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Do your dreams have smells? New study on ‘blind minds’ reveals vast differences in imagination

It’s common to think we all have similar experiences of life. But the more we learn about other people’s hidden thoughts, the more evidence there is that this is untrue. For instance, not everyone has the same ability to have imagined sensations. Most people can visualize—they can have imagined experiences of seeing people and scenes that aren’t there. But not everyone can.

We are both visual aphantasics, which means we can’t voluntarily imagine seeing things in our minds’ eyes. When we read a book, neither of us can imagine seeing the characters.

Yet other types of our waking imagined experiences are quite different. Derek can imagine hearing snippets of music at will, but Loren has a silent mind. She can’t even imagine hearing herself talk. Loren can have vivid imagined feelings of touch, taste and smell, but Derek doesn’t have any of these.

Earth observation satellites pass telecom in European space industry sales

MILAN – European space industry sales rebounded in 2025 after a contraction in 2024, Eurospace reported in its latest Facts and Figures report, presented July 7. The growth is driven in large part by military acquisition of Earth observation satellites, which are now the largest revenue-producing space sector for the continent.

Satellite applications, which Eurospace defines as satellites enabling operational upstream-sector activities and applications within the EO, telecom and navigation segment, were the main area of growth, increasing 23.5% compared with 2023.

“Comparably, the launcher systems segment [which include both development activities and operational systems and parts] have not grown significantly,” Pierre Lionnet, managing director of Eurospace, said during the briefing.

New Molecule Restores the Brain’s Natural Defenses Against Alzheimer’s

Scientists have developed an experimental molecule that helps the brain’s immune cells fight Alzheimer’s again, reducing toxic plaques and improving memory in animal studies. Scientists have identified an experimental molecule that appears to restore some of the brain’s natural defenses against A

Arm dominance is an emergent effect of practice executing complex trajectory shapes required by tools and objects

Limb dominance is a human behavioral characteristic with many cultural, practical, scientific, and clinical implications. Yet why the dominant limb performs better across a range of motor skill-requiring tasks remains unanswered. Is it because of an intrinsic hemispheric advantage or instead is it the result of life-long practice with the dominant side? We tested these alternatives using two tasks either cross sectionally or after training. The first was 3D reaching with either an inertial challenge or the need to use a stick-like tool. The second required participants to write with their dominant and nondominant elbows. We applied a geometric analysis to quantify movement-trajectory shape.

The most Massive Mechanical gods ever Created in Sci-Fi

What if machines could truly live, evolve, think, and even become gods? In this video, we explore the biggest mechanical lifeforms ever created in science fiction, ranging from towering biomechanical titans to universe-spanning artificial intelligences that completely redefine the meaning of life itself. These are not ordinary robots, piloted mechs, or simple automatons. They are genuine living machine entities whose metallic bodies function just like biological organisms, possessing consciousness, intelligence, and in many cases, unimaginable cosmic power. From the ancient Mechanical Gods of Mazinger and the divine alien Machine Gods of Fate to Harbinger leading the terrifying Reapers of Mass Effect, every entry showcases beings that blur the line between technology and life. We also dive into the colossal mechanical fortress Alexander from Final Fantasy XIV, the mighty Cityformers of Transformers, the mysterious Broken God Mekhane from SCP, the legendary Mechonis from Xenoblade Chronicles, the wish-granting cosmic machine Galactic Nova from Kirby, and the enormous alien intelligence known as the Tet from Oblivion. The scale only becomes more unbelievable as we reach Mata Nui from BIONICLE, whose body contains an entire civilization, the omniscient Aeon Nous from Honkai: Star Rail, and the eternal rivals Primus and Unicron, whose planet-sized forms have shaped the destiny of the Transformers universe for billions of years. We then move beyond planets into truly mind-bending territory with V’ger from Star Trek, the ever-growing Getter Emperor that expands beyond galaxies, and finally the Atlas from No Man’s Sky, an entity whose existence encompasses an entire simulated universe. Every entry is carefully explained with lore, origins, abilities, and scale comparisons to help you understand just how enormous and powerful these mechanical gods and monsters truly are. Be sure to watch until the very end to discover which living machine claims the number one spot, and let us know in the comments which mechanical lifeform you think deserves to be on this list.
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How Infrasound Rewires Ear Mechanics

From the article

“Low-frequency infrasound waves bypass standard sensory receptors to vibrate cochlear support cells, proving that these structural units generate local alternative electric fields that trigger unique, non-linear nerve pathways straight to the human brain.”

Summary: Researchers have demonstrated that the human brain processes low-frequency infrasound using an entirely unique biological mechanism. When acoustic waves drop too low for standard auditory hair cells to register, the energy bypasses them completely, hijacking the inner ear’s structural support cells instead. These support units generate alternative electric fields that fire off unique nerve pathways, explaining why infrasound registers more as a raw physical sensation or internal hum than a standard audible sound.

The Non-Linear Volume Spike: This unique biological pathway explains a well-known acoustic puzzle: when infrasound levels creep up even slightly, the perceived volume escalates at an incredibly rapid, non-linear rate. Small steps in environmental pressure instantly make the sound feel overwhelmingly louder.

“Humans can actually perceive infrasound if the sound level is high enough,” says Carlos Jurado, postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

Some are more sensitive to low-frequency noise. For example, it can come from ventilation systems, heat pumps, wind turbines, industry, transport, generators or transformers. But this is difficult to measure, because the sound is often perceived more as a hum or physical sensation than more high-frequency sound does.

Continue reading “How Infrasound Rewires Ear Mechanics” | >

Oratomic raises $300M to build a viable quantum computer that needs only 20K qubits

A number of companies, betting on various architectural approaches, are trying to build the first commercially viable quantum computer capable of significantly outperforming current systems.

Oratomic, which entered the race earlier this year with the goal of developing the first utility-scale quantum computer by the end of the decade, said this week that it has raised $300 million. The massive Series A round was co-led by ARCH Venture Partners, Spark Capital, and Khosla Ventures, with participation from Bezos Expeditions, Index Ventures, General Catalyst, Lowercarbon Capital, Bain Capital, and others.

Founded by Caltech physicists, Oratomic uses lasers, which act as optical tweezers, to hold individual atoms in place as the basis for its quantum computer.

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