroscience would be to develop personalized treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders, because translating the results of studies in animals has not proved successful or sufficient for generating effective therapies at scale. But in grasping these opportunities, researchers must keep in mind that the brain is different from other organs — it’s the seat of people’s memory, experiences and personality. When using the human brain — whether in small cubes removed during neurosurgery, or through 3D organoids made from stem cells and grown in cultures to resemble parts of the developing human brain — for research, scientists must consider the dignity and respect owed to the individuals concerned.

Computers built like brains could be much more energy efficient than current designs.

Philip Goff believes that everything, even tiny particles like electrons, has a little bit of consciousness. This idea is called panpsychism. He explains that this might help us understand why we have feelings and thoughts.

Philip discuss another idea called cosmopsychism, which is a theory that suggests the entire universe is a single conscious entity. Instead of individual minds (like human minds) being separate and independent, they are seen as parts of the universe’s larger, unified consciousness. In simpler terms, it means that the universe itself has a mind, and our individual consciousnesses are just small parts of this greater, universal mind.

Continue reading “Could the universe be conscious?” »

Musk’s comment comes at a time when Neuralink is making significant strides in brain chip technology. After working with a 29-year-old named Noland Arbaugh, Neuralink recently announced that it is now accepting applications for a second participant in its trials.

This study explored spatiotemporal progression patterns of striatal dopamine availability and regional brain volume based on cognitive status among patients with Parkinson disease:

Background and Objectives.

Is our brain responsible for how we react to people who are different from us? Why can’t people with autism tell lies? How does the brain produce empathy? Why is imitation a fundamental trait of any social interaction? What are the secret advantages of teamwork? How does the social environment influence the brain? Why is laughter different from any other emotion?

This course is aimed at deepening our understanding of how the brain shapes and is shaped by social behavior, exploring a variety of topics such as the neural mechanisms behind social interactions, social cognition, theory of mind, empathy, imitation, mirror neurons, interacting minds, and the science of laughter.

Continue reading “Exploring Social Neuroscience — Serious Science” »

Brain imaging identifies six subtypes of depression.

Personalized brain circuit measures quantified using a new imaging technology in 801 patients with depression and anxiety identify six biotypes with unique symptoms, behaviors and responses to different types of treatment.

As we sleep, the brain rids itself of waste built up throughout the day. But how?

Researchers found that mice can sense sugar even if they lack taste receptors.

The evolutionarily ancient part of the brain that controls breathing and heart rate also regulates the immune system — a discovery about the brain-body axis made by experts on taste.