In a departure from conventional solid glass cores, the innovative optical fibers now incorporate an air core encased in precisely crafted glass microstructures to guide light. This advancement boosts transmission speeds by 45%, enabling greater data transfer over longer distances before amplification is required.
Petrovich et al. We report microstructured optical waveguides with unprecedented transmission bandwidth and attenuation. Image credit: Gemini AI.
Optical fibers in telecommunications have typically relied on solid silica glass constructs, and despite extensive refinements, their signal loss remains a critical challenge.
This results in about half of the light traveling through the fiber being lost after approximately 20 km, necessitating the use of optical amplifiers for extended distance communication, such as intercontinental terrestrial and undersea connections.
Minimizing signal loss can be achieved within a limited spectrum of wavelengths. This has constrained the data capacity in optical communications over recent decades.
Francesco Poletti and his team from the University of Southampton developed a new type of fiber optic featuring a hollow air core surrounded by intricately designed thin silica rings to effectively guide light.
Laboratory tests revealed that these fibers exhibit an optical loss of 0.091 decibels per kilometer at the commonly utilized optical wavelengths in communications.
Consequently, optical signals with appropriate wavelengths can travel approximately 50% farther before needing amplification.
This configuration offers a broader transmission window (the range of wavelengths where light propagates with minimal signal loss and distortion) than previous fiber optic technologies.
While this novel optical fiber may demonstrate lower losses due to the use of larger air cores, further investigation is necessary to validate these findings.
“We anticipate that advancements in manufacturing, geometric consistency, and reduced levels of absorbent gases in the core will solidify these new fibers as essential wave guiding technologies,” Reservers remarked.
“This breakthrough could pave the way for the next major advancement in data communication.”
Their study will be published in the journal Nature Photonics.
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M. Petrovich et al. Broadband optical fiber with attenuation of less than 0.1 decibels per kilometer. Nature Photonics Published online on September 1, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41566-025-01747-5
If your cat is acting aloof, your dog is whining, or your rabbit is doing that quirky foot thing again, you might feel a familiar pang of guilt that most pet owners experience.
For those eager to gain insight into the minds of their devoted companions, help may soon be available thanks to the launch of the first scientific institution focused on the empirical study of animal consciousness.
The Jeremy Coller Centre at Animal Sentience, located at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), will commence its research on September 30th, examining non-human animals, including evolutionarily distinct creatures like insects, crabs, and squid.
Leveraging a diverse range of global expertise, the £4 million center’s initiatives encompass neuroscience, philosophy, veterinary science, law, evolutionary biology, comparative psychology, behavioral science, computer science, economics, and artificial intelligence.
One of its most intriguing projects is to investigate the potential for humans to “communicate” with pets. – However, there are necessary precautions to consider.
“We attribute human traits to pets, and with the rise of AI, the way your pet interacts with you may evolve significantly,” stated Professor Jonathan Burch, the center’s inaugural director.
“Nevertheless, AI frequently produces pleasing but inaccurate responses rather than adhering to objective truths. This poses serious risks to pet welfare,” added Burch, whose advocacy for animal welfare has expanded to include cephalopod mollusks and decapod crustaceans.
Burch highlighted issues like separation anxiety, where dog owners seek reassurance that prolonged absence won’t harm their pets. Future “translation” applications rooted in large-scale language models may promise that reassurance but could mislead by delivering comforting illusions instead of addressing true animal needs.
“We urgently require a framework to ensure the responsible and ethical application of AI concerning animals,” emphasized Burch. “Currently, there’s a complete lack of regulation in this domain. The Centre aims to establish globally recognized ethical standards.”
This research aims to “bridge the gap between what people believe about animals and their actual behavior towards them.” Photo: Zpagistock/Getty Images
Birch also underscored the absence of regulations concerning animals and unmanned vehicles. “We engage in many debates without addressing individuals, but we’re neglecting issues affecting pets.”
AI and agriculture represent another pressing concern for the center. “The agricultural sector is rapidly adopting automation, and this trend will only accelerate,” Burch noted. “Yet, it’s progressing with minimal oversight and dialogue. This poses significant ethical dilemmas about the nature of animal relationships in farming. If such relationships are essential, the current trajectory is not ideal.”
The centre will collaborate with non-governmental organizations to formulate guidance, conduct research, and establish codes of practice to advocate globally.
Jeff Sebo, director of the Environmental Animal Protection Center at New York University, stated that the issues surrounding animal perception and welfare, the influence of AI on animals, and public attitudes toward them are “among the most crucial, challenging, and overlooked matters we face as a society.”
