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Intracortical microstimulation: Evoking artificial perception and engaging plasticity-based modulation

But creating a long-lasting electronic connection with the brain is complicated. Conventional microwire and silicon electrodes are much stiffer than soft brain tissue. Differences in mechanical properties can cause micromotion-related tissue damage, inflammation and glial scar formation. For this reason, researchers are moving from rigid electrodes toward flexible, biomimetic biohybrid interfaces. These newer approaches aspire to reduce the mechanical and biological mismatch between implanted devices and neural tissue while maintaining the ability to record and stimulate neural activity.

One of the most direct applications of ICMS is the creation of artificial sensory experiences. When electrodes stimulate the primary somatosensory cortex, people can perceive localized sensations such as touch or tingling. More recent approaches use multiple electrodes and carefully designed spatiotemporal stimulation patterns to provide richer information, including tactile edges, curvature and apparent motion. Human studies have shown that such patterned stimulation can improve the controllability and structure of artificial touch, although it still does not fully reproduce the complexity of natural tactile signals.

ICMS can also be used in the visual cortex. Stimulation of the primary visual cortex can produce phosphenes — perceived spots or lines of light — and carefully coordinated stimulation across multiple electrodes can create recognizable shapes and letters. Experiments in blind participants have demonstrated simple two-dimensional visual patterns and object-localization tasks.

Researchers create DNA computer that performs 100-bit calculations without electricity — molecular system uses self-assembling strands to perform computing

Maynooth University researchers built a scaffolded DNA computer that uses molecular reactions to perform arithmetic and 100-bit calculations without electrical power.

Atlas of the brain’s striatum

A region of the brain called the striatum is critical for many cognitive and motor functions, including decision-making, control of movement, habit formation, and processing of reward. It also plays a role in addiction and is significantly affected by Huntington’s disease, schizophrenia, and other disorders.

In work that could help scientists devise new treatments for those diseases, the researchers have generated a new atlas of the neurons found within the striatum. Using single-cell RNA sequencing and other techniques, they were able to identify 31 subgroups of neurons based on which genes they express.

These groups include neurons that are involved in addiction, depression, and schizophrenia. The researchers also discovered why some neurons of the striatum are more vulnerable to Huntington’s disease. All of these results, the researchers say, could help scientists develop new drugs to combat these conditions.

NASA Chief: How To Reach Another Star System | Jared Isaacman

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman discusses the high-stakes race to put astronauts on the Moon by 2029, competing with China’s lunar timeline. He lays out plans for the newly commissioned U.S. Space Academy, NASA’s shift to nuclear-powered spaceships, and how space infrastructure relates to AI and the orbital economy. Check out our sponsor Lovable: ⁠https://lovable.dev.⁠ Turn ideas into software people love.
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MTS is a live news and interview show covering technology, business, politics, and culture as it happens.

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Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction.
(00:42) Plans for United States Space Academy.
(02:52) How NASA Retains Top Talent.
(05:11) SpaceX Alignment on Lunar Base Goals.
(06:33) NASA Strategy for Interstellar Space Travel.
(08:00) Lessons for AI Developers From NASA
(15:05) The Role of Nuclear Power in Space.
(17:44) Geopolitical Stakes of the Space Race.
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Note: This podcast is not investment, legal, or tax advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. Hosts and guests may hold positions in the companies and securities discussed; do your own research before acting on anything you hear.

Asteroid Ryugu’s dust reveals nitrogen’s slow concentration into complex molecules

Nitrogen is a key ingredient in the biomolecules that form the building blocks of life. Yet as an unbonded gas, it is far more likely to drift into space than to lock itself into solid compounds, making it difficult for astronomers to trace its journey to Earth in the distant past.

Through new research published in Nature Astronomy, a team led by Toru Matsumoto at Kyoto University has found some of the best evidence yet of how this journey happened, hidden inside grains of dust from the asteroid Ryugu.

Evidence across the solar system Nitrogen-bearing compounds, particularly ammonia, have already been spotted on the dwarf planet Ceres and on several carbon-rich asteroids, hinting that ammonia reservoirs might be common across the solar system.

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