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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Your Brain Is Glowing, and Scientists Can't Figure Out Why
Life, for the most part, is bathed in light. The sun immerses the planet in energy that supports the vast majority of ecosystems that call Earth home. But life also generates its own light—and not just the bioluminescence of glowworms and lamp-headed anglerfish or the radiation produced by heat. In a phenomenon scientists refer to as ultraweak photon emissions (UPEs), living tissues emit a continuous stream of low-intensity light, or biophotons. Scientists think that this light comes from the biomolecular reactions that generate energy, which create photons as by-products. The more energy a tissue burns, the more light it gives off—which means, of our body's tissues, our brain should glow brightest of all. In a new study published in the journal iScience, researchers detected biophotons emitted by the human brain from outside the skull for the first time. What's more, emissions of biophotons from the brain changed when participants switched between different cognitive tasks—though the relationship between brain activity and biophoton emissions was far from straightforward. The study authors think this may be hinting at a deeper role these particles of light might be playing in the brain. [Sign up for Today in Science, a free daily newsletter] On some level, all matter emits photons. That's because everything has a temperature above absolute zero and radiates photons as heat, often with longer wavelengths (infrared light) than can be seen with our eyes. UPEs are orders of magnitude more intense than this thermal radiation, with wavelengths in the visible or near-visible light range of the electromagnetic spectrum. As living cells generate energy through metabolism, they create oxygen molecules with excited electrons as by-products. When these worked-up electrons return to a lower energy state, they emit photons through a process called radiative decay. Researchers studying biological tissues, including neurons in petri dishes, can detect this as a weak but continuous stream of light—from a few photons to several hundred photons per square centimeter each second. 'Scaling this up to humans, we wanted to know if those photons might be involved in some information processing or propagation [in the brain],' says senior author Nirosha Murugan, a biophysicist at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario. Scientists have been proposing that biophotons play a role in cellular communication for at least a century. In 1923 Alexander Gurwitsch conducted experiments where he showed that photon-blocking barriers placed between onion roots could prevent the plant from growing. In the past few decades, a handful of studies have added weight to the possible role biophotons play in cellular communication, which influences an organism's growth and development. With this work in mind, Murugan and her team wanted to see if they could detect hints of this phenomenon at the level of the human brain. First, they needed to see if they could measure UPEs emitted by a working brain from outside the skull. In a blacked out room, 20 participants wore head caps studded with electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes to measure the brain's electrical activity. Photon-amplifying tubes to detect UPEs were positioned around their head. The photon detectors were clustered over two brain regions: the occipital lobes in the back of the brain, which are responsible for visual processing, and temporal lobes on each side of the brain, which are responsible for auditory processing. To distinguish brain UPEs from background levels of photons in the room, the team also set up separate UPE detectors facing away from the participants. 'The very first finding is that photons are coming out of the head—full stop. It's independent, it's not spurious, it's not random,' Murugan says. Next, she wanted to see if the intensity of these emissions would change depending on what sort of cognitive task people were performing. Because the brain is such a metabolically expensive organ, she reasoned that UPE intensity should increase when people were engaged in tasks that required more energy, such as visual processing. This is roughly what happens to neurons in a dish—more neural activity means more UPE emissions. But while biophotons coming from participants' heads could be easily distinguished from background levels of photons in the room, increased EEG activity in a given brain region didn't result in higher levels of biophotons being captured by the closest detector. Clearly, something changes when you move from a few cells on a petri dish to a living brain. 'Maybe [UPEs] are not getting picked up by our detector because they could be getting used or absorbed or scattered within the brain,' Murugan suggests. The researchers did find, however, that changes in the UPE signals came only when participants changed cognitive tasks, such as opening or closing their eyes, suggesting some link between brain processing and the biophotons it emits. This leaves researchers with more questions than answers about what these UPEs are doing in the brain. 'I think this is a very intriguing and potentially groundbreaking approach [for measuring brain activity, though] there are still many uncertainties that need to be explored,' says Michael Gramlich, a biophysicist at Auburn University, who was not involved in the new study. 'The essential question to address,' he says, is whether 'UPEs are an active mechanism to alter cognitive processes or if UPEs simply reinforce more traditional mechanisms of cognition.' Daniel Remondini, a biophysicist at the University of Bologna in Italy, points to another open question: 'How far can these photons travel inside biological matter?" The answer could shed some light on the lack of clear relationship between brain activity and photon detections in different regions, he says. To answer these new questions, Murugan and her team want to use more precise sensor arrays to find where in the brain these photons are coming from. Scientists at the University of Rochester are also developing nanoscale probes to determine whether nerve fibers can transmit biophotons. Even if our brain's steady glow doesn't play a role in how it works, the technique of measuring biophotons alongside electrical signals—what Murugan and her colleagues call photoencephalography—could still one day be a useful way to noninvasively measure brain states. 'I suspect the technique will become widely adopted in the coming decades even if the theory that UPEs support cognition proves not to be true,' Gramlich says.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Buzzed and focused: How caffeine transforms ants into memory machines