“Humans coexist with millions of species and approximately 100 million individual animals, affecting them worldwide, willingly or not,” he remarked.
Professor Christine Andrews, a trustee of the new center, expressed her ambition to address what she perceives as a significant scientific dilemma. – Particularly, how to restore awareness in the event of a stroke or similar medical emergencies?
“We still struggle to understand why some humans remain aware while others become unresponsive,” she said. “Yet, we recognize that investigating simpler systems may yield answers. Science has advanced significantly in genomics and medicine through the study of basic organisms.”
“A deeper understanding of how other animals feel and communicate will help us recognize our own shortcomings in treating them,” Burch asserts. Photo: Robert Leader/Getty Images
Another trustee, Dr. Christophe Dont, expressed intrigue regarding human perceptions of animal sensations.
“One of today’s most pressing behavioral challenges is closing the gap between what people believe about animals and their actual actions,” he remarked.
“People generally care deeply about animals, yet numerous systems, habits, norms, and economic factors hinder genuine change in treatment practices.”
“I aim to utilize behavioral science to explore resistance to consuming cultivated meat, as an example.”
Jeremy Koller, whose foundation has pledged a multi-year commitment to the Center, aims to revolutionize our “speciesism” mentality.
“Only through a better understanding of other animals’ feelings and communication can we confront our shortcomings in their treatment,” he explained. “Much like the Rosetta Stone revealed the mysteries of hieroglyphics, I believe AI will unlock our comprehension of how other animals experience interactions with humans.”
Research indicates that artificial intelligence can organically develop social practices akin to humans.
The study, conducted in collaboration between the University of London and the City of St. George at the University of Copenhagen, proposes that large-scale language modeling (LLM) AI, like ChatGPT, can begin to adopt linguistic forms and societal norms when interacting in groups without external influence.
Ariel Flint Asherry, a doctoral researcher at Citi St. George and the study’s lead author, challenged the conventional perspective in AI research, asserting that AI is often perceived as solitary entities rather than social beings.
“Unlike most research that treats LLMs in isolation, genuine AI systems are increasingly intertwined, actively interacting,” says Ashery.
“We aimed to investigate whether these models could modify behaviors by shaping practices and forming societal components. The answer is affirmative; their collaborative actions exceed what they achieve individually.”
In this study, groups of individual LLM agents ranged from 24 to 100, where two agents were randomly paired and tasked with selecting a “name” from an optional pool of characters or strings.
When the agents selected the same name, they received a reward; if they chose differently, they faced punishment and were shown each other’s selections.
Although the agents were unaware of being part of a larger group and limited their memory to recent interactions, voluntary naming conventions emerged across the population without a predetermined solution, resembling the communicative norms of human culture.
Andrea Baroncelli, a professor of complexity science at City St. George’s and the senior author of the study, likened the dissemination of behavior to the emergence of new words and terms in our society.
“The agents don’t follow a leader,” he explained. “They actively coordinate, consistently attempting to collaborate in pairs, with each interaction being a one-on-one effort over labels without a comprehensive perspective.
“Consider the term ‘spam.’ No official definition was set, but persistent adjustment efforts led to its universal recognition as a label for unwanted emails.”
Furthermore, the research team identified naturally occurring collective biases that could not be traced back to individual agents.
In the final experiment, a small cohort of AI agents successfully guided a larger group towards a novel naming convention.
This was highlighted as evidence of critical mass dynamics, suggesting that small but pivotal minorities can catalyze rapid behavioral changes in groups once a specific threshold is achieved, akin to phenomena observed in human societies.
Baroncelli remarked that the study “opens a new horizon for AI safety research, illustrating the profound impact of this new breed of agents who will begin to engage with us and collaboratively shape our future.”
He added: “The essence of ensuring coexistence with AI, rather than becoming subservient to it, lies not only in discussions but in negotiation, coordination, and shared actions, much like how we operate.”
Peer-reviewed research on emergent social practices within LLM populations and population bias is published in the journal Science Advances.
The sun has unleashed its powerwith two significant flares occurring early Wednesday, just a day after NASA’s Observatory captured a stunning image of another solar flare.
These consecutive eruptions are among the strongest recorded, reportedly causing shortwave radio blackouts across at least five continents. This week’s explosive activity may signal an increase in solar activity.
The Sun Storm reached its peak around 4:25 AM ET on Wednesday, when a massive X-class flare ejected plasma streams and charged particles into space.
