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Researchers from HSE University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have identified 15 core motives that drive human behavior. By examining individuals’ perspectives, preferences, and actions through an evolutionary framework, they revealed how these motives interact to shape personal habits and social relationships. Their findings are published in Personality and Individual Differences.

Psychologists have long sought to understand what drives human behavior, employing various theories to analyze underlying motivations. One of the most well-known models is Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, introduced in the mid-20th century. However, while many approaches emphasize the social aspects of motivation, they often overlook its evolutionary foundations.

A group of researchers at HSE University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine proposed analyzing human behavior motives from an evolutionary perspective. In the proposed framework, all motives are viewed as evolutionary adaptations that enhanced early humans’ ability to survive in their environment and continue to influence behavior today. The scientists proceed from the premise that if certain evolutionary mechanisms once triggered specific behaviors, the underlying motives can be identified using standard psychometric techniques.

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A new AI-driven tool allows scientists to analyze vast amounts of LIGO

LIGO, or the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, is a large-scale physics experiment and observatory to detect cosmic gravitational waves and to develop gravitational-wave observations as an astronomical tool. There are two LIGO observatories in the United States—one in Hanford, Washington, and the other in Livingston, Louisiana. These observatories use laser interferometry to measure the minute ripples in spacetime caused by passing gravitational waves from cosmic events, such as the collisions of black holes or neutron stars.

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A black hole is a place in space where the gravitational field is so strong that not even light can escape it. Astronomers classify black holes into three categories by size: miniature, stellar, and supermassive black holes. Miniature black holes could have a mass smaller than our Sun and supermassive black holes could have a mass equivalent to billions of our Sun.

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In the late 1960s, physicists like Charles Misner proposed that the regions surrounding singularities—points of infinite density at the centers of black holes—might exhibit chaotic behavior, with space and time undergoing erratic contractions and expansions. This concept, termed the “Mixmaster universe,” suggested that an astronaut venturing into such a black hole would experience a tumultuous mixing of their body parts, akin to the action of a kitchen mixer.

S general theory of relativity, which describes the gravitational dynamics of black holes, employs complex mathematical formulations that intertwine multiple equations. Historically, researchers like Misner introduced simplifying assumptions to make these equations more tractable. However, even with these assumptions, the computational tools of the time were insufficient to fully explore the chaotic nature of these regions, leading to a decline in related research. + Recently, advancements in mathematical techniques and computational power have reignited interest in studying the chaotic environments near singularities. Physicists aim to validate the earlier approximations made by Misner and others, ensuring they accurately reflect the predictions of Einsteinian gravity. Moreover, by delving deeper into the extreme conditions near singularities, researchers hope to bridge the gap between general relativity and quantum mechanics, potentially leading to a unified theory of quantum gravity.

Understanding the intricate and chaotic space-time near black hole singularities not only challenges our current physical theories but also promises to shed light on the fundamental nature of space and time themselves.

Physicists hope that understanding the churning region near singularities might help them reconcile gravity and quantum mechanics.

Continue reading “New Maps of the Bizarre, Chaotic Space-Time Inside Black Holes” | >

Many people have experienced frustration when dealing with artificial intelligence chatbots for customer support or technical assistance. New research from the University of Kansas has found when dealing with embarrassing issues, people prefer the anonymity and nonjudgmental nature of AI chatbots. However, when angry, they still preferred dealing with a fellow human.

The COVID-19 pandemic both angered and embarrassed people around the world as they dealt with new and frequently changing information and misinformation on vaccines, social distancing and related topics. KU researchers conducted a lab-based experimental study in which they gauged people’s attitudes about vaccines, showed them content that could arouse anger or embarrassment and randomly assigned them AI or human assistance to further gauge their knowledge and attitudes about vaccines.

Vaibhav Diwanji, assistant professor of journalism and mass communications at KU and lead author of the study, researches new and emerging technologies’ influence on consumers.

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Dr. Theofanopoulou studies neural circuits behind sensory-motor behaviors like speech and dance, aiming to develop drug-and arts-based therapies for brain disorders. Her brain imaging research reveals overlapping motor cortex regions controlling muscles for speech and dance, while transcriptomic studies show upregulation of the oxytocin gene pathway in key areas like the motor cortex and brainstem. Using zebra finches, Bengalese finches, white-rumped munias, and humans, she demonstrates oxytocin’s role in vocal production. She also developed genomic tools to apply these findings across vertebrates. Her future work explores oxytocin-based drugs and dance therapies to treat speech and motor deficits in brain disorders. Recorded on 02/14/2025. [3/2025] [Show ID: 40384]

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Learn more about anthropogeny on CARTA’s website:
https://carta.anthropogeny.org/

More videos from: CARTA: The Origin of Love.

Continue reading “CARTA: Oxytocin’s Pathway to the Origins of Speech and Dance” | >

A brain’s 86 billion neurons are always chattering along with tiny electrical and chemical signals. But how can we get inside the brain to study the fine details? Can we eavesdrop on cells using other cells? What is the future of communication between brains? Join Eagleman with special guest Max Hodak, founder of Science Corp, a company pioneering stunning new methods in brain computer interfaces.

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Dr. Ashley Martin: “Our study reveals high nitrogen isotope values in 2.75-billion-year-old shallow water stromatolites, and lower nitrogen values in deeper marine sediments.”

What can volcanism on the early Earth teach us about the formation of life on our planet? This is what a recent study published in Nature Communications hopes to address as an international team of researchers investigated how volcanic activity billions of years ago could have influenced the Earth’s nitrogen cycle, thus influencing the development of marine life. This study has the potential to help researchers better understand the processes responsible for the development of life on early Earth, specifically in Earth’s oceans.

For the study, the researchers analyzed 2.5-billion-year-old samples of stromatolites, which are fossilized rock formations created by microorganisms, in southern Zimbabwe. The goal of the study was to ascertain a connection between nitrogen isotope patterns and an event known as the Great Oxidation Event that occurred approximately 2.5 billion years ago and is often hailed as a major turning point in the development of life on the Earth. During that time, most of the Earth’s land mass was underwater with volcanic activity occurring in the oceans. Therefore, the researchers found an interesting connection between volcanic activity and nitrogen levels that occurred simultaneously.

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