They've marched across continents, conquered kitchen counters, and ruined more picnics than we can count. But give ants a splash of caffeine, and things get even more interesting: they stop wandering aimlessly and start walking like they've got somewhere important to be, probably a TED Talk on precision foraging. A new study, published in the journal iScience, reveals that moderate doses of caffeine not only sharpen ants' memories but also straighten their paths. The result? Ants become laser-focused navigators, like tiny commuters who've just downed a triple-shot espresso. Tiny buzz, big brain boost in ant memory Apparently, caffeine is the secret ingredient that turns meandering ant trails into precision-guided ant highways. Researchers found that ants given small to moderate doses of caffeine remembered the location of a sugary treat much faster than their decaf peers. Rather than aimlessly zigzagging, they headed straight for the prize, no GPS required. In short, they became the insect version of that coworker who doesn't talk until they've had their coffee and then starts firing off ideas at 9:01 AM. Caffeine improves focus in ants Despite the caffeine boost, ants didn't actually move faster. They just moved smarter. Their speed stayed the same, but their path looked like something you'd see in a military parade: straight, sharp, and efficient. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Complete protection with iPru All-in-one Term Plan ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo In comparison, non-caffeinated ants behaved more like late-night grocery shoppers, meandering, unsure, possibly questioning their life choices. So while humans often feel faster after a cup of joe, ants just think better. Who knew the real difference between chaos and order in the ant world was about 250 parts per million of caffeine? Sharper trails mean deadlier bait for invasive ants Here's the real kicker: this focus boost might be pest control's secret weapon. Normally, ants lose interest in poison baits before enough of them carry it back to the colony. But when caffeine helps them remember and revisit the bait like it's their favourite café, they lay stronger pheromone trails for their fellow ants to follow. It's like one ant discovers a coffee shop, tells everyone on Slack, and suddenly the whole colony is lining up for the same toxic latte. Too much caffeine cancels the brain benefits But, like humans who chug one too many energy drinks and then forget their own name, ants also have a tipping point. At extremely high caffeine doses, like those that could kill a honeybee, the learning benefits vanished. The ants no longer had their memory mojo, possibly due to overstimulation or their tiny hearts palpitating with regret. So while a little caffeine makes them brilliant, too much sends them into full-blown bug burnout. Potential for wider use in controlling other invasive species The researchers suspect other invasive ants, like fire ants and big-headed ants, might also respond to caffeine. If so, pest managers may have found the ant equivalent of universal bait seasoning. It's like giving every pest species the same irresistible brain-boosting snack and hoping they remember it long enough to carry poison back home. One has to wonder: Are we training ants or tricking them with cognitive enhancements? Either way, it's a dark roast plot twist for the six-legged invaders. The bittersweet lesson from a caffeine-fuelled colony Caffeine gives ants memory, motivation, and military-grade navigation. It turns chaotic foragers into straight-line superstars. And that makes them, ironically, much easier to wipe out. So next time you sip your morning brew, remember: while you're powering through your inbox, somewhere out there, an ant is laying a straighter trail thanks to its own tiny dose of coffee. And its colony? Doomed by espresso-fuelled efficiency. Ants, it turns out, are just like us. Except when their productivity spikes, they might not live to enjoy it.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Scientists gave ants caffeine—what happened next would blow your mind
Ants might be tiny, but they cause big problems. These little insects are smart, quick, and super organized. They travel across the world hidden in cargo ships, build huge colonies, and push out local bugs and animals. They're not just in your kitchen—they're everywhere. One of the worst offenders is the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile). It's only about one-tenth of an inch long, but it builds massive colonies that stretch for thousands of miles, especially along the U.S. and Mediterranean coasts. These ants can: Push out native insects Rob hummingbird feeders Even cause electrical problems by crawling into wires People often try to get rid of them using poison baits. But the problem is: the ants lose interest in the bait too quickly. They don't take enough of it back to the colony to kill the others. So scientists asked a weird but clever question: What if we gave ants a little bit of caffeine? Could it help them remember where the bait is? The study, published in the journal iScience, says yes, caffeine can help—but only in small amounts. How the experiment worked The scientists built a tiny 'ant course' using Legos and a plastic platform. