Saturday Discovery Roundup: Explosive Black Hole Eruptions, The Largest Brain Map Ever Created, and Unraveling the Origins of Human Musicality

This week, researchers brought forward some exciting findings. They discovered a brain circuit linked to political behavior, while microbiologists noted that the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption sparked a massive summertime phytoplankton bloom in the North Pacific—the largest ever recorded. Additionally, a physics professor from the University of Alabama is suggesting a new universe model based on multiple singularities instead of the Big Bang.

In the realm of astronomy, a quiet galaxy known as SDSS1335+0728 made headlines as it erupted with quasiperiodic flares. This rare behavior is intriguing scientists, meaning previous models of black hole behavior might need an update. Joheen Chakraborty from MIT shared, “The bursts of X-rays from Ansky are ten times longer and ten times brighter than typical quasiperiodic eruptions.” This suggests that current theories may overlook key details.

On the biological front, a team at Baylor College of Medicine has created the largest functional brain map to date using about 84,000 neurons from a mouse’s visual cortex. To build this map, researchers showed the mouse various videos. When the mouse’s neurons activated, they lit up thanks to a special gene. After recording, they sliced the tiny brain section into ultra-thin pieces and took 100 million images to create a 3D version of the neural connections. This groundbreaking work shows the brain’s complexity and provides valuable insights into how different regions interact.

Princeton University scientists then applied AI to analyze these connections, aiming for a complete mouse brain map. With this cutting-edge approach, they hope to unlock new aspects of brain functioning, paving the way for advancements in neuroscience.

In a fascinating theory proposed by anthropologists, it is argued that human musicality and language may have originated with the shift to bipedal walking. Dean Falk from Florida State University explains that walking on two legs produces regular, rhythmic sounds, unlike the more irregular movements of chimpanzees. This rhythmic aspect might have shaped early creative expressions and communication methods.

The theorists speculate that as humans began to walk upright, they lost the ability to maintain physical closeness with their infants. This change may have led to the development of baby talk—a special, musical tone used to bond with children. “This could have stimulated the evolution of music and language,” notes co-author Matz Larsson.

As we continue to explore the cosmos and understand our biology, these findings remind us of the intricate connections between behavior, creativity, and evolution. For more on these research advancements, visit Phys.org.



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