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Findings point to brain areas that integrate planning, purpose, physiology, behavior, and movement.

Calm body, calm mind, say the practitioners of mindfulness. A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that the idea that the body and mind are inextricably intertwined is more than just an abstraction. The study shows that parts of the brain area that control movement are plugged into networks involved in thinking and planning, and in control of involuntary bodily functions such as blood pressure and heartbeat. The findings represent a literal linkage of body and mind in the very structure of the brain.

The research, published on April 19 in the journal Nature, could help explain some baffling phenomena, such as why anxiety makes some people want to pace back and forth; why stimulating the vagus nerve, which regulates internal organ functions such as digestion and heart rate, may alleviate depression; and why people who exercise regularly report a more positive outlook on life.

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The MINERvA experiment at Fermilab, utilizing the NuMI beam, has made the first precise depiction of a proton using neutrinos instead of light as the imaging tool.

The building blocks of atomic nuclei, protons and neutrons, are comprised of quarks and gluons that interact strongly with each other. Due to the strength of these interactions, determining the structure of protons and neutrons through theoretical calculation is challenging.

Therefore, scientists must resort to experimental methods to determine their structure. Neutrino experiments utilize targets consisting of nuclei comprised of numerous protons and neutrons bound together, which makes it difficult to deduce information about the structure of protons from these measurements.

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Michio Kaku, professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York, Nilay Patel of The Verge, and Ethan Millman of the Rolling Stone discuss the future of artificial intelligence amid growing controversy. Hosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC.

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A recent study conducted at the University of Turku in Finland shows that different people have similar brain activity when perceiving social situations. Researchers discovered an extensive neural network in the human brain that effectively processes various social information.

Social interaction is central to all aspects of human life. Interaction requires the perception and interpretation of the social environment as well as flexible reacting to other people’s behavior. The is capable of such perception and decision-making automatically and rapidly. However, the processing mechanisms of the brain remain unresolved.

The study conducted at the Turku PET Centre revealed an extensive neural network in the human brain that processes various social information. The study showed that the social perceptual world of humans consists of a limited set of main dimensions, such as antisocial behavior, sexual or affiliative behavior, and communication. These social dimensions are processed in various located mainly in the back of the brain, more specifically in the occipital and temporal lobes.

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