Futurity.org » University of California at Berkeley

Wireless helmet detects brain bleeding

Sarah Yang-Berkeley — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:32:40 +0000

UC BERKELEY (US) — Researchers are testing a helmet-like device that uses wireless signals to instantly diagnose brain swelling and bleeding.

The device analyzes data from low energy electromagnetic waves that are similar to those used to transmit radio and mobile signals.

Bubble math shows foam evolve and pop

Robert Sanders-UC Berkeley — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:41:47 +0000

UC BERKELEY (US) — Using a set of linked partial differential equations, researchers explain what happens as foamy bubbles form and then disappear.

The feat could help in modeling industrial processes in which liquids mix or in the formation of solid foams such as those used to cushion bicycle helmets.

How brain lets eyes track 95 mph fastball

Yasmin Anwar-UC Berkeley — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:29:28 +0000

UC BERKELEY (US) — Our brain “pushes” forward moving objects to look closer than they really are, forcing a quick reaction, such as dodging a ball—or hitting it over the fence.

How does San Francisco Giants slugger Pablo Sandoval swat a 95 mph fastball, or tennis icon Venus Williams see the oncoming ball, let alone return her sister Serena’s 120 mph serves? For the first time, vision scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have pinpointed how the brain tracks fast-moving objects.

The discovery advances our understanding of how humans predict the trajectory of moving objects when it can take one-tenth of a second for the brain to process what the eye sees.

US birth tied to health risks in Mexican-Americans

Dominic Ali-Toronto — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:14:02 +0000

U. TORONTO (CAN) / UC BERKELEY (US) — Mexican-Americans over 55 who were born in the US are significantly more likely than immigrants from Mexico to report limitations in one or more basic physical activities.

A new study shows they have substantial limitations (30 percent versus 25 percent) in walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying.

Before you pucker: Toxic metals in lipstick

Sarah Yang-Berkeley — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:06:50 +0000

UC BERKELEY (US) — Scientists found lead and eight other metals in lipsticks commonly sold in the US, in some cases at levels that could raise potential health concerns.

The researchers tested 32 different lipsticks and lip glosses sold in drugstores and department stores and detected lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum, and five other metals.

Bad deeds can tarnish money’s value

Yasmin Anwar-UC Berkeley — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:46:34 +0000

UC BERKELEY / STANFORD (US) — When people perceive money as morally tainted, they also view it as having less value and purchasing power, a new study shows.

Challenging the belief that “all money is green,” and that people will cross ethical boundaries to amass it, social scientists have found compelling evidence that the source of wealth really does matter.

In fact, some people avoid ill-gotten gains—such as profits from unfair labor practices or insider trading—for fear of “moral contagion,” according to a paper published this week in the online issue of the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.

To find what’s lost, brain forms ‘search party’

Yasmin Anwar-UC Berkeley — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:53:06 +0000

UC BERKELEY (US) — When we’re looking for something specific, like a lost pet or a contact lens on the floor, the brain redirects various visual and non-visual regions to help.

That means that if we’re looking for a youngster lost in a crowd, the brain areas usually dedicated to recognizing other objects such as animals, or even the areas governing abstract thought, shift their focus and join the search party. Thus, the brain rapidly switches into a highly focused child-finder, and redirects resources it uses for other mental tasks.

“Our results show that our brains are much more dynamic than previously thought, rapidly reallocating resources based on behavioral demands, and optimizing our performance by increasing the precision with which we can perform relevant tasks,” says Tolga Cukur, a postdoctoral researcher in neuroscience at University of California, Berkeley and lead author of the study published in Nature Neuroscience.

A little stress can make brains sharper

Robert Sanders-UC Berkeley — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:51:32 +0000

UC BERKELEY (US) — Acute stress that’s short-lived, not chronic, primes the brain for improved performance, according to new research.

“You always think about stress as a really bad thing, but it’s not,” says Daniela Kaufer, associate professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley. “Some amounts of stress are good to push you just to the level of optimal alertness, behavioral and cognitive performance.”

In studies on rats, they found that significant, but brief stressful events caused stem cells in their brains to proliferate into new nerve cells that, when mature two weeks later, improved the rats’ mental performance.

Convex legs let tiny robots scurry in sand

Josh Toon-Georgia Tech — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:26:11 +0000

GEORGIA TECH / UC BERKELEY (US) — Using 3D-printed limbs, scientists have developed a new way to understand how small-legged robots move through granular materials like sand.

The research could help create and advance the field of “terradynamics”—a name the researchers have given to the science of legged animals and vehicles moving on granular and other complex surfaces.

In US, 20 percent now say ‘no religion’

Yasmin Anwar-UC Berkeley — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:19:58 +0000

UC BERKELEY / DUKE (US) — Last year, one in five Americans claimed no religious preference—more than double the number reported in 1990.

Religious affiliation in the United States is at its lowest point since it began to be tracked in the 1930s, according to recent analysis of newly released survey data.