2026-05-20 19:30:37
Seeing and imagining are handled by the same brain cells https://www.simonsfoundation.org/2026/05/12/seeing-and-imagining-are-handled-by-the-same-brain-cells/
"Researchers make advances in understanding how human brains ar…
Seeing and imagining are handled by the same brain cells https://www.simonsfoundation.org/2026/05/12/seeing-and-imagining-are-handled-by-the-same-brain-cells/
"Researchers make advances in understanding how human brains ar…
fly_larva: Drosophila larva brain (2023)
A complete synaptic map of the brain connectome of the larva of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Nodes are neurons, and edges are synaptic connections, traced individually from brain image sections using three-dimensional electron microscopy–based reconstruction. Node metadata include the neuron hempisphere, hemispherical homologue, cell type, annotations, and inferred cluster. Edge metadata include the type of interaction (`'aa'`,…
Hey folx! You probably see a lot of stuff from other social networks mirrored to Mastodon, how about we do it the other way around?
Recently, I've starred to mirror my posts to Instagram, Reddit, and other platforms, and I've had quite the success. My biggest post on Instagram, which is just one screenshot of a Mastodon post, has 44.5k likes and 256k views. My
A computer model predicted which human brain implant channels would fail #invasive
Humans evolved to pay close attention to danger,
but today that instinct is being overwhelmed by an endless supply of bad news from around the world.
Researchers say the answer isn’t to stop following current events
—it’s to build healthier habits around how, when, and where we get our news.
https://www.
How Hank Green Is Fighting Brain Rot by Slate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrDp8_Ao05U
@… Be careful and don't load yourself up with stuff too soon. The brain fog can become *permanent* and you don't want that 😬
One of the reasons I like music and movies so much is that they force my stupid fucking brain to think about something else for a few minutes
A new spinning illusion. Once your brain figures it out, you can switch the spin direction on command. Reminds me of the old stereoscopic images from the 80s.
#illusions
Physical Intelligence says its new model, π0.7, can direct robots on tasks they weren't trained on, an "early sign" of generalization, surprising researchers (Connie Loizos/TechCrunch)
https://techcrunch.com/202…
💢 MRI scans reveal how the brain processes toxic workplace abuse
#mri
Now, unwelcome in my brain, has arisen this hideous tongue twister:
I'm not the gristle throbber
I'm the gristle throbber's son
And I'm only throbbing gristle
Till the gristle throbber cums.
I'm gonna take my brain out and give it a good wash and make it clean and smooth and shiny as it should be
Aldon Smith's brain donated to CTE Center as family's attorneys investigate his death at age 36 https://www.foxsports.com/articles/wcbk/aldon-smiths-brain-donated-to-cte-center-as-familys-attorneys-invest…
Rest area on I-55 had this ridiculously blatant #MountainDew knockoff. They even lifted the color scheme. My brain registered it as the real thing, until I looked again. I don’t think I’ve ever come closer to actually confusing one brand for another; wonder how many tired travelers have bought this thinking it was the real thing.
New Study Challenges What We Know About Consciousness and the Brain
https://scitechdaily.com/new-study-challenges-what-we-know-about-consciousness-and-the-brain/
do you think transgender robots have discourse between those that choose to modify their robot bodies and those who choose to transfer their brain-drives into a completely new robot body
"no you don't get it, I *like* the visible welding marks, it shows closeted bots that it's safe to be yourself!"
fly_larva: Drosophila larva brain (2023)
A complete synaptic map of the brain connectome of the larva of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Nodes are neurons, and edges are synaptic connections, traced individually from brain image sections using three-dimensional electron microscopy–based reconstruction. Node metadata include the neuron hempisphere, hemispherical homologue, cell type, annotations, and inferred cluster. Edge metadata include the type of interaction (`'aa'`,…
Nature: China approves brain chip to treat paralysis — a world first #Neuracle
Dad brains: How fatherhood rewires the male mind https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260417-fatherhood-how-the-male-brain-and-body-prepare-for-childcare
One of the oft overlooked bonuses of a non-algorithm based feed like fedi's is that I can talk about something like how I just started reading Dungeon Crawler Carl, and not be inundated with spoilers.
