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How the brain shapes what we feel in real time: A new mechanism for modulating sensory signals

The cerebral cortex processes sensory information via a complex network of neural connections. How are these signals modulated to refine perception? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has identified a mechanism by which certain thalamic projections target neurons and modify their excitability.

The work, published in Nature Communications, reveals a previously unknown form of communication between two regions of the brain, the thalamus and the . It could explain why the same sensory stimulus does not always elicit the same sensation and open up new avenues for understanding certain .

The same sensory stimulus can be perceived clearly at times, and remain vague at others. This phenomenon can be explained by the way the brain integrates stimuli. For example, touching an object outside our field of vision may be enough to identify it…or not.

Local creators open 3D printing shop in Harrisonburg

Titanforge 3D Printing & Hobbies will open in downtown Harrisonburg on Friday, bringing cutting-edge technology to the forefront of the city’s cultural district.

For weeks, the massive Elegoo Giga 3D printer in the shop’s front window has elicited excitement from people walking along Main Street near Court Square, with passersby wondering what the huge device could be printing. On Friday, Titanforge will hold its grand opening, giving community members the opportunity see what can be made when materials are piled over three feet high on a 2.6-foot square printing bed.

The shop, spearheaded by Erin Tutwiler, manager of Titanforge, will offer 3D-printed tabletop gaming accessories as well as other retail supplies like trading cards, dice, and game mats. Two kittens, named Titan and Forge, will also be present to greet customers.

From AI to Organoids: How Growing Brain-like Structures are Advancing Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is usually built with silicon chips and code. But scientists are now exploring something very different. In 2025, they are growing brain organoids, which are small, living structures made from human stem cells. These organoids act like simple versions of the human brain. They form real neural connections and send electrical signals. They even show signs of learning and memory.

By linking organoids with AI systems, researchers are beginning to explore new computational approaches. Recent studies have shown that organoids possess the ability to recognize speech, detect patterns, and respond to input. Living brain tissue may help create AI models that learn and adapt faster than traditional machines. Early results indicate that organoid-based systems could offer a more flexible and energy-efficient form of intelligence.

Brain Organoids and the Emergence of Organoid Intelligence.

UK online legislation threat to operations, Wikipedia to argue in court

Online encyclopedia Wikipedia will argue this week that the UK’s Online Services Act could impact the safety and privacy of its volunteers.

The foundation behind the crowdsourced information site Wikipedia will argue in British court this week that new legislation threatens its operations.

The Wikimedia Foundation will tell London’s Royal Courts of Justice on July 22nd that the regulations under the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA) put it at “unacceptable risk” of being subject to Category 1 duties as a “high-risk site”

Modern tattooers meet their ancient match with the ice mummies of Siberia

An international team of archaeologists has used high-resolution digital imaging techniques to examine tattoos on a more than 2,000-year-old ice mummy from the Pazyryk culture of Siberia, shedding light on individual craftsmanship in prehistoric Siberian tattooing for the first time.

Tattooing was likely widespread during prehistory, but the lack of surviving means it is difficult to investigate. The so-called “ice mummies” of the Altai mountains are an exception, since their deep burial chambers encased in permafrost sometimes preserve the skin (and therefore tattoos) of those buried within.

“The tattoos of the Pazyryk culture-Iron Age pastoralists of the Altai Mountains-have long intrigued archaeologists due to their elaborate figural designs,” states senior author of the research, Dr. Gino Caspari from the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Bern.

Researchers develop flexible fiber material for self-powered health-monitoring sensors

Could clothing monitor a person’s health in real time, because the clothing itself would be a self-powered sensor? A new material created through electrospinning, which is a process that draws out fibers using electricity, brings this possibility one step closer.

A team led by researchers at Penn State has developed a new fabrication approach that optimizes the internal structure of electrospun fibers to improve their performance in electronic applications. The team has published its findings in the Journal of Applied Physics.

This novel electrospinning approach could open the door to more efficient, flexible and scalable electronics for wearable sensors, health monitoring and sustainable energy harvesting, according to Guanchun Rui, a visiting postdoctoral student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and the Materials Research Institute and co-lead author of the study.