Tag: brain
Researchers Claim Their AI Algorithm Can Recreate What People See Using Brain Scans
A recent study, scheduled to be presented at an upcoming computer vision conference, demonstrates that AI can read brain scans and re-create largely realistic versions of images a person has seen….
Many labs have used AI to read brain scans and re-create images a subject has recently seen, such as human faces and photos of landscapes. The new study marks the first time an AI algorithm called Stable Diffusion, developed by a German group and publicly released in 2022, has been used to do this…. For the new study, a group in Japan added additional training to the standard Stable Diffusion system, linking additional text descriptions about thousands of photos to brain patterns elicited when those photos were observed by participants in brain scan studies. Unlike previous efforts using AI algorithms to decipher brain scans, which had to be trained on large data sets, Stable Diffusion was able to get more out of less training for each participant by incorporating photo captions into the algorithm….
The AI algorithm makes use of information gathered from different regions of the brain involved in image perception, such as the occipital and temporal lobes, according to Yu Takagi, a systems neuroscientist at Osaka University who worked on the experiment. The system interpreted information from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans, which detect changes in blood flow to active regions of the brain. When people look at a photo, the temporal lobes predominantly register information about the contents of the image (people, objects, or scenery), whereas the occipital lobe predominantly registers information about layout and perspective, such as the scale and position of the contents. All of this information is recorded by the fMRI as it captures peaks in brain activity, and these patterns can then be reconverted into an imitation image using AI. In the new study, the researchers added additional training to the Stable Diffusion algorithm using an online data set provided by the University of Minnesota, which consisted of brain scans from four participants as they each viewed a set of 10,000 photos.
If a study participant showed the same brain pattern, the algorithm sent words from that photo’s caption to Stable Diffusion’s text-to-image generator.
Iris Groen, a neuroscientist at the University of Amsterdam who was not involved with the work, told Science that “The accuracy of this new method is impressive.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
With this brain map we are one step closer to total fruit fly simulation
In a way, fruit flies are just like us. They have eyes, legs, nervous systems, and they love fruit. Unlike us, however, they only have a few thousand neurons in their brains, which means scientists can map not just all the cells but all the connections between them — producing for the first time a […]
With this brain map we are one step closer to total fruit fly simulation by Devin Coldewey originally published on TechCrunch
EastEnders’ tragic Lola deteriorates – sparking worrying news amid brain tumour battle
Does The Heart & Brain Respond To Future Events Before They Happen?
‘Make brain tumour research a critical priority’, say MPs, as families seek treatment abroad
US Regulators Rejected Neuralink’s Bid To Test Brain Chips In Humans, Citing Safety Risks
Neuralink has not disclosed details of its trial application, the FDA’s rejection or the extent of the agency’s concerns. As a private company, it is not required to disclose such regulatory interactions to investors. During the hours-long November presentation, Musk said the company had submitted “most of our paperwork” to the agency, without specifying any formal application, and Neuralink officials acknowledged the FDA had asked safety questions in what they characterized as an ongoing conversation. Such FDA rejections do not mean a company will ultimately fail to gain the agency’s human-testing approval. But the agency’s pushback signals substantial concerns, according to more than a dozen experts in FDA device-approval processes.
The rejection also raises the stakes and the difficulty of the company’s subsequent requests for trial approval, the experts said. The FDA says it has approved about two-thirds of all human-trial applications for devices on the first attempt over the past three years. That total rose to 85% of all requests after a second review. But firms often give up after three attempts to resolve FDA concerns rather than invest more time and money in expensive research, several of the experts said. Companies that do secure human-testing approval typically conduct at least two rounds of trials before applying for FDA approval to commercially market a device.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
FDA reportedly denied Neuralink’s request to begin human trials of its brain implant
Despite the repeated and audacious claims by its sometimes CEO, Elon Musk, the prospects of brain-computer interface (BCI) startup Neuralink bringing a product to market remain distant, according to a new report from Reuters. The BCI company was apparently denied authorization by the FDA in 2022 to conduct human trials using the same devices that killed all those pigs — namely on account of; pig killing.