Almost done the first book and really enjoying it. It suffered from the "Ready Player One audience will love this reference" vibes i felt at first, but once the story got to the experience cookie bit, the QA part of my brain was activated.
No! No no brain, no brain. no brain. Toot toot toot toot [unintelligible] like-like-like-like YeAH toot. boost. toot. boost. toot. toot toot toot toot like-like-like-like mastodon no brain. mastodon no brain. boost-toot-boost-toot. never! never! never! brain. boost toot boost toot. Never think!
https://
Brain rewires to stabilize walking during visual impairment https://neurosciencenews.com/brain-rewires-sensorimotor-walking-blindness-30721/
Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study on the effects of visual status on walking-relate…
budapest_connectome: Budapest Reference Connectome 3.0
A parameterizable consensus brain graph, derived from connectomes of 477 people, each computed from MRI datasets of the Human Connectome Project. Nodes are brain regions, and edges are weighted by the number of "tracks" that run between two nodes, as well as fiber length, fractional anisotropy and the number of occurrences in each of the 477 individuals.
This network has 1015 nodes and 112890 edges.
Tags: Biol…
Well, that's probably been the worst day for #Depression of the whole bloody year, but I did not get nothing done.
I finished an essay, and I think it's an important one.
https://www.
President, Extremely Normal Brain-Wise: Pope Weak On Crime, Also I'm Dr. Jesus Christ (Albert Burneko/Defector)
https://defector.com/president-extremely-normal-brain-wise-pope-weak-on-crime-also-im-dr-jesus-christ
http://www.memeorandum.com/260414/p150#a260414p150
💧 Hydraulic brain: Body motion linked to fluid movement in the brain
#brain
Chlorpyrifos: Pesticide tied to brain damage in children, chronic disease and other health problems #environment
Recovering from (minor) brain and spine injury, I'm hand writing the same text phrase in eight distinct scripts (five new to me), with consecutive writings in "dissimilar" scripts to force my brain and hands to think each time. My goal is to repeat the whole octet 1250 times (total 10K). 🍎🏋️♂️🧠
#wip #wipWednesday #health
Companies developing brain implants for restoring vision to the blind will add smartglasses to compensate for ultra-crude vision, but smartglasses offering AI scene description, real-time talking OCR and sensory substitution may render the brain implant redundant. #BCI #blindness
Family to have Smith's brain checked for CTE https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49081473/family-aldon-smith-having-brain-checked-cte
Some decisions are so hard!
Brain rot or possible survival?
Help me with this!
Europe must choose between AI and climate goals, data center lobby says.
https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-choose-ai-climate-goals-data-center-chief-warn…
A look at Russia's push to develop homegrown AI talent, as the country is hampered by scarce access to AI hardware and a brain drain of top technical talent (Nikita Ostrovsky/Time)
https://time.com/article/2026/06/18/russia-ai-putin-chip-us-china/
budapest_connectome: Budapest Reference Connectome 3.0
A parameterizable consensus brain graph, derived from connectomes of 477 people, each computed from MRI datasets of the Human Connectome Project. Nodes are brain regions, and edges are weighted by the number of "tracks" that run between two nodes, as well as fiber length, fractional anisotropy and the number of occurrences in each of the 477 individuals.
This network has 1015 nodes and 121755 edges.
Tags: Biol…
My brain swallowed it, then let it go for the next person. Or cat.
@… @…
Morning all! Beautiful morning here in London - blue skies and sunshine. Unfortunately, I have to be in the office 🤪
A mix of client projects, writing, coaching sessions and later, a workshop on bringing values to life.
And then? Spanish class.
