Scientists Observe Mental Cartography
The human mind is very much like a traveler — when it needs to reach a desired destination, it uses a map.
A brain scan shows activity during a motor function involving visual maps, on the left, and body, or proprioception maps, on the right.
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The research may be helpful for the development of robots and machine-brain interfaces for paraplegics.
The human mind is very much like a traveler — when it needs to reach a desired destination, it uses a map. According to a study published in the Nov. 18, 2010 issue of the journal Neuron, the brain uses different types of “maps” in order to perform different motor functions. The scientists used images from an MRI machine to observe which parts of the brain were active during certain motor actions. According to first author Pierre-Michel Bernier, the previous scientific view was that all actions involved the use of a visual map, but the study found that the brain uses a visual map when dealing with external objects and a body map when dealing with self-referential motions. The research may be helpful for the development of robots and machine-brain interfaces for paraplegics.
Forests Face Threat From Foreign Pests
Researchers at UCSB’s National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis have found that the United States’ national forests are being consumed by invasive insects and pathogens.
According to a press release, the pests enter the U.S. using methods ranging from imported plants to wood from pallets used for transport. The invasive species have led to damage to forests across the U.S. by attacking trees such as oaks in California and redbays in Georgia. The study found 455 invasive insects and 16 pathogens to be active throughout the country.
The researchers suggest better screening at borders and airports in order to prevent contaminated objects from entering the U.S.