“The agency’s major safety concerns involved the device’s lithium battery; the potential for the implant’s tiny wires to migrate to other areas of the brain; and questions over whether and how the device can be removed without damaging brain tissue,” current and former Neuralink employees told Reuters.
The FDA’s concerns regarding the battery system and its novel transdermal charging capabilities revolve around the the device’s chances of failure. According to Reuters, the agency is seeking reassurances that the battery is “very unlikely to fail” because should it do so, the discharge of electrical current or heat energy from a ruptured pack could fry the surrounding tissue.
The FDA is also very concerned with potential problems should the device need to be removed wholesale, either for replacement or upgrades, due to the minuscule size of the electrical leads that extend into the patient’s grey matter. Those leads are so small and delicate that they are at risk of breaking off during removal (or even during regular use) and then migrating to other parts of the brain where they might get lodged in something important.
During Neuralink’s open house last November, Musk’s confidently claimed the company would secure FDA approval “within six months,” basically by this spring. That estimate is turning out to be as accurate as his guesses for when the Cybertruck might finally enter production. “He can’t appreciate that this is not a car,” one employee told Reuters. “This is a person’s brain. This is not a toy.” Neuralink did not respond to requests for comment.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fda-reportedly-denied-neuralinks-request-to-begin-human-trials-of-its-brain-implant-204454485.html?src=rss
You have the eyes of a marksman if you can spot the odd one out in brain teaser in three seconds
FINDING the odd one out in this tricky brain teaser is no laughing matter – can you get it in three seconds or less?
The grid shows rows and rows of a laughing emoji and at first glance they all look the same but one is actually different from all the others.
Can you spot the laughing emoji which is different from all the others?[/caption]
Fans of brain teasers will have their work cut out to spot the rogue laughing face.
Optical illusions are a fantastic way to encourage your mind to think strategically while training your brain to concentrate.
Those with an eye for detail may find the puzzle simple enough – but can you do it while the clock is ticking?
Don’t feel blue if you struggle to spot the anomaly.
Just scroll down to the bottom of the page to find out which one it is.
A helpful tip is to work your way through each list – although it’s easy to get confused by the cluster of emojis.
If you enjoyed exercising your brain, why not take a look at some of our other mind-boggling optical illusions?
Puzzle fans may also like to have a go at finding the odd one out in a grid of ice-cream scoops.
This time you have five seconds to find it.
It’s not as easy as it looks though as the scoops soon start to merge into one as you look at the image.
In another brain teaser, a dog sits almost concealed from view – with puzzle lovers left baffled trying to spot it.
You could have the eyes of a hawk if you can spot this camouflaged snow leopard hiding in plain sight.
Or test your counting skills by attempting to work out how many triangles are hidden in this image.
You can even find out if you are a genius by locating the hidden rogue letter in this brain teaser in under five seconds.
Were you able to spot the odd one out in the time allowed?[/caption]
Rare type of brain surgery was being performed 3,500 years ago, say archaeologists
A RARE type of brain surgery was being performed 3,500 years ago, say archaeologists.
They discovered skeletons of two Bronze Age brothers who may have had leprosy.
One had a 30mm square hole in the skull where a piece of bone had been removed.
The procedure — trepanning — is one of the oldest known surgeries, dating back 7,000 years.
Holes were drilled to let evil spirits out.
Later, it was developed as a way to ease pressure on the brain — and is still used today.
But the find in Meggido, Israel, is the earliest example of its kind in the ancient Near East and rare in the region.
A square hole was made by carving four intersecting lines and using leverage to take bone out.
The lack of bone healing suggests the man died either during or shortly after the operation.
Rachel Kalisher, of Brown University in the US, said: “This uncommon procedure was done on an elite individual with developmental anomalies and infectious disease.”
She added that she hoped the discovery “will deepen our understanding of medical care and cultural dynamics in ancient cities in this area”.