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Upto 15% Discount for Salaried Individuals ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo Each ant walked across the platform to find a drop of sugar water. Some sugar drops had no caffeine, while others had low, medium, or very high levels of caffeine. They watched 142 ants, and each one did the course four times. Without caffeine, the ants walked around slowly and didn't improve. With a small or medium dose of caffeine, the ants remembered where the sugar was. They walked straighter and found it faster each time. 'We found that intermediate doses of caffeine actually boost learning – when you give them a bit of caffeine, it pushes them into having straighter paths and being able to reach the reward faster,' Galante said. Here's what they found: At 25 parts per million (ppm) of caffeine, ants got 28% faster on return trips. At 250 ppm, they got 38% faster. For example, if an ant took 300 seconds to find the sugar the first time, it could take only 54 seconds by the fourth time if given the right amount of caffeine! But they didn't walk faster—just more directly. That means they were focused and remembered the way. 'They're not moving faster, they're just being more focused on where they're going,' Galante explained. What about too much caffeine? At the highest dose (2,000 ppm), the ants didn't improve at all. In fact, it might even be dangerous to helpful bugs like bees. So the key is using just the right amount—not too much, not too little. 'The lowest dose we used is what you find in natural plants, the intermediate dose is similar to what you would find in some energy drinks, and the highest amount is set to be the LD50 of bees, where half the bees fed this dose die,' Galante said. Ants use chemical trails to lead their nest-mates to food. When one ant finds bait and remembers the way quickly, it lays a stronger trail, and more ants follow. The team is already testing caffeinated bait in Spain. They also plan to see how it works with regular poisons like spinosad and hydramethylnon.
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Mathematical rule found to have shaped bird beaks for 200 million years
Bird beaks come in almost every shape and size – from the straw-like beak of a hummingbird to the slicing, knife-like beak of an eagle. We have found, however, that this incredible diversity is underpinned by a hidden mathematical rule that governs the growth and shape of beaks in nearly all living birds. What's more, this rule even describes beak shape in the long-gone ancestors of birds – the dinosaurs. We are excited to share our findings, now published in the journal iScience. By studying beaks in light of this mathematical rule, we can understand how the faces of birds and other dinosaurs evolved over 200 million years. We can also find out why, in rare instances, these rules can be broken. When nature follows the rules Finding universal rules in biology is rare and difficult – there seem to be few instances where physical laws are so pervasive across all organisms. But when we do find a rule, it's a powerful way to explain the patterns we see in nature. Our team previously discovered a new rule of biology that explains the shape and growth of many pointed structures, including teeth, horns, hooves, shells and, of course, beaks. This simple mathematical rule captures how the width of a pointed structure, like a beak, expands from the tip to the base. We call this rule the 'power cascade'. After this discovery, we were very interested in how the power cascade might explain the shape of bird and other dinosaur beaks. Dinosaurs got their beaks more than once Most dinosaurs, like Tyrannosaurus rex, have a robust snout with pointed teeth. But some dinosaurs (like the emu-like dinosaur Ornithomimus edmontonicus) did not have any teeth at all and instead had beaks. In theropods, the group of dinosaurs that T. rex belonged to, beaks evolved at least six times. Each time, the teeth were lost and the snout stretched to a beak shape over millions of years. But only one of these impeccable dinosaur groups survived the mass extinction event 66 million years ago. These survivors eventually became our modern-day birds. Early bird catches the rule To investigate the power cascade rule of growth, we researched 127 species of theropods. We found that 95% of theropod beaks and snouts follow this rule. Using state-of-the-art evolutionary analyses through computer modelling, we demonstrated that the ancestral theropod most likely had a toothed snout that followed the power cascade rule. Excitingly, this suggests that the power cascade describes the growth of not just theropod beaks and snouts, but perhaps the snouts of all vertebrates: mammals, reptiles and fish. Rule followers and breakers After surviving the mass extinction, birds underwent a period of incredible change. Birds now live all over the world and their beaks are adapted to each place in very special ways. We see beak shapes for eating fruit, netting insects, piercing and tearing meat, and even sipping nectar. The majority follow the power cascade growth rule. While rare, a few birds we studied were rule-breakers. One such rule-breaker is the Eurasian spoonbill, whose highly specialised beak shape helps it sift through the mud to capture aquatic life. Perhaps its unique feeding style led to it breaking this common rule. We are not upset at all about rule-breakers like the spoonbill. On the contrary, this further highlights how informative the power cascade truly is. Most bird beaks grow according to our rule, and those beaks can cater to most feeding styles. But occasionally, oddballs like the spoonbill break the power cascade growth rule to catch their special 'worms'. Now that we know that most bird and dinosaur beaks follow the power cascade, the next big step in our research is to study how bird beaks grow from chick to adult. If the power cascade is truly a foundational growth rule in bird beaks, we may expect to find it hiding in many other forms across the tree of life. Kathleen Garland is PhD candidate and Alistair Evans is professor, both in the School of Biological Sciences, Monash University. This article is republished from The Conversation.
