MIT researchers have a new hypothesis for how brain cells called astrocytes might contribute to memory storage in the brain. Their model, known as dense associative memory, would help explain the brain’s massive storage capacity.

When it comes to public attitudes toward using self-driving cars, understanding how the vehicles work is important—but so are less obvious characteristics like feelings of excitement or pleasure and a belief in technology’s social benefits.

How come you can't tickle yourself? And why can some people handle tickling perfectly fine while others scream their heads off? Neuroscientist Konstantina Kilteni from the Donders Institute argues in a scientific article published on 23 May that we should take tickle research more seriously. She researches these questions in her tickle lab at Radboud University.

The U.S. is facing a maternal health crisis with higher rates of maternal mortality than any other high-income country. Social and economic factors, including income, are recognized determinants of maternal morbidity and mortality. In addition, more than half of pregnancy-related deaths (deaths occurring during pregnancy or within one year after delivery) occur in the postpartum year.

 

In what is believed to be the first review to summarize evidence on the effect of unconditional cash transfers (UCTs) on postpartum health outcomes in the U.S., researchers have found strong evidence that UCTs increase breastfeeding rates and result in little to no difference in postpartum mood.

Claus Kadelka and colleagues model how human behavior, in response to information about disease risk, can create waves. There is frequently a lag between infection prevalence and the information about that prevalence reaching the public. Once the information reaches the public, that information may motivate masking and social distancing. Incorporating this lag into models can produce multi-wave dynamics, as infection spreads rapidly before the public takes countermeasures, then is dampened until the public relaxes its behavioral response.

An experimental study suggests that people are less likely to behave in a trusting and cooperative manner when interacting with AI than when interacting with other humans.

A new study shows that people who proactively reorganise their family routines – such as adjusting childcare schedules or redistributing domestic responsibilities – are more likely to demonstrate adaptability and innovation at work.