brain

‘Inspired by the human brain’: Intel debuts neuromorphic system that aims to mimic grey matter with a clear aim — making the machine exponentially faster and much more power efficient, just like us

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Neuromorphic computing is about mimicking the human brain’s structure to deliver more efficient data processing, including faster speeds and higher accuracy, and it’s a hot topic right now. A lot of universities and tech firms are working on it, including scientists at Intel who have built the world’s largest “brain-based” computing system for Sandia National … Read more

Mini-colon and brain ‘organoids’ shed light on cancer and other diseases

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Part of a brain organoid made using human stem cells (purple).Credit: Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library Researchers have hailed organoids — 3D clusters of cells that mimic aspects of human organs — as a potential way to test drugs and even eliminate some forms of animal experimentation. Now, in two studies published on 24 April in … Read more

Why queasiness kills hunger: brain circuit identified

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No one wants to eat when they have an upset stomach. To pinpoint exactly where in the brain this distaste for eating originates, scientists studied nauseated mice. The work, published in Cell Reports on 27 March1, describes a previously uncharacterized cluster of brain cells that fire when a mouse is made to feel nauseous, but … Read more

COVID ‘brain fog’ linked to brain inflammation

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Hello Nature readers, would you like to get this Briefing in your inbox free every day? Sign up here. Surgeons at Xijing Hospital in Xi’an, China, performed the first transplantation of a non-human liver into a human body.Credit: Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University in Xi’an China Surgeons in China say they have transplanted a … Read more

BMW’s Vision Neue Klasse X Has a Car-Wide Screen and a ‘Joy’ Brain

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“The ‘heart of joy’ effectively takes 30 years of experience and blends it into a single control unit,” BMW chief technical officer Frank Weber tells WIRED. “Everything that is driving-performance-related, chassis-control-related, powertrain-related—it’s all integrated into one control unit. If you love the idea of the ultimate driving machine, there are functions in there that are … Read more

CAR T cells can shrink deadly brain tumours — though for how long is unclear

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A glioblastoma (green and blue, artificially coloured) grows in the frontal lobe of a person’s brain.Credit: Pr Michel Brauner, ISM/Science Photo Library Two preliminary studies suggest that next-generation engineered immune cells show promise against one of the most feared forms of cancer. A pair of papers published on 13 March, one in Nature Medicine1 and … Read more

How the brain coordinates speaking and breathing

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MIT researchers have discovered a brain circuit that drives vocalization and ensures that you talk only when you breathe out, and stop talking when you breathe in. The newly discovered circuit controls two actions that are required for vocalization: narrowing of the larynx and exhaling air from the lungs. The researchers also found that this … Read more

Lack of focus doesn’t equal lack of intelligence — it’s proof of an intricate brain

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Imagine a busy restaurant: dishes clattering, music playing, people talking loudly over one another. It’s a wonder that anyone in that kind of environment can focus enough to have a conversation. A new study by researchers at Brown University’s Carney Institute for Brain Science provides some of the most detailed insights yet into the brain … Read more

Roger Guillemin (1924–2024), neuroscientist who showed how the brain controls hormones

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Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Roger Guillemin identified the molecules in the brain that control the production of hormones in endocrine glands such as the pituitary and thyroid. His work led to a torrent of advances in neuroendocrinology, with far-reaching effects on studies of metabolism, reproduction and growth. For his discoveries on peptide-hormone production in the brain, … Read more

Sam Altman developing new AI “Brain Chips” or Neuromorphic chips

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Sam Altman, a leading figure in the tech industry and head of OpenAI, is spearheading an ambitious project to raise funds for the development and worldwide production of advanced AI chips. These chips are designed to operate similarly to the human brain, which could lead to significant improvements in the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of AI … Read more