NDTV
22-04-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Secret Mathematical Rule Has Shaped Bird Beaks For 200 Million Years
Sydney: Bird beaks come in almost every shape and size - from the straw-like beak of a hummingbird to the slicing, knife-like beak of an eagle. We have found, however, that this incredible diversity is underpinned by a hidden mathematical rule that governs the growth and shape of beaks in nearly all living birds. What's more, this rule even describes beak shape in the long-gone ancestors of birds - the dinosaurs. We are excited to share our findings, now published in the journal iScience. By studying beaks in light of this mathematical rule, we can understand how the faces of birds and other dinosaurs evolved over 200 million years. We can also find out why, in rare instances, these rules can be broken. When nature follows the rules Finding universal rules in biology is rare and difficult - there seem to be few instances where physical laws are so pervasive across all organisms. But when we do find a rule, it's a powerful way to explain the patterns we see in nature. Our team previously discovered a new rule of biology that explains the shape and growth of many pointed structures, including teeth, horns, hooves, shells and, of course, beaks. This simple mathematical rule captures how the width of a pointed structure, like a beak, expands from the tip to the base. We call this rule the "power cascade". After this discovery, we were very interested in how the power cascade might explain the shape of bird and other dinosaur beaks. Dinosaurs got their beaks more than once Most dinosaurs, like Tyrannosaurus rex, have a robust snout with pointed teeth. But some dinosaurs (like the emu-like dinosaur Ornithomimus edmontonicus) did not have any teeth at all and instead had beaks. In theropods, the group of dinosaurs that T. rex belonged to, beaks evolved at least six times. Each time, the teeth were lost and the snout stretched to a beak shape over millions of years. But only one of these impeccable dinosaur groups survived the mass extinction event 66 million years ago. These survivors eventually became our modern-day birds. The early bird catches the rule To investigate the power cascade rule of growth, we researched 127 species of theropods. We found that 95% of theropod beaks and snouts follow this rule. Using state-of-the-art evolutionary analyses through computer modelling, we demonstrated that the ancestral theropod most likely had a toothed snout that followed the power cascade rule. Excitingly, this suggests that the power cascade describes the growth of not just theropod beaks and snouts, but perhaps the snouts of all vertebrates: mammals, reptiles and fish. The rule followers and breakers After surviving the mass extinction, birds underwent a period of incredible change. Birds now live all over the world and their beaks are adapted to each place in very special ways. We see beak shapes for eating fruit, netting insects, piercing and tearing meat, and even sipping nectar. The majority follow the power cascade growth rule. While rare, a few birds we studied were rule-breakers. One such rule-breaker is the Eurasian spoonbill, whose highly specialised beak shape helps it sift through the mud to capture aquatic life. Perhaps its unique feeding style led to it breaking this common rule. We are not upset at all about rule-breakers like the spoonbill. On the contrary, this further highlights how informative the power cascade truly is. Most bird beaks grow according to our rule, and those beaks can cater to most feeding styles. But occasionally, oddballs like the spoonbill break the power cascade growth rule to catch their special "worms". Now that we know that most bird and dinosaur beaks follow the power cascade, the next big step in our research is to study how bird beaks grow from chick to adult. If the power cascade is truly a foundational growth rule in bird beaks, we may expect to find it hiding in many other forms across the tree of life. (Author: Kathleen Garland, PhD Candidate, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University and Alistair Evans, Professor, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University) (Disclaimer Statement: Kathleen Garland receives funding from the Australian Government, Monash University and Museums Victoria. Alistair Evans receives funding from the Australian Research Council and Monash University, and is an Honorary Research Affiliate with Museums Victoria.)
