False memories of events that never happened have been implanted into the brains of mice in research that could pave the way for memory implant technology like that seen in the movie Total Recall.
Japanese and American neuroscientists, working at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have successfully planted false memories in the brains of mice, according to research published in the journal Science. They also found that many of the traces of the implanted memories detected by scientists in the mice’s brains are indistinguishable from those of authentic memories of real events.
“Whether it’s a false or genuine memory, the brain’s neural mechanism underlying the recall of the memory is the same,” Susumu Tonegawa, one of the study’s authors and the Picower Professor of Biology and Neuroscience at MIT said in a press release.
The movie Total Recall begins with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger believes he is a construction worker going for a memory implant “holiday” — paying for the recollection of a vacation to be implanted is cheaper than the real thing.
When the procedure goes wrong he finds he is actually someone else: His whole life is a false memory implant; and he’s really a secret agent. In the research, Tonagawa’s team used a technique known as optogenetics, which allows the fine control of individual brain cells by genetic manipulation.The scientists engineered mouse cells in the part of the brain called the hippocampus, believed to be the place where memories are formed. The engineered cells produce a protein called channelrhodopsin which activates the neurological functions of brain cells when exposed to blue light.
5 comments:
Business and consumers across the eurozone are less pessimistic about the economic climate, according to data just published by the European Commission.
Economic sentiment across the eurozone rose to 92.5 in July, from 91.3 in June, the EC reported. Better, but (understandably) still below the 100-mark average.
The data generally showed an improving situation, although the picture is clearly still tough:
• The industrial climate reading rose to minus 10.6, from minus 11.2.
• Services sentiment picked up to minus 7.8, from minus 9.6
And consumers remained nervous, with a sentiment reading of minus 17.4, from minus 18.8.
Business and consumers across the eurozone are less pessimistic about the economic climate, according to data just published by the European Commission.
Economic sentiment across the eurozone rose to 92.5 in July, from 91.3 in June, the EC reported. Better, but (understandably) still below the 100-mark average.
The data generally showed an improving situation, although the picture is clearly still tough:
• The industrial climate reading rose to minus 10.6, from minus 11.2.
• Services sentiment picked up to minus 7.8, from minus 9.6
And consumers remained nervous, with a sentiment reading of minus 17.4, from minus 18.8.
Sweden in surprise contraction
The crisis in the eurozone may have hit Sweden, with the surprise news that its economy shrank in the last three months.
The Swedish statistics office dashed forecasts of a 0.1% rise in GDP by reporting a 0.1% contraction in the April-June period. That's a sharp deterioration on the 0.6% expansion in the first quarter of 2013.
The contraction means the Swedish economy has only grown by 0.6% over the last 12 months, down from 1.7% year-on-year three months ago.
Analysts urged caution, as these are only preliminary statistics.
As Robert Bergqvist of SEB put it:
The main reason for the weakening of the economy in second quarter is very weak external demand, and problems within the euro area.
On other hand, private consumption is fairly strong, and retail sales yesterday were also strong and that confirms the key growth driver is households, and private consumption.
Spanish GDP falls by 0.1%
Breaking: Spain's economy has now been shrinking for two full years.
Data just released by the Spanish National Statistics Institute showed that Spanish GDP fell by 0.1% between April and June. That's the eighth quarterly contraction in a row.
Encouragingly, though, the pace of decline has slowed -- following the 0.5% contraction suffered in the first three months of 2013.
And on a year-on-year basis, the Spanish economy has shrunk by 1.7% -- slightly better than the 1.8% economists had expected.
I don't think we can call it a green shoot of recovery – but perhaps the bitter frost is easing?
Spain in recession for two years
It's official - Spain has been in a recession for two years after the latest data from its statistics agency showed that GDP contracted by 0.1pc in the three months to the end of June.
That was in line with economists' forecasts and marked eight quarters of contraction, but it an improvement on the first quarter which contracted by 0.5pc.
08.29 There is also data out of Europe to keep an eye out for, as Mike van Dulken, head of research at Accenco Markets, notes:
In focus today will be European Confidence data all of which are seen improving slightly, while US Housing Prices are seen showing slower growth in May, along with a small pullback in US Consumer Confidence. In Europe, Spain and Portugal update on growth and production with both expected to show things as less bad rather than better.
08.25 Markets in Asia have closed higher after China's central bank injected funds into money markets for the first time since February,
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 surged 1.53pc, or 208.69 points to 13,869.82, snapping a four-day losing streak that saw it give up 7.6pc. Seoul added 0.90pc, or 17.16 points, to close at 1,917.05 and Sydney was flat, edging up 0.87 points to 5,047.2.
Shanghai added 0.7pc, or 13.76 points, to end at 1,990.06 and in the afternoon Hong Kong advanced 0.2pc.
But all eyes will be on the US, where the Federal Reserve begins two days of meetings, with markets on the lookout for any clue as to when the Fed will taper its asset purchasing programme.
Bart Wakabayashi, head of forex at State Street Global Markets in Tokyo, told Reuters:
Quote We've been seeing very subdued activity from clients, as it's quite obvious people are waiting to see what comes out of the U.S. for further direction.
There's a bit of a consensus that the recent sell-off in dollar/yen and equity markets seems like a prelude to some kind of dovish remark from the FOMC, and we'll be right back where we were three days ago.
Post a Comment