In the News

In the News is a monthly round-up of research news. We try to provide two links for each story: first, a media story showing how research is being presented to the public and, second, the original research. In the News is compiled by Stephen Zachary.

JANUARY 2011

HUMANS

1. Singer, Emily, “A Test for 400 Inherited Diseases,” TechnologyReview.com, Jan. 14, 2011.

based on: Bell, Callum J., et al., “Carrier Testing for Severe Childhood Recessive Diseases by Next-Generation Sequencing,” Sci. Transl. Med., Jan. 2011.

ANIMALS

1. Kluger, Jeffrey, “Dog Might Provide Clues on How Language is Acquired,” The New York Times, Jan. 17, 2011.

based on: Pilley, John W., and Reid, Alliston K., “Border collie comprehends object names as verbal referents,” ScienceDirect.com, 2010.

2. “Mammoth ‘could be reborn in four years’,” The Telegraph, Jan. 13, 2011.

based on: Kato, Hiromi, et al., “Recovery of cell nuclei from 15,000 years old mammoth tissues and its injection into mouse enucleated matured oocytes,” Proceedings of the Japan Academy, May 2009.

MACHINES

1. Paul, Ian, “IBM’s Supercomputer ‘Watson’ Wins Jeopardy Practice Round,” PCWorld.com, Jan. 14, 2011.

based on: Ferrucci, David, “Build Watson: an overview of DeepQA for the Jeopardy! challenge,” Proceedings of the 19th international conference on parallel architectures and compilation techniques, 2010.

2. Spitznagel, Eric, “The Robot in the Next Cubicle,” Businessweek.com, Jan. 14, 2011.


SEPTEMBER 2010

HUMANS

1. Kloc, Joe, “Into the Uncanny Valley,” SeedMagazine.com, Nov. 16, 2009.

based on: Steckenfinger, S.A. and Ghazanfar, A.A., “Monkey Visual Behavior Falls into the Uncanny Valley,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, Sep. 2009.

2. “When Memory-Related Region of Brain is Damaged, Other Areas Compensate, Study Finds,” ScienceDaily.com, Aug. 3, 2010.

based on: Poulos, A.M., et al., “Compensation in the Neural Circuitry of Fear Conditioning Awakens Learning Circuits in the Bed Nuclei of the Stria Terminalis,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, Aug. 2010.

ANIMALS

1. Kluger, Jeffrey, “Inside the Minds of Animals,” Time.com, Aug. 10, 2010.

based on: The Great Ape Trust.

2. “‘Genomes of Two Ant Species Sequenced: Clues to Their Extraordinary Social Behavior,” ScienceDaily.com, Aug. 27, 2010.

based on: Bonasio, R., et al., “Genomic Comparison of the Ants Camponotus floridanus and Harpegnathos saltator,” Science, Aug. 2010.

MACHINES

1. “Robots Learning From Experience,” Physorg.com, Aug. 24, 2010.

based on: Xpero

2. “MIT Researchers Unveil Autonomous Oil-Absorbing Robot,” MIT Media Relations, Aug. 25, 2010.

based on: Sea Swarm


APRIL 2010

HUMANS

1. Lemonick, Michael, “Found In South Africa: Key Link In Human Evolution?” Time.com, Apr. 8, 2010.

based on: Berger, L., et al., “Australopithecus sediba: A New Species of Homo-Like Australopith from South Africa,” Science, Apr. 9. 2010.

2. Harmon, Katherine, “Present Imperfection: Is The Human Brain Ill Adapted For Language?” ScientificAmerican.com, Apr. 7, 2010.

based on: Dr. Marcus’ Website

ANIMALS

1. “Darwin’s Finch And The Evolution Of Smell.” ScienceDaily.com, Apr. 6, 2010.

based on: Warren, W. et al, “The Genome Of A Songbird.” Nature, Apr. 1, 2010.

2. “Giggles Give Clues To Hyena’s Social Status.” ScienceDaily.com, Apr. 1, 2010.

based on: Mathevon, N. et al., “What The Hyena’s Laugh Tells: Sex, Age, Dominance And Individual Signature In The Giggling Call of Crocuta crocuta.” BMC Ecology, Mar. 30, 2010.

MACHINES

1. Dillow, Clay, “Opportunity Mars Rover Gets Artificial Intelligence Upgrade, Decides For Itself What To Explore Next.” PopularScience.com, Mar. 24, 2010.

based on: CIT Jet Propulsion Laboratory

2. “Bio-Inspired Computer Networks Self-Organize And Learn.” ScienceDaily.com, Apr. 15, 2010.

based on: PERPLEXUS Project


FEBRUARY 2010

HUMANS

1. Despain, David, “Early Humans Used Brain Power, Innovation And Teamwork To Dominate The Planet.” ScientificAmerican.com, Feb. 27, 2010.

based on: ASU Origins Project

2. Wade, Nicholas, “Human Culture, An Evolutionary Force.” NewYorkTimes.com, Mar. 1, 2010.

based on: Laland, K., et al., “How Culture Shaped The Human Genome: Bringing Genetics And The Human Sciences Together,” Nature Reviews Genetics, Feb. 2010.

ANIMALS

1. Munger, Dave, “Some Animals Can Instinctively Solve Navigational Problems That have Baffled Humans For Centuries.  Now, Researchers Are Uncovering How.” SeedMagazine.com, Feb. 10, 2010.

based on: Zapka, M. et al, “Visual But Not Trigeminal Mediation Of Magnetic Compass Information In A Migratory Bird,” Nature, Nov. 2009.

2. “Interactions Between Species: Powerful Driving Force Behind Evolution?” ScienceDaily.com, Feb. 25, 2010.

based on: Paterson, S. et al., “Antagonistic Coevolution Accelerates Molecular Evolution,” Nature, Feb. 2010.