My poor brain will need a rest this evening... 🧠
🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on KEXP's #MorningShow
Flea:
🎵 Maggot Brain
#Flea
https://officialflea.bandcamp.com/track/maggot-brain
https://open.spotify.com/track/3poJZBl2yoeWbMMxX63YcE
OH: if you have Kerberos brain it all makes sense #PyConUS
Required reading for programmers
https://aeon.co/essays/your-brain-does-not-process-information-and-it-is-not-a-computer
The “neural fingerprint” of psychedelics was spotted among hundreds of brain scans of people on LSD, psilocybin, DMT, mescaline and ayahuasca,
pointing to a shared impact on the brain’s behaviour.
The finding emerged from a major study that combined 11 brain imaging datasets from around the world
in an effort to build a reliable picture of how the substances temporarily rewire the brain.
Dr Danilo Bzdok and his colleagues analysed more than 500 brain scans from 267 p…
Brain-computer interfaces in healthcare: building the picks and shovels company while the giants fight over gold #BCI
fish is breaking my brain
🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on #BBC6Music's #FocusBeats
art test:
🎵 rainbow brain
#arttest
https://arttest2.bandcamp.com/track/rainbow-brain-2
https://open.spotify.com/track/2v3KvzTB3lYaPnZ1gd4K8t
New research suggests brain-controlled hearing technology can help people single out a voice in a crowd, hopefully covering the largest deficiency of hearing aids.
https://neurosciencenews.com/brain-controlled-hearing-aid-60465/
Paper (open access):
Convicted Harvard scientist rebuilds career in China through controversial brain-computer interface lab https://thedebrief.org/convicted-harvard-scientist-rebuilds-career-in-china-through-controversial-brain-computer-i…
One of the world's top centers for brain science is taking a huge gamble on a tiny, transparent fish.
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus near Washington, D.C., has announcedan effort to use artificial intelligence and an unusual fish called Danionella to understand how the brain controls complex behaviors like social interaction.
Janelia plans to triple the space dedicated to fish to 6,000 square feet, which will make room for thousands of new t…
"none of these legacy behaviours are rational. They arise out of that bundle of behaviours inherited from our two billion years of sexually selected ancestors... If our ancestors had not had these behaviours, we would not be here. Our ancestors were not, in the sense we mean here, rational... A purely rational being — a being created ab initio rational — would not have these behaviours.
No one is proposing to build an AI with a lizard brain. It won't happen."
🤯 The brain region associated with moral inconsistency
#brain
Neuroscientists long theorized that bilingual speakers must process different languages with separate patterns of brain activity.
In a new study, however, researchers found that these patterns were more alike than had been expected.
When deciding how to make a word singular or plural, for instance,
bilingual people exhibit strikingly similar brain activity regardless of whether they are speaking in their first or second language.
“It wasn’t obvious that it was going to…
Scientists reveal how seven days of fasting transforms the human body #nutrition
cintestinalis: Tadpole larva brain (C. intestinalis)
Entire connectivity matrix for the complete brain of a larva of Ciona intestinalis. Each directed edge represents a synaptic connection from pre-synaptic cell i to post-synaptic cell j (may not be a neuron). Edge weights represent the cumulative depth of presynaptic contacts in µm.
This network has 205 nodes and 2903 edges.
Tags: Biological, Connectome, Weighted
Designing implants that don't scar the brain https://neurosciencenews.com/flexible-brain-implants-polyimide-biocompatibility-30538/ "Surprisingly, making probes 'ultra-thin' or allowing them to 'float' wirelessly didn't…
Aldon Smith's family to donate his brain for CTE research, investigating death https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7365633/2026/06/16/aldon-smith-cte-research-death/
An interview with Galen Buckwalter, a BCI recipient in a Caltech brain implant study, on his recent ability to use the implant to produce musical tones (Emily Mullin/Wired)
https://www.wired.com/story/meet-the-man-making-music-with-his-brain-implant/
cintestinalis: Tadpole larva brain (C. intestinalis)
Entire connectivity matrix for the complete brain of a larva of Ciona intestinalis. Each directed edge represents a synaptic connection from pre-synaptic cell i to post-synaptic cell j (may not be a neuron). Edge weights represent the cumulative depth of presynaptic contacts in µm.