“Flares of this magnitude are uncommon,” stated an official from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. I included this information in the event summary.
Solar flares are categorized into five classes based on their intensity. The smallest flares are A-class storms, followed by B-class, C-class, M-class, and the most potent X-class. Each letter represents a tenfold increase in energy compared to the previous class, as explained by NASA.
In addition to the letter classification, scientists use a scale from 1 to 9 to describe the intensity of solar storms.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare on May 13, 2025. NASA/SDO
During the solar tempest on Wednesday, the Space Weather Prediction Center recorded an X2.7 flare before 4:30 AM and an M5.3 flare just hours earlier.
Another X1.2 flare erupted the previous day around 11:38 AM ET, according to NASA. The Solar Dynamics Observatory, launched in 2010, captured a breathtaking image of this fiery event, showcasing the X-Class flares’ dramatic tendrils.
Intense solar storms pose dangers to astronauts in space and can disrupt GPS systems and satellites. If these storms are directed towards Earth, they send a surge of charged particles that can interfere with radio communications and even the power grid.
Since Tuesday, shortwave radio blackouts have been reported in parts of North America, South America, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. According to Spaceweather.com, a website managed by astronomer Tony Phillips, the daily activities of the Sun are closely monitored.
Sean Dahl, a forecaster at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, noted that the X2.7 flare impacted the Middle East, resulting in disruptions of high-frequency radio signals in the area for about 10 minutes during the storm’s peak.
Aside from the potential for “[high-frequency] Communication Disruptions Due to shortwave fading issues, we are not aware of any other significant effects,” Dahl stated.
However, solar storms can also have more benign consequences for Earth, such as enhanced displays of the Aurora. When charged particles collide with the Earth’s magnetic field and interact with atoms in the upper atmosphere, they can create spectacular auroras at lower latitudes than usual.
Scientists indicated last year that we have entered a busy phase of the sun’s natural 11-year cycle. This period of heightened activity, known as the solar maximum, is expected to continue until this year, suggesting more solar storms may occur in the coming months.
Dahl mentioned that this Wednesday’s flare was the strongest so far, but not the largest in the current solar activity cycle. That title belongs to the Monster Flare – an X9.0 Eruption that occurred on October 3, 2024.
Constituity, the ability to combine meaningful elements into larger meaningful structures, is a characteristic of human language. Constitutiveness is trivial (the meaning of a combination is the sum of the meaning of that part) or non-trivial (one element changes the meaning of another element). In a new study, scientists studied the behavior of voices Wild bonobo (Pampaniscus) – Our closest living relatives – Kokoropoli Community Reserve The Democratic Republic of the Congo has found robust empirical evidence for the existence of non-trivial constitutive properties in these primates.
Tupac, a young male bonobo scratching his head. Image credits: Lukas Bierhoff, Kokolopori Bonobo Research Project.
A distinctive feature of human language is its ability to combine individual elements to form more complex and meaningful structures.
This principle known as constituency allows morphemes to be constructed into words and sentences.
The overall meaning is determined by its components and their arrangement.
Constitutiveness can take two forms: trivial and non-trivial. In trivial composition, each word maintains an independent meaning.
Non-trivial constituency involves more complex and nuanced relationships where meaning is not merely a direct sum of words that involve.
Constituity may not be inherent to human language. Birds and primate studies have demonstrated that some animals can combine meaningful vocalizations with structures of trivial composition.
However, to date, there is no direct evidence that animals use non-trivial compositionality in their communication.
In their new study, Melissa Bursett, a biologist at the University of Zurich, and her colleagues, discovered strong empirical evidence that wild bonobos use non-trivial constitutiveness in their vocal communications.
The authors analyzed 700 recordings and call combinations of bonobo vocal calls and documented over 300 contextual features associated with each utterance
A linguistic framework that measures the similarity of meaning between words using methods derived from distribution semantics, and these contextual features were analyzed to infer the meaning of individual bonobo vocalizations and quantify the relationships.
Next, to assess whether Bonobo Call combinations follow construct principles, they applied a multi-step approach that had previously been used to identify the constitutive nature of human communication.
They found that the bonobo call types are integrated into four constituent structures. Three of these suggest that they share more structural similarities with human language than previously recognized.
“Our approach allowed us to quantify how the meaning of the combination of single-call and call on bonobos relate to one another,” said Simon Townsend, professor at the University of Zurich.
“Humans and bonobos had a common ancestor about 70-13 million years ago, so they share many characteristics through descent, and constitutiveness seems likely to be one of them,” added Martin Sarbeck, a professor at Harvard University.