MACHINES

1. Dillow, Clay, “Artificial Intelligence Brings Musicians Back From The Dead, Allowing All-Stars Of All Time To Jam,” PopularScience.com, Mar. 3, 2010.

based on: Zenph Sound Innovations

2. “Walking Robot Switches Gaits Autonomously And Flexibly.” ScienceDaily.com, Jan. 18, 2010.

based on: Steingrube, S., et al., “Self-Organized Adaptation Of A Simple Neural Circuit Enables Complex Robot Behaviour,” Nature Physics, Jan. 2010


JANUARY 2010

HUMANS

ANIMALS

MACHINES


NOVEMBER 2009

HUMANS

1.  “The Young And The Neuro”

Source:  David Brooks, TheNewYorkTimes.com, Oct. 12, 2009.

Research:  Dr. Lieberman’s publications, Dr. Amodio’s publications, Dr. Phelps’ publications

2.  “Sight Unseen: People Blinded by Brain Damage Respond to Emotive Expressions”

Source:  Carina Storrs, ScientificAmerican.com, Oct. 14, 2009.

Research:  Tamietto, et al., “Unseen Facial and Bodily Expressions Trigger Fast Emotional Reactions”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Oct. 5, 2009.

ANIMALS

1.   “Flies Get Fright From False Memories”

Source:  David Cyranoski, Nature.com, Oct. 15, 2009.

Reasearch:  Claridge-Chang, et al., “Writing Memories with Light-Addressable Reinforcement Circuitry”, Cell, Oct. 16, 2009.

2.  “Tiny But Adaptable Wasp Brains Show Ability to Alter Their Architecture”

Source:  ScienceDaily.com, Oct. 15, 2009.

Research:  Jones, et al., “Growth and Pruning of Mushroom Body Kenyon Cell Dendrites During Worker Behavioral Development in the Paper Wasp, Polybia Aequatorialis, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Nov., 2009.

MACHINES

1.  “Brain-Computer Interface Allows Person-to-Person Communication Through Power of Thought”

Source:  ScienceDaily.com, Oct. 6, 2009.

Research:  Experiment Video, BCI Laboratory, University of Southampton.

2.  “Computer Helps Deaf Children To Learn Sign Language”

Source:  ScienceDaily.com, Oct. 14, 2009.

Research:  Lichtenauer, et al., “A Learning Environment for Sign Language”, Presented at the International Conference on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition, 2008.
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OCTOBER 2009

HUMANS

1. “Uncovering Ardi”

Source: John Hawks, SeedMagazine.com, Oct. 5, 2009.
Research: White, et al., “Ardipithecus ramidus and the Paleobiology of Early Hominids.”, Science, Oct. 2, 2009.

2. “‘Sorry I Haven’t Written’: A Scientific Explanation”

Source: Michael D. Lemonick, Time.com, Sep. 29, 2009.
Research: Malmgren, et al., “On Universality in Human Correspondence Activity”, Science, Sep. 25, 2009.

ANIMALS

1. “Small Mammals Have A ‘Celtic Fringe’ Too”

Source: ScienceDaily.com, Oct. 5, 2009.
Research: Searle, et al., “The Celtic Fringe of Britain: Insights from Small Mammal Phylogeography”, Proceedings from the Royal Society B, Sep. 30, 2009.

2. “Monkeys’ Grooming Habits Provide New Clues To How We Socialize”

Source: ScienceDaily.com, Oct. 1, 2009.
Research: Lehmann & Dunbar, “Network Cohesion, Group Size and Neocortex Size in Female-Bonded Old World primates.” , Proceedings from the Royal Society B, Sep 30, 2009.

MACHINES

1. “Science Is Reading Your Mind”

Source: Tory Shepherd, AdelaideNow.com, Oct. 6, 2009.

2. “‘Intelligent Car’ Able To Learn From Owner’s Driving and Warn In Case of Accident Hazard”

Source: ScienceDaily.com, Sep. 22, 2009.

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SEPTEMBER 2009

HUMANS

1. “Why do we remember bad things? A single chemical may make all the difference

Source: Laura Blue, Time.com, Aug. 20, 2009
Research: Rossato et al., “Dopamine Controls Persistence of Long-Term Memory StorageScience 21 Aug. 2009

2. “The NIH aims to map the connectivity of the human brain in five years. But a definitive atlas of the brain will remain out of our grasp for a long time.”

Source: Moheb Costandi, SeedMagazine.com, Aug. 11, 2009
Research Announcement: National Institutes of Health , Jul. 16, 2009

ANIMALS

1. “Monkey see, monkey do: Why we flatter via imitation

Media: John Cloud , Time.com, Aug. 17, 2009
Research: Paukner, et al., “Capuchin Monkeys Display Affiliation Toward Humans Who Imitate ThemScience 14 Aug. 2009

2. “Top 20 animal sleepers and why we sleep

Media: Discovery News, Aug. 21, 2009
Research: Siegel, J. “Sleep Viewed as a State of Adaptive InactivityNature Reviews Neuroscience 6 Aug. 2009

MACHINES

1. “Human-Robot Relationships

Media: Christie Nicholson, Scientific American, Aug. 18, 2009
Research: Roese, N.J. & Amir, E. “Human-Android Interaction in the Near and Distant FuturePerspectives on Psychological Science 7 Jul. 2009

2. “IBM Gets Research Grant for Brain-On-Chip Project

Media: Michael Cooney, Computerworld, Aug. 17, 2009

3. “Folding DNA Into Tiny Circuits

Media: NPR , Aug. 21, 2009
Research: Kershner, et al., “Placement and Orientation of Individual DNA Shapes on Lithographically Patterned SurfacesNature Nanotechnology 16 Aug. 2009