This network has 205 nodes and 2903 edges.
Tags: Biological, Connectome, Weighted
I seem to have written a wee essay about #ArtificialGeneralIntelligence #AGI
It's probably not in its final form yet, I'll probably revise a bit. Comments welcome.
Elon Musk's Neuralink Blindsight brain implant will grab public attention for a while, until attention gets diverted to the next hype.
budapest_connectome: Budapest Reference Connectome 3.0
A parameterizable consensus brain graph, derived from connectomes of 477 people, each computed from MRI datasets of the Human Connectome Project. Nodes are brain regions, and edges are weighted by the number of "tracks" that run between two nodes, as well as fiber length, fractional anisotropy and the number of occurrences in each of the 477 individuals.
This network has 1015 nodes and 93708 edges.
Tags: Biolo…
The brain's code seems to be in constant flux. Neuroscientists are baffled https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01554-0 "Neurons fire much more erratically than researchers thought." Required for "time stamping" of events for long-term memories?
Ibogaine, a naturally occurring compound from a shrub native to Africa, is used to treat depression, anxiety, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and brain trauma.
Because it's illegal in the United States, Americans have been traveling to unregulated clinics, often in Mexico or the Caribbean, to take the drug.
Trump intends to sign the executive order as soon as this week, to allow its use in research
The administration doesn't plan to reclassify the drug …
Intermittent fasting triggers surprising changes in the brain #health
fly_hemibrain: Fly hemibrain (2020)
A synaptic map of the hemibrain connectome of fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Nodes are neurons, and edges are synaptic connections, traced individually from brain image sections using EM reconstruction techniques. Neurons are labeled by their type. Edges are annotated by the connection strength between the neurons.
This network has 21739 nodes and 4259624 edges.
Tags: Biological, Connectome, Weighted, Metadata
SciAm: U.S. scientists are being lured abroad - and they aren't looking back https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-scientists-are-being-lured-abroad-and-they-arent-looking-back/
Lucid dreaming is fascinating for its vividness and visual realism, but sound-guided mental imagery may have more immediate practical applications (for the blind). Can the human brain learn new tricks and even switch states as in awake vs asleep, now for veridical hallucinations?
Review: The role of sensory experience in the maturation of prefrontal cortical circuits https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2026.1808558/full
"Rejoice, for even though we do, verily, walk through the valley of the shadow of death, not all the phantasms we see in the valley are as dark as they appear."
This essay, like all the essays on my blog, is on #CreativeCommons Attribution/Share Alike licence.
Please feel free to republish it anywhere.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have shown that
bacteria can learn from past experiences,
store memories across generations
and adapt their behavior to changing environments
all without a brain or nervous system
https://www.cmu.edu…
Max Hodak's Science Corp. is preparing to place its first sensor in a human brain https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/14/max-hodaks-science-corp-is-preparing-to-place-its-first-sensor-in-a-human-brain/ biohybrid
"We are in a period where we face huge challenges on many fronts: the planet is burning, the species which provide the ecosystem services we depend on to survive are going extinct, we are fighting wars over resources. We need to focus on the real risks we face. #ArtificialGeneralIntelligence is not one of these. It may happen, but probably not soon. If it does happen, i…
"our energy systems are already massively in carbon debt. We cannot afford to borrow any more carbon from fossil reserves. To burn carbon now to build AGI on the vague hope that it may by some remote chance produce systems with more insight than we now have, at a time when our politicians are already failing to act on the very clear data being produced by their own scientists, it the purest folly"
#AGI
#Paradromics: From brain implants to neuroprosthetics | Making sense of brain-computer interface terminology https://www.paradromics.com/insights/from-brain-implants-to-neuropr…
budapest_connectome: Budapest Reference Connectome 3.0
A parameterizable consensus brain graph, derived from connectomes of 477 people, each computed from MRI datasets of the Human Connectome Project. Nodes are brain regions, and edges are weighted by the number of "tracks" that run between two nodes, as well as fiber length, fractional anisotropy and the number of occurrences in each of the 477 individuals.
