Cephalopods are loners, but they’re also intelligent
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The cortical column as a tuned receiver: a network mechanism for temporal-interference stimulation
Temporal-interference (TI) stimulation promises what other non-invasive methods cannot: focal, steerable stimulation deep in the brain, produced where two high-frequency currents overlap and their amplitudes beat at a low difference frequency. Yet a puzzle sits at its core. An amplitude-modulated field carries no power at that beat frequency, so no passive, linear part of a neuron can follow it; recovering the beat requires a nonlinearity, usually sought in single-cell ion channels. Here we show that the recovery, and its tuning, are properties of the neural population rather than the single cell. In a neural mass—the $ $$104$-neuron unit that generates the EEG—the firing-rate nonlinearity acts as a square-law detector that demodulates the beat, while the recurrent synaptic network, poised near a Hopf bifurcation, resonantly amplifies the recovered rhythm at its own natural frequency. Detection is inherited from the single neuron; the sharp, frequency-selective amplification is emergent—set by how near the network sits to criticality, and tunable by its own connectivity. Demonstrated in a heuristic cortical column and in an exact next-generation mean field, the mechanism reproduces TI’s known behavior: it is independent of the carrier once the membrane polarization is matched, largest when the beat matches a region’s intrinsic rhythm, and—because the resonance amplifies oscillatory timing far more than mean rate—locks spike timing without changing firing rate, as observed in vivo. Because the gain depends on brain state, TI efficacy should be as much a property of the brain as of the device: the cortical column behaves as a tuned AM radio receiver.: temporal interference; transcranial stimulation; neural mass model; amplitude demodulation; Hopf bifurcation; cross-frequency coupling; Jansen–Rit; LaNMM.
Engineers develop AI tool to design peptides that turn signals on or off
To develop new and better peptides, the short amino acid strings behind medicines like GLP-1 drugs, researchers have used AI to generate candidates and to predict their properties.
However, merging these capabilities into a system that generates peptides likely to activate or block specific targets has proven difficult. In part, this is due to the vast number of possible peptides, but also because predicting how readily a peptide will bind to a target—like G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a family of cell-surface proteins targeted by about one-third of approved drugs—is easier than simultaneously forecasting what effect that binding will have.
Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and The Chinese University of Hong Kong have created TD3B, an AI framework that guides peptide generation toward candidates predicted to have a desired effect. The results, which focus on GPCRs, are described in a paper presented as a Spotlight at the 2026 International Conference on Machine Learning.
The same sounds are mapped similarly in the human and mouse brain, study finds
While exploring the world around them, both humans and other animals continuously interpret information they pick up with their sight, hearing, touch and other senses. Neuroscience research suggests that the brain does not individually process every single sensory experience, but rather organizes information into mental models known as internal representations.
Internal representations can help recognize familiar patterns or relationships between different stimuli and experiences. While many past studies have explored the role of these perceptual “maps,” fewer have looked at how stimuli are represented in the brains of different species and how they influence learning and decision-making.
Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz recently carried out experiments aimed at better understanding how humans and mice perceive, mentally represent and distinguish the same sounds. Their paper, published in Communications Psychology, suggests that sounds are organized similarly in the human and mouse brain, but also that auditory maps tend to remain surprisingly stable during learning and decision-making.
Astronomers witness the birth of a magnetar for the first time
A strange “chirping” signal from a distant supernova has revealed the birth of a magnetar, confirming that these incredibly magnetic neutron stars can power the universe's brightest stellar explosions. The discovery also marks the first time Einstein's general relativity has been used to explain the mechanics of a supernova.
MIT engineers whip up a more breathable hydrogel
For all their sticky, stretchy, and protective properties, hydrogels lack one key trait: breathability. If worn for too long, a bandage or patch can trap moisture and sweat, which can irritate tissues and reduce the effectiveness of any device that a hydrogel adheres.
Now MIT engineers have come up with a recipe for a hydrogel that is both hydrated and aerated, or permeable to air. The new material is just as soft, stretchy, and robust as conventional hydrogels, but a network of tiny tunnels running through the gel allows air to pass through.
The aerated hydrogel can be worn for longer periods of time compared to conventional hydrogels, without causing skin irritation. It can also reduce sweat buildup, even during exercise. In experiments, volunteers wore wireless heart monitors that were attached to their chest with the new breathable hydrogel. After working out regularly for 10 days, the volunteers showed no signs of skin irritation, and the heart monitors maintained clear readings.
A rare supernova peeled back a star’s layers and revealed a hidden secret
Astronomers studying the rare supernova SN 2021yfj discovered material from one of the deepest layers of a dying star, providing a rare look at its hidden interior. The finding confirms key theories about how massive stars forge the elements that help build planets, worlds, and life.
Astronomers have glimpsed the inner structure of a dying star in a rare kind of cosmic explosion called an “extremely stripped supernova.”
In a paper published in Nature, Steve Schulze of Northwestern University in the United States and colleagues describe the supernova 2021yfj and a thick shell of gas surrounding it.
When back pain won’t quit: A large clinical trial points to the power of self-management
Almost everyone will deal with back pain at some point in their lives. Most recover quickly—but for about 20% of people, acute pain becomes a chronic condition that interferes with daily life and keeps them out of the workforce.
Low back pain is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, and more money is spent managing it in the United States than any other health condition. Despite that, the most effective way to prevent a short-term episode from becoming a long-term problem has not been clear—especially for people who are most at risk.
“Chronic low back pain prevention is a public health issue,” said Michael Schneider, D.C., Ph.D., professor in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and co-principal investigator of the Pitt arm of the study. “The 20% of patients who turn chronic account for 80% of the costs and the suffering. This paper shows that helping people self-manage their pain through a properly trained physical therapist or chiropractor is a great way to mitigate this public health problem.”
Experimental drug reverses severe fatty liver disease by repairing the gut
An experimental drug developed at Michigan Medicine has shown the ability to reverse severe fatty liver disease in animal studies by restoring gut health. The findings, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, suggest that targeting the connection between the gut and liver could offer a promising new approach for treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
MASH is a serious form of fatty liver disease that affects about 7% of people worldwide. It can progress to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure, yet effective treatment options remain limited.
The investigational compound, known as DT-109, is a glycine-based tripeptide. Researchers found that it reversed MASH in animal models by interrupting a harmful biological process linking the gut and liver.