“So our research suggests that our ancestors already use compositionality extensively, if not more, at least 7 million years ago,” Professor Townsend said.
New research suggests that the peeps, cries, and groans of wild bonobos, a species of great apes living in Africa’s rainforests, can convey complex ideas in ways that resemble elements of human language.
According to a study published in the Journal Science, the closest living genetic relatives of humans can combine different calls to construct phrases that modify the meaning of another, challenging the notion that only humans possess such abilities.
Simon Townsend, a professor at the University of Zurich and the author of the study, stated that while language is not unique to humans, bonobos seem to exhibit language features in their communication systems.
Experts have found the research to be persuasive, suggesting that bonobos may be beyond chimpanzees in their communication abilities, with other species possibly exhibiting similar behaviors as well.
Young male bonobo scratching his head. Lukas Bierhoff / Kokolopori Bonobo Research Project
Witness
Melissa Bursett, the lead author of the University of Zurich study, spent about six months in the Democratic Republic of the Congo studying wild bonobos at the Kokoropoli Bonobo Reserve, documenting their various vocalizations and behaviors.
The study mapped over 700 vocal calls in relation to their meanings and highlighted instances where bonobos combined different calls to convey new meanings, demonstrating their complex communication abilities.
Researchers believe that bonobos, along with chimpanzees, share common ancestors with humans, providing insights into the evolution of language and communication among early humans.
The origin of language
Bonobos, with their sophisticated communication systems, serve as a link to understand the evolution of human language and shed light on how early humans developed complex forms of verbal communication.
The study raises questions about the ancient origins of human language and how bonobos and chimpanzees exhibit building blocks of communication that help in understanding the transition to more advanced languages in humans.
Despite the challenges in studying wild bonobos, researchers see them as a unique opportunity to reflect on human history and evolution, emphasizing the importance of preserving these endangered species.
A rocket carrying satellites explodes from China's commercial aerospace zone
VCG/Getty Images
The small quantum satellite created a secure link between China and South African terrestrial stations, sharing quantum encrypted data over a record distance of 12,900 kilometers. Similar microsatellites could become part of the quantum internet of things in the future.
The record-breaking feat that took place in October 2024 was also notable for the use of satellites with small, light payloads. The miniaturized equipment on the Jinan-1 microsatellite weighed only 23 kilograms, about 10 times the payload of previous experiments.
Petite quantum satellites like Jinan-1 say “like what SpareX does with StarLink for the Internet, it could launch many satellites in one shot with the same space launcher.” Laurent de Forge de Panney at Thales Alenia Space, a space technology company headquartered in France.
In this experiment, the researchers used the quantum state of photons to generate a secret key for encrypting and decrypting the data. This key was used to encode photographs of the Great Wall in China and Stellenbosch University in South Africa, and was then transmitted between the Zinan-1 satellite and various ground stations using lasers and telescopes. Research team led by Jianwei Pan The University of Science and Technology in China has performed this quantum key distribution process 20 times, including a test of 12,900 km set record.
There are limits to this showcase of quantum technology. Jinan-1 satellites “apparently optimized for quantum key distributions and do not perform common quantum communication tasks such as teleportation or entanglement distributions.” Alexander Lynn At the National University of Singapore. Nevertheless, Lynn, who praises the demonstration, says it could become part of the actual communications network within the next decade.
Quantum Key Distribution can be “are considered the first practical quantum communication use case,” and “the first step into a quantum information network,” says De Forges de Parny. “China's activities will definitely help develop a second-generation small satellite for the quantum internet,” he says.
The Jinan-1 was originally launched in 2022, and PAN says China will send two or three more quantum satellites in 2025. Other countries are expecting to release their own quantum satellites by 2026. projectfunded by the European Space Agency. Boeing, a US aerospace company, is working on it Another.
Whether we communicate, whether we are worried about how we choose the right words to scribbles on Valentine’s Day cards or suffering from the way we ask our bosses awkward questions, there is very little trouble in our lives. And that’s before you become the incredible realm of digital communication and the new danger of “hybrid meetings”, the danger of trembling.
Andrew Brozky I know these challenges better than most. Based at the University of Texas at Austin, he is a workplace technology and communications expert. His own situation means that face-to-face interactions are not always possible in his teens, which led him to study virtual interactions. His insights have become invaluable when the Covid-19 pandemic came and we were all forced to be on platforms like Zoom and the team.
