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Why You Might Need to Rethink Your Consciousness Completely

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If you are reading this, chances are you believe you are conscious. It’s easy to assume that your loved ones, your not-so-loved ones, and even your peculiar neighbors are also conscious beings, experiencing the world just like you.

But what about newborn babies, who are unable to communicate their thoughts or understand the world around them? None of us can remember our experiences as infants, so the question remains: are they aware? What about babies still in the womb?

These intriguing questions have captured the interest of neuroscientists, including Dr. Joel Frolich, who describes this inquiry as a scientific “frontier.”

According to Frolich, there has been limited research on the onset of consciousness until recent years. It was predominantly a topic for philosophers, with neuroscience only starting to delve into it more recently.

Researchers have now devised innovative methods to uncover when consciousness emerges in a newborn or a fetus and explore these unanswered questions.

Quest for Clues

Based on a study by Frolich and philosopher Professor Tim Bain, the consensus seems to point towards at least five months before consciousness likely emerges.

By this age, the infant not only displays wakefulness but also exhibits clear signs of engaging with the world around them.

This conclusion stems from a “cluster-based” approach, where a combination of indicators like brain activity patterns, responses to stimuli, and signs of recognition are considered, rather than relying on a single marker of consciousness.

While younger babies may not exhibit all the signs of consciousness, they show some indicators, which can also be present in fetuses.

At five months old, neuroscientists identified clusters of markers suggesting consciousness – credit: Anuti via Getty

Key to Consciousness

One significant marker of a conscious brain, according to neuroscientists like Frolich, is the default mode network. This network of brain regions is active during restful states, such as daydreaming or contemplating the future.

Research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown that newborns have a rudimentary form of this default mode network.

Another crucial clue is the local-global effect, where the brain’s ability to detect pattern changes signifies working memory and potential consciousness. This was evident in studies on infants and even in fetuses.

Scanning the fetus can be difficult due to all the tissue that the scanning device needs to pass through to reach the uterus. Ultrasound uses sound waves, and magnetic EEG uses magnetic fields. – Credit: Half Point Image via Getty

Unveiling the Womb

Behavior and attention are additional factors that hint at consciousness. Young babies around four months old demonstrate the ability to choose where to focus their attention, suggesting a level of awareness. Similar observations have been made with fetuses.

In a 2017 study, neuroscientists conducted experiments on pregnant individuals, illuminating the uterus with lights and gauging fetal responses using ultrasound.

These findings shed light on the potential emergence of awareness in infants or fetuses, prompting contemplation on ethical implications but reassuring that consciousness likely isn’t present until later in pregnancy.

Neuroscientific discoveries may have broader implications for understanding consciousness in other entities, such as artificial intelligence, urging the development of a unified theory of consciousness.

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About our experts:

Dr. Joel Frolich: A postdoctoral researcher specializing in fetal neuroscience at the Helmholtz Centre Munich, University of Tubingen. Frolich utilizes magnetic enemies for studying fetal and infant development and serves as a research consultant for the Institute for Advanced Consciousness in California.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

AMOC: Crucial ocean currents are unlikely to shut down completely by the end of the century

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AMOC brings warm water north from the tropical region near the surface and takes cold water in opposite directions of the deep sea

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Important ocean currents will rarely close by the end of this century, according to new findings that undermine the end of the impending catastrophic collapse.

The Atlantic Meridian Surrounding Circulation (AMOC) transports warm water from the tropical north and helps maintain temperatures in Northern Europe. The temperature and the influx of cold water from the Arctic ice weakens the current temperature, and scientists fear it can stop it completely. This will disrupt marine ecosystems and cool the European climate a few degrees faster.

Some researchers say that the irreversible closure of AMOC could be in the century. But I say this worst-case scenario is unlikely Jonathan Baker At the Met Office in the UK.

To investigate whether a complete AMOC collapse of this century is possible, Baker and his colleagues used 34 climate models to simulate changes in AMOC under extreme climate change, and greenhouse gas levels trained overnight from today's levels. The team also modeled a large amount of freshwater entering the North Atlantic at many times the rate of ice melting now.

