A new MIT system identifies the smallest possible dataset that can be used to optimally solve a complex problem with many potential solutions. This technique could help engineers or scientists solve problems faster and with less expense.
Category: futurism
A new way to trigger responses in the body
Researchers at the University of Tokyo developed an experimental method to induce a strong physiological response linked to psychological pressure by making participants aim for a streak of success in a task. Their findings suggest this approach reproduces pressurelike conditions in a laboratory setting more effectively than traditional methods, affording easier access to the study of this state. That in turn could open up research into how pressure influences human performance in physical and intellectual tasks.
Whether in an exam hall or on the field, to “crack” under pressure is a common trope. But what’s the reality behind this idea? It’s easy to assume that with greater pressure comes greater chance of losing your composure. To know, then, how to overcome this could yield greater performance benefits. But the path to study such ideas is far from simple. Being rigorous in the field of psychology is extremely difficult, as there are limitless factors that can impact different people in different ways. Previous experimental methods have been limited in that they failed to induce strong physiological arousal.
Driven by such limitations and an urge to better understand the impacts of pressure on performance, Professor Kazutoshi Kudo and his team at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences set out to devise a better method. Their aim was to find how to produce strong physiological arousal in subjects in ways that allowed them to isolate the effects of different kinds of tasks, so that the nature of the tasks, settings and other variables could be methodically measured and accounted for. It was also important for them that their method could exist at larger scales than is often possible for tests and trials in this field.
World’s Largest ‘Modern’ Crater Found Hiding in Plain Sight in China
Nestled on a hillside in Guangdong Province near Zhaoqing City, the Jinlin crater managed to hide in plain sight until researchers identified it as an impact structure.
Only about 200 confirmed impact craters exist worldwide, making each discovery scientifically valuable.
But this one stands out for its exceptional size and youth.
Study reveals how uterine contractions are regulated by stretch and pressure during childbirth
When labor begins, the uterus must coordinate rhythmic, well-timed contractions to deliver the baby safely. While hormones such as progesterone and oxytocin are key contributors to that process, scientists have long suspected that physical forces—in this case, the stretching and pressure that accompany pregnancy and delivery—also play a role.
Now, a new study from Scripps Research published in Science, reveals how the uterus senses and responds to those forces at a molecular level. The findings could help scientists better understand the biological roots of conditions such as stalled labor and preterm birth, guiding future efforts to develop treatments that improve maternal care.
“As the fetus grows, the uterus expands dramatically, and those physical forces reach their peak during delivery,” says senior author Ardem Patapoutian, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and the Presidential Endowed Chair in Neurobiology at Scripps Research.