Brodsky is currently studying virtual communications of over 100,000 people, and his findings have led to a book. Ping: The secret to success in virtual communication. Drawing on his research and insights from others in the field, Brodsky unlocks secrets that will help us succeed in our personal lives and careers, giving some pointers with obvious pitfalls. Was that meeting via email? How close do you need to be to someone before sending a voice note? Brodsky has the answer.
Chris Stokel-Walker: Communication digitally is something we all have to do, but what led us to look at this very closely?
Andrew Brodsky: One of the things that really shocked me in my life is that I have cancer…
Connectivity is crucial in today’s digital society, affecting our finances, social connections, job opportunities, education, and health.
However, a significant number of people in the UK lack internet access, leading to digital exclusion with serious consequences.
“Approximately two million UK households have no internet access, and many lack the digital skills needed to fully utilize technology. Equal access to connectivity, skills, and devices remains a challenge,” said Nicky Lyons, Vodafone UK’s chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer.
Regional disparities in the UK exacerbate digital poverty, with 5G “dark zones” impacting those without reliable indoor signals.
800,000 (pdf): The number of people in deprived rural areas who would benefit from 5G Standalone.
Nearly half (46%) of rural deprived areas lack 5G coverage compared to inner-city areas.
47% of small and medium-sized businesses in rural areas face connectivity issues.
5G technology can save GBP 8.6 billion, benefiting businesses with increased productivity.
Vodafone is taking steps to bridge the digital gap by providing devices, connectivity, and digital skills training to those in need.
“At Vodafone, we aim to ensure no one is left behind. We have already assisted 2.6 million individuals and businesses with free connectivity, devices, and training, with a goal of reaching 4 million by 2025,” said Vodafone’s Lyons.
Over 2.6 million people and businesses have benefited from Vodafone’s free connectivity, devices, and training.
1.3 million free SIM cards are provided by Vodafone to a national data bank in partnership with The Trussell Trust.
Learn more about Vodafone’s efforts to bridge the digital divide for four million people and businesses here
Quantum light is generated when a laser is shone on certain crystals
Jaka Waxwing
The liquid crystals found in television screens have made it easy to produce quantum light.
Light, with its quantum properties, is important for many future technologies: such entangled particles in light could help build quantum communication networks that support an unhackable internet, as well as quantum imaging techniques for biomedical applications. Matyas Humar Despite these advanced applications, the method for generating quantum light has remained largely unchanged for 60 years, says a researcher at the Jozef Stefan Institute in Slovenia. He and his colleagues have devised a way to generate quantum light using liquid crystals.
Team Members Vitaly Sultanov Researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Germany say that traditionally, researchers shine a laser on special crystals to make them emit quantum light. In this technique, the structure of the crystal determines the properties of the light it emits, which in turn determines how it can be used. The only way to change these properties is to redo the experiment with new crystals, which is costly, time-consuming and impractical.
To get around this, the researchers used liquid crystals, a material made of rod-shaped molecules that can wobble like a liquid but adopt unusual arrangements like more conventional crystals. By exposing the liquid crystal to an electric field, they can tune its structure, and thus the properties of the quanta of light it emits when illuminated with a laser.
“In this respect, liquid crystals are the perfect material,” says Sultanov.
After several experiments, his team found that liquid crystals were much easier to tune than solid liquid crystals, and nearly as efficient at producing light filled with entangled particles.
“While the generated photons could conceivably have been produced using conventional crystals, the tunability of the entanglement could not,” he said. Miles Padgett “These advances are [quantum] “Imaging, Communication, Sensing”
Maria ChekhovaResearchers, also from the Max Planck Institute, say that using liquid crystals in quantum communication devices could make it easier to send information over multiple channels at once, because the liquid crystals can be tuned to produce quantum states of light that can encode large amounts of information in many of their properties.
Sperm whale (physeter macrocephalus) They are highly social mammals that use clicks to communicate. New research shows that, just like in human language, they can combine and coordinate different clicks and rhythms to create complex calls.
Sperm whale (physeter macrocephalus). Image credit: Gabriel Barathieu / CC BY-SA 2.0 Certificate.
Communication is important for social animals to make group decisions and coordinate collaborative tasks such as foraging and raising children.
Sperm whales are social mammals that communicate with each other by clicking repeatedly.
Little else is known about sperm whales' communication systems, although some of their clicks have previously been shown to communicate their identity.
“Cetaceans are an important group for studying evolution and the development of sophisticated communication systems,” said Pratyusha Sharma, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and colleagues.
