Scientists
have directly observed the activity of single neurons in the human
brain for the first time, showing that the brain can recognize a
specific person or object in the same way, even when it was first seen
in a different context.
The study, led by researchers at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute in Spain and published in the journal Cell Reports, suggests that the human brain has acquired the ability to think abstractly, which is one of the main foundations of intelligence.
The relationship between abstract thinking and neurons
Abstract thinking refers to ideas that the brain can understand even if they cannot be directly seen or felt. For example, the ability to understand things through analogy, metaphor, or comparative analysis. Research has shown that this is mainly the work of neurons, which can recognize the same idea regardless of context or situation. Earlier studies on animals have shown that when a specific object or location changes, the response of neurons also changes. For example, when a rat sees an object in one place, the neurons respond in one way, but when it sees it in another place, the response is different.
However, a new study has found the opposite of this idea. The study involved nine epilepsy patients from the UK and Argentina, who had electrodes implanted in their brains, allowing them to directly monitor the responses of neurons.
Research process and results
In the study, participants were told two different stories, in which the same person was presented in different situations. Surprisingly, the neurons responded the same in both cases. Even when the patients were telling the story, the neurons were activated even before the character spoke.
"The human brain stores memories in a much more abstract way, which is different from other animals. We can think of any idea without depending on a specific situation. This is one of the foundations of human intelligence. He added that this ability is why we can establish complex relationships and make decisions according to the situation."
Plastic Ice VII may also exist on icy planets in our solar system, such as Neptune, Uranus, or Jupiter's moon Europa. An international team of researchers has recently been able to create Plastic Ice VII. Scientists at the Institut Lau Langevin (ILL) in France created this new type of ice by applying high pressure and altitude. The research was recently published in the journal Nature.
There are three known forms of water:
solid (ice), liquid (water) and vapor (gas). However, scientists believe that there may be a different form of water on extraterrestrial satellites, known as 'Plastic Ice VII'. Theoretical research has been going on for a long time about the existence of this formation. But now, scientists have found real evidence of it for the first time.
How was Plastic Ice VII made?
The researchers created this new type of ice by compressing water to pressures of up to 6 gigapascals and heating it to 327°C (620°F). In the process, they used the quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) technique, which allows them to observe the motion of hydrogen atoms. This shows that the hydrogen atoms in ice VII rotate in a unique way at high temperatures and pressures.
Scientists' observations:
"The QENS method offers important advantages in the search for exotic material transformations that are not available with other spectroscopic methods," said Maria Resigno, a physicist involved in the study. Plastic Ice VII is characterized by a combination of solid ice and liquid water. Its internal structure is like a kind of interconnected lattice, where the arrangement of hydrogen atoms is somewhat chaotic. However, scientists are still not sure how its structure changes when Plastic Ice VII melts. Some think that its molecules remain in the same position as before, only the hydrogen atoms change positions.
According to the researchers, plastic ice VII also existed in the past on planets and moons such as Neptune, Uranus, or Jupiter's Europa. This discovery could help understand the geological activity and structural diversity of icy planets.
Chinese scientists have unveiled a prototype of a new superconducting quantum computer called Zuchongzhi-3. It is a million times faster than Google's Sycamore quantum computer. Not only that, it is also claimed to be able to work a quadrillion (10^15) times faster than the world's most powerful supercomputer, according to a study published in the journal Physical Review Letters.
Quantum computing is a technology based on the principles of quantum mechanics. Currently, the performance of quantum computers is measured using the Quantum Random Circuit Sampling (RCS) method. In this regard, Google and Chinese scientists have been competing for a long time to see who can be the first to achieve a new level of success in quantum computing.
The researchers say they have managed to conduct random circuit sampling on a larger scale, surpassing Google's previous record, further clarifying the differences between quantum and classical computing.
They attribute the breakthrough to improvements in processor fabrication and wiring configurations. The researchers say their work not only opens up new horizons for quantum computing, but also creates a platform for the future that will play an important role in solving complex real-world problems.
Notably, in 2019, Google solved a random circuit sampling task in just 200 seconds using its Sycamore quantum processor, which would have taken the world's fastest supercomputer about 10,000 years. But China's Zuchongzhi-3, built by researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), has shown a performance six times higher than Google's latest 2024 study.
USTC Professor Zhu Xiaobo said that this machine has reached a new height in the readout and control precision of quantum computing. He added that in the future, it will be possible to create a fault-tolerant general quantum computer by reducing the error rate, which will change the face of information technology.
This technology will bring revolutionary changes not only in the field of information processing, but also in the fields of national security, artificial intelligence, biology and medicine, the researchers said.
