A new study published in *Thinking & Reasoning* reveals that the ability to use logical intuition—the "smart intuitor" profile where high intelligence leads to accurate gut instincts—is a developmental milestone that matures throughout adolescence. By testing middle and high school students with probability puzzles, researchers found that while older teenagers can use deliberate thought to correct stereotypical biases, younger students lack the underlying mental strategies to override these instincts even with extra time. This suggests that true seamless logic is not immediate but rather an optimized skill built through years of academic practice and cognitive development.
This study investigates whether the human brain has an organized baseline state of function that is suspended during goal-directed tasks. Researchers used positron-emission tomography (PET) to measure the oxygen extraction fraction (OEF)—the ratio of oxygen used by the brain to oxygen delivered by blood—in resting adults.
Key findings include:
1. Uniformity at Rest: Despite significant differences in blood flow and oxygen consumption between gray and white matter, the OEF remains remarkably uniform across the brain during a resting state (eyes closed, awake).
2. Defining Baseline: The researchers propose that this uniform OEF represents an equilibrium state of local neuronal activity, serving as a true physiological baseline.
3. Deactivation Patterns: Many brain regions, particularly in the visual system, consistently show decreases in activity (deactivations) during cognitive tasks.
4. Validation: By measuring the OEF at rest, the study confirms that these task-induced decreases are not merely artifacts of an undefined control state but represent a genuine drop from a stable baseline level of brain function.
The results suggest the existence of a default mode of brain function that is active when specific goal-directed behaviors are not being performed.
Key findings include:
1. Uniformity at Rest: Despite significant differences in blood flow and oxygen consumption between gray and white matter, the OEF remains remarkably uniform across the brain during a resting state (eyes closed, awake).
2. Defining Baseline: The researchers propose that this uniform OEF represents an equilibrium state of local neuronal activity, serving as a true physiological baseline.
3. Deactivation Patterns: Many brain regions, particularly in the visual system, consistently show decreases in activity (deactivations) during cognitive tasks.
4. Validation: By measuring the OEF at rest, the study confirms that these task-induced decreases are not merely artifacts of an undefined control state but represent a genuine drop from a stable baseline level of brain function.
The results suggest the existence of a default mode of brain function that is active when specific goal-directed behaviors are not being performed.
In this opinion piece, Noyuri Mima, Professor Emeritus at Future University Hakodate, discusses the profound impact of artificial intelligence on human social structures.
Researchers have identified a neural network associated with adaptive mentalization – the ability to adjust how we infer others’ intentions and beliefs based on their behavior. Using computational modeling and fMRI, they found activity and connectivity within brain regions (including the temporoparietal junction) tracked participants’ ability to update beliefs about opponents' strategic sophistication in a game setting. This neural signature could potentially be used to assess mentalization capabilities in both healthy individuals and those with brain disorders.
Striking similarities exist between childhood experience and adult altered states of consciousness, including vivid imagery, blurred self-boundaries, a sense of timelessness, and intense emotion. Children’s transcendent ways of knowing resemble states adults seek through altered states of consciousness.
A study investigated the evolution of social norms across 90 societies, finding a global trend toward more permissive norms overall, except for behaviors considered vulgar or inconsiderate, and linking these norms to underlying moral values.
A new scientific review maps the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind memory formation, consolidation, generalization, and updating, revealing how memories are stored, altered, and even manipulated in the brain. Key breakthroughs allow scientists to visualize and activate specific neurons involved in memory, offering deeper insight into how learning occurs and how fear memories may become overgeneralized in disorders like PTSD.
New research reveals that chronic brain inflammation can directly lead to repetitive behaviors, often seen in conditions like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The study, conducted on mice with a mutated NLRP3 gene, found that inflammation activated microglia, leading to IL-1β release and overstimulation of NMDA glutamate receptors, resulting in anxiety and repetitive actions. FDA-approved drugs memantine and interleukin-1RA were shown to normalize brain activity and stop these behaviors.
LLMs as cognitive archaeologists, excavating the lost civilizations of thought. The article discusses how large language models preserve fragments of human cognition, the collapse of time within them, the persistence of bias and outdated ideas, and the need for human curation of AI's memory.
An international study suggests our brains and bodies physically resonate with music, supporting Neural Resonance Theory (NRT). NRT proposes musical experiences arise from the brain's natural oscillations syncing with rhythm, melody, and harmony, influencing timing, pleasure, and movement. Potential applications include therapies for stroke, Parkinson's, and depression, emotionally intelligent AI, and new learning technologies.