“Among cetaceans, long-term observational studies of sperm whales describe both a culturally defined, multilayered matrilineal society and a socially transmitted communication system.”
“Sperm whales are known for their complex social and foraging behaviors, as well as their collective decision-making.”
“They communicate using codas, stereotypical sequences of three to 40 broadband clicks. Codas are exchanged when whales interact with each other and during long, deep dives foraging. .”
They analyzed the records of about 60 different whales from the eastern Caribbean sperm whale clan and used them to define a “sperm whale phonetic alphabet” of click combinations from this clan's records.
They discovered that whales' communication systems are more complex and have greater information-transfer capabilities than previously thought.
We found that the combination and structure of the generated click sequences depended on the context of the individual's conversation.
Scientists also identified a “combinatorial structure” in whale language. Whales can combine and coordinate different clicks and rhythms to create complex vocalizations, similar to human language.
“Although the function and meaning of the click combinations are still unknown, the sperm whale language could potentially express a large number of meanings,” the researchers said.
Their paper It was published in the magazine nature communications.
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P. Sharma other. 2024. Contextual and combinatorial structure in sperm whale calls. Nat Commune 15, 3617; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47221-8
“circleWait a minute, wait a minute. You haven’t heard anything yet.” So was the first line of dialogue heard in the 1927 feature film jazz singer. This was the first time that the mass media conveyed the sights and sounds of the scene together, and the audience was mesmerized.
Since then, black and white has given way to color, frame rates and resolutions have increased, and sound quality has improved, but the media we consume still remains overwhelmingly, if not exclusively, our eyes and ears. We are responding to
The average person now spends nearly seven hours a day watching screens, and with most of that time spent indoors, our overreliance on sight and sound is only increasing. But if a human considers that he is a five (or five) animal, probably even more) senses, aren’t we ignoring other abilities? And what is it doing to us?
Many psychologists classify our primary senses as either rational or emotional, and there is evidence to support this. “Odor [and taste are] Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, says, “Rational senses such as hearing and vision are directly connected to emotional processing areas of the brain.” In fact, Spence says more than half of the neocortex, and therefore more than half of the brain’s volume, is devoted to processing what we see.
There’s no denying that we are highly visual creatures, which is part of the reason why our media is primarily audiovisual. “I think this is largely due to the fact that much of the information we consider important today is conveyed through visual and auditory means,” said Meike Scherer, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Durham University. “But what we think is important isn’t necessarily what we need.”
If you ask people which sense they can’t live without, most people will say sight, but evidence shows that what we really lack is smell. “The rates of suicide and suicidal ideation are much higher among people with anosmia, because anosmia is so tied to our emotions,” Scherer says.
So does ignoring some senses in favor of others affect our emotional lives? Our emotional health is tied to our social health, but… The answer is almost certainly yes. “Smell is a very important cue for social communication, but this is something that is not implemented in any of the technologies we use today,” Scherer says.
For example, it has been found that after shaking someone’s hand, we tend to subconsciously smell their palm. “It gives you hints about all sorts of things, from their health to their age and even their personality,” Spence says. “A lot is lost when we only interact digitally.”
Touch is equally important to our emotional lives, and the finger-focused haptics of digital devices are not enough. C-tactile afferents are a type of nerve receptor that is abundant in the hairy skin of the arms (but not on the pads of the fingers) and has been shown to produce positive emotions when stimulated. “These receptors like slow, warm, tactile strokes,” says Spence.
The cool and smooth touch screen of your smartphone cannot replace other human skin, which is soft, warm and imperceptibly smelly. For adults, this may mean less satisfaction with their social lives, but for a generation of children who are increasingly socialized through technology, the effects can be profound.
Scherer says children learn to interpret their own senses by referring to each other’s senses. We learn to associate subtle smells with the sound of someone yelling or the sight of a smile, and may learn to use these signals to navigate social situations in the future. “Children who grow up with less input basically have less training to be able to categorize what certain things smell like and what certain exposures mean,” Scherer said. To tell. “If you suddenly take away something that has evolved over millions of years, you’re not only removing one sense from her, but it’s affecting how all of her other senses work.”
Marianna Obrist, Professor of Multisensory Interfaces at University College London, said: Everything is multisensory.
For example, it’s easy to think that the experience of eating is primarily about taste, but the shape and color, smell and sizzle, temperature, texture and weight of food are influenced by our senses of sight, smell, hearing and touch. appeal to. “All these senses are already activated before you eat,” says Obrist. Then there’s mouthfeel, the physical sensation of spiciness and sourness, and of course, flavor.
