Lifeboat Foundation

Recently published neuroimaging research provides evidence that the directional connectivity between several brain regions plays an important role in emotional processing abilities.

Although interest in emotional intelligence has been steadily growing since the 1990s, the underlying neural mechanisms behind it have yet to be clearly established. The new study, which appears in NeuroImage, is part of a process to begin to fill in this gap in scientific knowledge.

“Emotional intelligence is one of the least studied topics, especially in conjunction with cutting-edge computational neuroimaging techniques,” explained lead researcher Sahil Bajaj, the director of the Multimodal Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory at Boys Town National Research Hospital.

Continue reading “New brain imaging research sheds light on the neural underpinnings of emotional intelligence” »

China laid out seven “frontier” technologies in its 14th Five Year Plan. These are areas that China will focus research on and include semiconductors and brain-computer fusion.

Yuichiro chino | moment | getty images.

However, such work is already underway in the U.S. at Elon Musk’s company Neuralink. Musk is working on implantable brain-chip interfaces to connect humans and computers.

Continue reading “In battle with U.S., China to focus on 7 ‘frontier’ technologies from chips to brain-computer fusion” »

Summary: The protein Arginase-2 works through mitochondria to reduce inflammation. The findings could lead to new treatments for diseases associated with neuroinflammation, including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Source: RCSI

RCSI researchers have discovered a new way to ‘put the brakes’ on excessive inflammation by regulating a type of white blood cell that is critical for our immune system.

Integrated circuits, brain sciences, genetics and biotechnology, clinical medicine and health care, and deep Earth, sea, space and polar exploration were named as the other five sectors that will be given priority in terms of funding and resources, according to a draft of the government’s 14th five-year plan for 2021–25, and its vision through 2035.

‘Basic research is the wellspring of scientific and technological innovation, so we’ll boost spending in this area by a considerable sum,’ Premier Li Keqiang says.

Continue reading “Seven scientific sectors to get extra funds as China pushes for global standing” »

There is considerable debate over whether plants are conscious and this, indeed, is an important question. Here I look at developments in neuroscience, physics and mathematics that may impact on this question. Two major concomitants of consciousness in animals are microtubule function and electrical gamma wave synchrony. Both these factors may also play a role in plant consciousness. I show that plants possess aperiodic quasicrystal structures composed of ribosomes that may enable quantum computing, which has been suggested to lie at the core of animal consciousness. Finally I look at whether a microtubule fractal suggests that electric current plays a part in conventional neurocomputing processes in plants.

Flux is unmatched in the quality, speed and quantity of neural activity that can record non-invasively and in real time.
So far, all types of data that could be acquired directly from the human brain had serious limitations. To get the best hemodynamic or electric data, for example, the person and their brain needed to be almost perfectly immovable, usually by confinement in noisy and claustrophobic environments. And if the person was able to move freely and, of course, data quality quickly dropped until it was pointless.
With the Flux, you will be able to:
Step into a natural environment, put a helmet on your head and observe the real-time brain activity at the top speed your neurons are shooting;
Talk, gesture and move naturally;
Participate in a video conference, daydream, listen to music or read a book;
Access your brain activity from the most electrophysiological sensor channels from all regions of the cortex.
These capabilities open up new stimulating opportunities for understanding how and why the brain functions.
In October 2020, Flow was announced, a full-coverage TD-FNIRS system, which is the first high-quality scalable brain imaging system of its kind and analyses the hemodynamic signs generated by the use of oxygen in the brain, a good proxy for neural activity Together, Flow and Flux capture two signs of the highest quality and most significant one can capture on the brain in a non-invasive way: blood oxygenation and direct neural activity. There are advantages and disadvantages to what each of these technologies reveals about the mysteries of the brain — together, however, Kernel Flux and Flow combine into the richest neural data sets in history, collected at a record speed.
A new era is here. One where we will be reintroduced ourselves and each other in unique ways. With powers to advance to a new border.

#transhumanismo #singularity #singularidade #BCI #kernel

Three fantastical tales of where neuroscience might take us are based on the progress made by brain researchers in the last 100 years.

A new test of cephalopod smarts has reinforced how important it is for us humans to not underestimate animal intelligence.

In her new book, Brandy Schillace recalls the unbelievable legacy of a Cold War era neurosurgeon’s mission to preserve the soul.