They found that although AMOC is significantly weakened in these two scenarios, ocean currents continue in their weakened state, supported by deep-sea upwellings in the North Atlantic, driven by southern sea winds. “The Southern Ocean winds continue to blow, and this brings deep waters up to the surface. This works like a powerful pump,” Baker says. “This keeps AMOC running on models of this century.”

This finding helps explain why climate models generally simulate more stable AMOCs in the warming world compared to studies that rely on statistical methods. This tends to suggest that AMOC is more vulnerable.

Niklas Bore The Potsdam Climate Impact Institute in Germany said the findings are “good news” for those worried about the imminent collapse of the AMOC. “I agree that all cutting-edge climate models will not show a complete AMOC collapse within the 21st century.

However, the model does not predict a complete collapse of AMOC, but shows that quaternary reddish CO2 concentrations lead to a 20-81% reduction in the current intensity.

With AMOC weaker by about 50%, the impact on climate will become important, Baker says it will be important due to marine ecosystem disruption, sea level rise on the North Atlantic coastline, and changes in global rainfall patterns that affect crop harvests around the world. However, this type of weakening does not bring rapid cooling to Europe, he says.

In comparison, Bohr emphasizes that AMOC, which is 80% less than today, will have a devastating effect. “Of course, it's a nearly blocked AMOC,” he says. “It has all the impact on Europe's cooling and changing patterns of tropical monsoon, and all the things we are concerned about.”

Stephen RahmstoefHe is also at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact in Germany, and agrees that under the extreme warming of this century, there may be a weak and shallow AMOC trend left in the world. Some studies even define AMOC disintegration as this type of substantial weakening, he says. “A new study is investigating the remaining wind-driven covers [current] In more detail, this is a valuable contribution to the scientific literature,” he says. “However, in response to human-induced global warming, we will not change our assessment of the risks and impacts of future AMOC changes.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

7 Dinosaurs that Are Completely Misunderstood by Everyone

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Despite their intimidating appearance, dinosaurs were not slow, lumbering creatures as previously thought. As our knowledge of these prehistoric creatures grows, our early assumptions are being proven wrong. Here are seven significant ways our understanding of dinosaurs has evolved:

1. Tyrannosaurus Rex

In 1902, paleontologist Barnum Brown discovered a massive pile of bones in Hell Creek, Montana. These bones belonged to a towering, bipedal creature with a fierce, predatory look – the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Over the years, numerous T. rex skeletons have been unearthed, revealing it as one of the largest and most powerful carnivorous animals to have lived. Recent discoveries, such as the presence of feathers, suggest T. rex was more complex than originally thought.

Cast of a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton on display in the main gallery of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History in Oxford, UK – Image credit: Alamy

2. Iguanodon

In 1822, Gideon Mantell presented a fossil discovered in Sussex, England, to the Royal Society. Initially mistaken for belonging to a giant fish or rhinoceros, the tooth actually belonged to a dinosaur, later named Iguanodon. Subsequent findings have revealed Iguanodon as a giant, ground-dwelling dinosaur with spikes on its hands for defense.

3. Dryptosaurus

Discovered in New Jersey in 1866, Dryptosaurus was one of the first well-preserved carnivorous dinosaur skeletons found in North America. Originally named “Laelaps,” it was later corrected to Dryptosaurus. The predator’s agility and speed challenged old perceptions of dinosaurs as slow-moving creatures.

Dryptosaurus as imagined in 1869 – Image courtesy of Alamy

4. Elasmosaurus

When Elasmosaurus was discovered, its long, snake-like neck puzzled scientists. Initially mistaken for a sea snake-turtle hybrid, it was later identified as a plesiosaur with an unusually long neck, setting it apart from other marine reptiles of its time.

Early studies of Elasmosaurus fossils led some to imagine it was a giant sea snake-turtle hybrid – Image credit: Alamy

5. Stegosaurus

Stegosaurus, known for its distinctive plates, initially puzzled paleontologists due to its unique features. Misinterpreted as an aquatic creature with shell-like plates, subsequent discoveries revealed its upright plates and raised questions about their purpose – whether for display or thermoregulation.

Previous depictions of Stegosaurus were unclear on the plate – Image credit: Alamy

6. Ichthyosaur

Mary Anning’s discoveries in England led to the naming of the Ichthyosaur, an extinct aquatic reptile with flippered limbs and a streamlined body. Initially mistaken for a fish or crocodile, the Ichthyosaur was later recognized as an ancient marine reptile.