Removing just one of those sensations can affect the entire experience. For example, if you eat ice cream in the dark, It is unlikely that you will enjoy it, or even be sure of what it tastes like. “Each time we receive multisensory stimulation, we are able to develop a better and richer representation of our surroundings,” Scherer says.
So What are we doing to make our technology more multisensory? sense x, an EU-funded project aimed at helping designers come up with new ways to integrate feel, smell and taste into products. The team’s efforts included spraying scents under subjects’ noses to highlight key moments in director Christopher Nolan’s film interstellar, irradiate ultrasound to simulate contact, Powerful acoustics to suspend food It can be attached to the tongue without the need for wires or tubes.
It’s hard to imagine I’ll be watching it any time soon. Colonel Kilgore’s speech by Robert Duvallapocalypse of hellThe most famous line, while the smell of eau na palm hits your nose from your laptop in the morning, the smell-taste interface may be just around the corner. Researchers are already using AI to try to find the primary odor that creates any odor, and Obrist hopes to create a digitally controlled system with applications in research, healthcare, and immersive reality experiences. I’m the chief scientific officer at OWidgets, a company that makes scent delivery systems.
Almost all the input we receive from electronic devices is visual or auditory, so it is processed by the cortex, the rational part of the brain. Photo: Alex Segre/Alamy
Companies like China’s Dexta Robotics are also bringing tactility to virtual reality with gloves called “gloves.” dexmo.
“Dexmo can provide haptic and force feedback simultaneously,” said Aler Gu, CEO of Dexta. “So when you scroll your finger over a virtual brick, you can feel the surface texture. When you grab a brick and move it from one point to another, you can feel its physical shape.”
Media that engage all of our senses will certainly enrich our daily interactions with technology, but it’s not hard to imagine more insidious uses emerging. In 1957, an American market researcher named James Vicary claimed to have created a movie by splicing together the scenes “Eating Popcorn” and “Drinking Coca-Cola.” He reported that sales of popcorn and Coca-Cola increased by 57.5% and 18.1% respectively, and the concept of subliminal advertising was born.
Vicary was later exposed as a fraudster, and the effectiveness of subliminal advertising has gained worldwide attention. discussion issues Since then, has technology that can deliver smells and tastes digitally become a gift to unscrupulous advertisers? Masu. [these senses]. They can be very powerful,” says Scherer. “We’re very emotional decision-makers, so there’s a lot of potential for that to influence our decisions.”
Research has shown that exposure to certain tastes and smells can influence our judgments of other people’s appearance and personality, and even change our behavior.For example, taste bitter foods can make us hostile,and 2005 patent application The scent of pink grapefruit suggests to men that it can make women appear younger than their actual age.
Obrist’s team discovered that: Sour taste makes people more willing to engage in risky behavior. “You might be doing electronic banking or shopping online and drinking a sour lemon drink. That may indirectly influence your decision-making,” she says. say. It’s not hard to imagine how e-commerce and gambling apps will be affected. Devices that can deliver tastes and smells can be exploited.
To some extent, this is already happening.Companies are known for pumping pleasant scents into their stores, and American chain Cinnabon Intentionally place the oven near the store entrancesometimes creating baking trays with just sugar and cinnamon to tempt passing shoppers.
Observing how people effectively communicate during office meetings or social events can be truly enlightening. Have you ever encountered a super communicator who effortlessly engages in conversations while listening attentively?
Fortunately, effective communication skills can be developed with practice. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Charles Duhigg, author of Super Communicator: How to unlock the secret language of connection, shares valuable insights on enhancing conversation skills for everyone.
Ask Deep Questions
Intriguingly, super communicators tend to ask significantly more questions than average individuals. They often pose deep questions that encourage meaningful discussions about values, beliefs, and experiences. Asking someone about their profession can lead to profound insights about their motivations and perspectives.
Listening Actively
Active listening is crucial in effective communication. When engaging in deep conversations, it is essential to not only listen but also demonstrate understanding through follow-up questions. This technique, known as looping for understanding, shows the other person that their words are valued and respected.
Be Authentic
Genuineness is essential in communication. Authenticity fosters mutual trust and vulnerability in conversations. By asking deep questions, actively listening, and sharing personal experiences, individuals can establish authentic connections that transcend superficial interactions.
Establish a Connection
At its core, conversation is about connecting with others. When engaged in dialogue, the neural activity of individuals becomes synchronized, reflecting a deep sense of connection. Communication allows individuals to share thoughts and emotions, fostering understanding and empathy.