This network has 1015 nodes and 80270 edges.
Tags: Biolo…
"we are at the end of days. Our planet — which is, as far as we know, the only planet anywhere in the universe to support intelligent life — is literally burning as I write this, and it is burning because we are burning it. Building huge data centres to pursue the egocentric fantasies of kleptocrat pirates only accelerates that process"
#AGI
#Paradromics and University of Michigan complete first #Connexus BCI implantation for the FDA-approved Connect-One clinical study
Why brain implants are more than a sci-fi fantasy #BCI
(YouTube) The biology of brain-machine interface failure #BCI #NeuroTech
cintestinalis: Tadpole larva brain (C. intestinalis)
Entire connectivity matrix for the complete brain of a larva of Ciona intestinalis. Each directed edge represents a synaptic connection from pre-synaptic cell i to post-synaptic cell j (may not be a neuron). Edge weights represent the cumulative depth of presynaptic contacts in µm.
This network has 205 nodes and 2903 edges.
Tags: Biological, Connectome, Weighted
"We don't see with our eyes, we see with our brain" - Paul Bach-y-Rita https://www.seeingwithsound.com/BCI.html
Myelin emerges as an active regulator of brain plasticity, not only a structural insulator https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/myelin-emerges-as-an-active-regulator-of-brain-plasticity-not-only-a-struct…
Would getting a Neuralink Blindsight brain implant for restoring vision be worth it? #BCI
Motor imagery affects both cortical and spinal circuitry: a transcranial and trans-spinal magnetic stimulation study https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neural-circuits/articles/10.3389/fncir.2026.1809125/abstract
RE: https://mas.to/@seeingwithsound/116426357810275394
"I really think you should consider getting a brain implant for your vision."
"Absolutely not, I'm not putting a chip inside my head!"
Yes, this is an AI-generated vi…
Spatial transcriptomics on an expanded dataset at the brain-electrode interface: exploration of variability and identification of novel biomarkers https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2026.1852774/full "…
PhD position at University of Glasgow on ultra-high field brain imaging of mental imagery and aphantasia https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/fully-funded-phd-ultra-high-field-brain-imaging-of-imagery-and-aphantasia/?p196182…
Implanted brain-computer interface functionality during nighttime in late-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-44228-7 "When applied to night data, daytime decoders caused unintentional BCI activations in 100% of nights."
What does sound do to your brain's gene expression, RNA?
Prenatal acoustic communication triggers adaptive vascular programming in the developing avian brain https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/229/11/jeb252287…
(YouTube) Nadine Dijkstra - Distinguishing imagination and reality in a generative brain #neuroscience
Neuroscientists take major step in development of brain-computer interfaces for patients with paralysis https://nieuws.kuleuven.be/en/content/2026/neuroscientists-take-major-step-in-development-of-br…
Brain-computer interfaces and patients' rights: some key principles, according to Science Corporation's Alex Feerst https://science.xyz/news/bci-principles/ What happens once the implant fails? Long-term support, thinking of Argus II, Dobelle?
#Cortigent about their Orion visual cortical prosthesis system (brain implant for restoring vision to the blind) https://www.cortigent.com/orion "It is intended to deliver meaningful perception of motion and light.&…
The Alzheimer's-BCI connection nobody talks about https://bioniclab.substack.com/p/the-alzheimers-bci-connection-nobody "The focal brain injury from implantation appeared to accelerate disease progression in animals already on a genetic trajectory toward n…
China has approved the world's first invasive brain-computer chip - here's what's next https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/01/1138133/china-world-first-brain-chip/ (archived at
After flying with virtual wings for one week, the brain learns to accept the impossible #noninvasive…