Painting “Duria Antiquior” by Henri de la Beche – Image courtesy of Alamy

7. Pterosaur

Pterosaurs, flying reptiles with winged fingers, were initially misunderstood as sea creatures or mammals. Georges Cuvier’s recognition of their wing-supporting fingers led to the understanding of these creatures as early fliers, distinct from dinosaurs but closely related to them.

Early visualizations of pterosaurs made them look almost rodent-like – Image credit: Alamy

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Introducing smartphones gradually is more beneficial for children than banning them completely

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“Let’s take cell phones out of schools.” “Social media is harmful to teens.”

Such messages are being broadcast around the world and appear to have reached a peak in recent days. In the UK, concerns about the harms of social media and screen time have led to Smartphone Free Children Campaign A government crackdown on smartphone use in schools has also begun, and ministers are considering banning the sale of smartphones to anyone under 16. Meanwhile, in the United States, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy this week called for social media platforms to require cigarette-style warning labels.

More than 40% of American children own a smartphone by age 10, and the concern is Excessive screen use can lead to health problemsThese include obesity, sleep disorders, depression and anxiety.

Certainly, some studies have documented this link, but as we explain in our feature, The Truth About How Social Media and Screen Time Affect Young People, the evidence that screen time causes widespread harm to children is not as strong or clear as some claim.

While we figure out the details, we must protect our children, especially those who are most vulnerable to the harmful influences of smartphones and social media. But depriving them entirely would be the wrong move.

The smarter approach is to give children access, even from an early age, in a controlled and measured way.

Imagine what a smartphone utopia might look like: It would be done in stages: instead of giving kids access to the entire internet at first, we’d allow them access to walled gardens, like kid-friendly TV channels.

In such a world, we would allow limited messaging with strict moderation that loosens with age, the system would allow parents access that diminishes over time, and all of this would be combined with ongoing digital literacy classes.

Smartphones, social media, and screens will continue to be a part of our children’s lives, no matter how many warning labels they carry, and now is the time to think seriously about how we give our kids the tools they need to navigate the realities of growing up online.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Gold Flecks Give Ultra-Clear Glass a Completely Opaque Appearance on One Side

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Objects visible through glare-free materials are clear, but traditional anti-glare films (right) blur the view.

Mu Wang et al/Nanjing University

Glare-free windows can be made from materials studded with billions of tiny metal patches. This leaves the one-way window matte – it looks opaque and reflects only 1% of the light from outside – but it is still transparent, so it doesn’t blur your view or significantly reduce the amount of light it lets in. You may be able to secure the privacy of your car or office without having to worry about it. They let them in.

Mu Wan Nanjing University in China and his colleagues have created a glass-like material with a matte finish similar to frosted glass, called transparent material surface (TMS). Unlike existing anti-glare coatings and films, objects can be viewed and photographed through TMS without blur.

Wang notes that matte and transparent are typically mutually exclusive properties. To accomplish both at the same time, he and his team coated the material with nanosized patches that scatter and reflect light in just the right way. They make these parts from reflective metals like gold and materials like silicon that conduct electricity poorly, which reduces the amount of light reflected. They then placed billions of them onto glass wafers.

They tested it by shining a light on it and found that a camera with a TMS wafer over the lens could reflect just 1.3% of the light while transmitting enough light to take clear photos. . The researchers also asked the AI ​​to identify a tennis ball on the other side, combined with a camera connected to the AI ​​that labels the object. The AI ​​was successful when viewing the ball through TMS, but labeled the ball as “unidentified” when viewing through the blur created by traditional anti-glare film.

“The most exciting part of the experiment for us was the interesting moment when we saw the freshly prepared 4-inch sample with our own eyes for the first time without any special equipment. The material became transparent when light passed through it. It was difficult to imagine that there would be no distortion in the image, but it would look dull when reflecting light,” says Wang.

Simon Horsley Researchers at the University of Exeter in the UK say the material is suitable for making “very large windows” and could help reduce light pollution. Reflections are a major source of light pollution, and this material helps minimize light pollution by reflecting soft, diffused light instead of annoying bright glare.

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Source: www.newscientist.com