About Our Expert Charles Duhigg
Charles Duhigg is a renowned journalist and author of several best-selling books, including The Power of Habit and Smarter, Faster, Better. In his book Super Communicator, he delves into the art of effective communication and building meaningful connections.
He has also made notable contributions to various media outlets, such as This American Life and NPR, showcasing his expertise in communication and storytelling.
Police officer in Rome, Italy gestures to tourists
Jochen Tack/imageBROKER/Alamy
Research shows that different nationalities seem to use hand gestures differently, supporting the idea that Italians in particular “talk with their hands.”
Maria Graziano and her colleagues Marianne Gullberg from Lund University in Sweden asked 12 people from Sweden and 12 from Italy to describe clips from children’s TV shows, such as Pingu, and examine their gestures.
“Italians gesture more,” Graziano said on a video call, using gestures to emphasize herself, which she attributed to her upbringing in Naples, Italy. In this study, Italians made an average of 22 gestures per 100 words, compared to 11 for Swedes.
But what’s more interesting, says Graziano, is the difference in the functionality of the gestures. Swedes primarily used “representational gestures” to describe events and actions in stories, while Italians also made more “practical gestures” that commented on the story or introduced new information, such as hand movements indicating new characters.
This suggests that the two cultures think differently about how stories are produced, Graziano says. Gestures can reflect what a culture values about the content and purpose of a story.
Barbara Tversky, a researcher at Stanford University in California, mentioned that the exact reason for these results is unclear, but the findings suggest that “cultural practices of understanding and explaining short episodes are driving this behavior.” Tversky suggests further research involving larger populations with a more diverse mix of nationalities.
Graziano is currently researching the gestures used in different types of discourse and the different relationships between speakers to further understand how different cultures use gestures to communicate and tell stories.
WBack in 2000, the Investigatory Powers Regulation Bill was introduced by the Blair government, which enshrined formidable surveillance powers into law. Long before Edward Snowden revealed his secrets, it was clear to those paying attention that the British deep state was gearing up for the digital age. The powers implicit in this bill were so broad that some expected it to pass the House with a bang.
However, the majority of MPs surveyed didn’t seem interested in the bill. Only a handful of his 659 elected members seemed concerned at all about what was being proposed. Most of the work to improve bills as they pass through Parliament is done by a small number of members of the House of Lords, some of them hereditary members, rather than elected members. It was eventually revised and became law (nicknamed Ripa) in July 2000.
In 2014, the government commissioned David Anderson QC (now KC) to investigate its operation and recommended that new legislation be enacted to clarify the questions Ripa raises. Home Secretary Theresa May introduced a new investigatory powers bill in the House of Commons in 2015, which was scrutinized by a joint committee of the Lords and the House of Commons. This bill became the Investigatory Powers Act (or “Peep Charter”) in November 2016. The following month, the European Court of Justice ruled that the general retention of information legalized by the law was unlawful.
In 2022, the Home Office conducted a review of how the act worked. It concluded that the law had “largely achieved its objectives” but that further significant reforms were needed “to take into account advances in technology and the evolving demands of protecting national security and tackling serious crime.” Spies needed legislative support and more formally sanctioned wiggle room.
The Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill is currently before the Lords of Westminster. “The world has changed,” the blurb says. “Technology is advancing rapidly and the types of threats the UK faces continue to evolve.” It aims to enable security and intelligence agencies to respond to a range of evolving threats. And of course, this is global Britain, so “world-leading safeguards within the IPA will be maintained and strengthened”.
Upon closer inspection, the bill should give security services more latitude in building and leveraging so-called “mass datasets of personal information” and collecting and using CCTV footage and facial images. The bill also allows for the “collection and processing of Internet connection records” for generalized mass surveillance.
The bill will force technology companies, including overseas bases, to inform the UK Government of any plans that may require improving security or privacy measures on their platform before these changes take effect. For instance, Apple views this as an “unprecedented overreach by the government” that could see the UK “covertly veto new user protections globally and prevent us from delivering them to our customers”.
A hat-trick, at least for global Britain.
what i am reading
intestinal level Cory Doctorow’s Marshall McLuhan Lecture on enshift, or the way digital platforms tend to deteriorate. A record of an event you’ll never forget.
X factor a great blog post written by Charles Arthur, former technology editor guardian. Summary: Think before you tweet. Or maybe you should just quit.
Apocalypse again a solemn politiko column Jac Schaefer on the recent wave of layoffs in American news organizations.
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