Poverty-related stress affects readiness for school
Stress in the lives of poor children is one cause of the early achievement gap in which children from low-income homes start school behind their more advantaged classmates.
View ArticleRobots using tools: With new grant, researchers aim to create 'MacGyver' robot
Robots are increasingly being used in place of humans to explore hazardous and difficult-to-access environments, but they aren't yet able to interact with their environments as well as humans. If...
View ArticleFossil brain teaser: New study reveals patterns of dinosaur brain development
A new study conducted at the University of Bristol and published online today in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology sheds light on how the brain and inner ear developed in dinosaurs.
View ArticleSongbirds turn on and tune up: Bullfinches have the brain power to learn to...
(Phys.org) —Bullfinches learn from human teachers to sing melodies accurately, according to a new study by the late Nicolai Jürgen and researchers from the University of Kaiserslautern in Germany....
View ArticlePrimate calls, like human speech, can help infants form categories
Human infants' responses to the vocalizations of non-human primates shed light on the developmental origin of a crucial link between human language and core cognitive capacities, a new study reports.
View ArticleIn quantum theory of cognition, memories are created by the act of remembering
(Phys.org) —The way that thoughts and memories arise from the physical material in our brains is one of the most complex questions in modern science. One important question in this area is how...
View ArticleTuring award goes to 'machine learning' expert
A Harvard University professor has been awarded a top technology prize for research that has paved the way for computers that more closely mimic how humans think, including the one that won a...
View ArticleI control therefore I am: chimps self-aware, says study
Chimpanzees are self-aware and can anticipate the impact of their actions on the environment around them, an ability once thought to be uniquely human, according to a study released Wednesday.
View Article100,000-year-old ochre toolkit and workshop discovered in South Africa
An ochre-rich mixture, possibly used for decoration, painting and skin protection 100,000 years ago, and stored in two abalone shells, was discovered at Blombos Cave in Cape Town, South Africa.
View ArticleVisualization provides decision-makers with the big picture
The human brain is not very well-equipped for analysing multidimensional data. In his doctoral dissertation, Mikko Berg, M.Sc. (Tech.) examined how graphical visualizations can help people to...
View ArticleWiring bats for neuroscience research
Mysterious creatures that thrive in the dark, bats have long been associated with witchcraft, vampires, and black magic. But according to Dr. Yossi Yovel of Tel Aviv University's Department of Zoology...
View ArticleRobot ants successfully mimic real colony behavior
Scientists have successfully replicated the behaviour of a colony of ants on the move with the use of miniature robots, as reported in the journal PLOS Computational Biology.
View ArticleBird's playlist could signal mental strengths and weaknesses
Having the biggest playlist doesn't make a male songbird the brainiest of the bunch, a new study shows.
View ArticleWidely used pesticide toxic to honeybees
An international research team—Drs. Stephan Caravalho, Luc Belzunces and colleagues from Universidade Federal de Lavras in Brazil and Institut Nationale de la Recherche Agronomique in France -...
View ArticleImproving dogs' ability to detect explosives
Training of dogs to recognise explosives could be quicker and more effective following research by animal behaviour experts.
View ArticleStrategies to enhance intelligence analysis
If you've ever watched a thriller about undercover agents, you probably have the impression that intelligence officers are models of objectivity, pragmatism and sharp, unbiased thinking. However, in...
View ArticleSocial brains: Do insect societies share brain power?
The society you live in can shape the complexity of your brain—and it does so differently for social insects than for humans and other vertebrate animals.
View ArticleHuman societies think fast and slow in cycles, mathematicians find
As humans have evolved, so has our capacity to think rationally and use resources wisely - right? Not necessarily. According to Cornell research, careful, deliberate decision-making is in constant...
View ArticleWorrying about work when you are not at work
Planning how to resolve incomplete work tasks can help employees switch off from work and enjoy their evenings.
View ArticleThe pen may be mightier than the keyboard
(PhysOrg.com) -- When it comes to writing the pen apparently is mightier than the computer keyboard. Second, fourth and sixth grade children with and without handwriting disabilities were able to write...
View ArticleHow scientists think: Fostering creativity in problem solving
Profound discoveries and insights on the frontiers of science do not burst out of thin air but often arise from incremental processes of weaving together analogies, images, and simulations in a...
View ArticleTransgenic songbirds provide new tool to understand the brain
A new genetic tool will enable scientists to study vocal learning and neurogenesis at the molecular level in songbirds.
View ArticleResearch shows avatars can negatively affect users
(PhysOrg.com) -- Although often seen as an inconsequential feature of digital technologies, one's self-representation, or avatar, in a virtual environment can affect the user's thoughts, according to...
View ArticleSearch engines are source of learning
Search engine use is not just part of our daily routines; it is also becoming part of our learning process, according to Penn State researchers.
View ArticleFacts, beliefs, and identity: The seeds of science skepticism
Psychological researchers are working to understand the cognitive processes, ideologies, cultural demands, and conspiracy beliefs that cause smart people to resist scientific messages. Using surveys,...
View ArticleYour dog can remember more than you think
Any dog owner will tell you how smart they think their dog is. What we usually think of as smartness in dogs is measured or observed in their external behaviour. Being able to respond to commands, for...
View ArticleCan quantum theory explain why jokes are funny?
Why was 6 afraid of 7? Because 789. Whether this pun makes you giggle or groan in pain, your reaction is a consequence of the ambiguity of the joke. Thus far, models have not been able to fully account...
View ArticleMore objective than human hearing
In industrial production, the testing of machines and products by means of acoustic signals still takes a niche role. At the Hannover Messe 2017, Fraunhofer is exhibiting a cognitive system that...
View Article25 is 'golden age' for the ability to make random choices
People's ability to make random choices or mimic a random process, such as coming up with hypothetical results for a series of coin flips, peaks around age 25, according to a study published in PLOS...
View ArticleReligious affiliation impacts language use on Facebook
Are you more likely to use words like "happy" and "family" in your social media posts? Or do you use emotional and cognitive words like "angry" and "thinking?" The words you use may be a clue to your...
View Article