Researchers recorded single-unit and local-field-potential activity from the human hippocampus using high-density Neuropixels probes in seven patients under general anaesthesia while presenting pure tones (3 patients) or natural speech (4 patients). From 651 isolated units, hippocampal neurons and local oscillations reliably detected oddball tones even in the anaesthetized state, and oddball-related decodability increased over roughly 10 minutes, demonstrating rapid representational plasticity. A biologically plausible recurrent neural-network model reproduced how learning and oddball representation can emerge from flexible tone discrimination, linking the observed neural changes to an executable learning mechanism.
When natural-language stimuli were played, single units and LFPs encoded semantic and grammatical features of speech and carried information predictive of upcoming words; many neurons’ firing rates tracked surprisal, indicating sensitivity to probabilistic context. LFP power showed weaker but significant semantic-category and part-of-speech signals, with beta and low-gamma bands most informative. These findings show that a brain region anatomically and functionally distant from primary sensory cortices performs complex pattern recognition, contextualization and predictive processing during anaesthesia, demonstrating that higher-order hippocampal computations can persist without conscious awareness.
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Researchers have determined that Vincent van Gogh's painting 'The Starry Night' depicts the sky as it appeared on July 22, 1889. The analysis links the painting's celestial features to specific astronomical phenomena from that night. (space.com)
A detailed star map of the Northern Hemisphere by Florian Winkler accurately depicts stars, constellations, and deep-sky objects using celestial coordinates. It reflects what one would see from the North Pole, combining ancient celestial knowledge with modern cartography. (maps.com)
The UN warns that surpassing the 1.5°C global warming limit is now imminent and unavoidable due to current emissions. Urgent action is needed to prevent catastrophic climate impacts. (cnn.com)
Rule 30 is a simple cellular automaton starting from a single black cell, creating complex, seemingly random patterns. Its unpredictable behavior has made it a significant example in mathematics and computer science, with open questions about its long-term patterns and computational complexity. (wolframcollatzmahler.com)
An experimental mRNA vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence by 42%. The vaccine is developed by Moderna and is currently in clinical trials. (cnn.com)
Space debris was discovered twice within a few days, increasing the risk of collisions and casualties in space. The growing amount of space junk poses a significant threat to satellites and space missions. (nytimes.com)
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