Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

First Whole-Brain Map of Decision-Making in Mammals Achieved

2025-09-05

The International Brain Laboratory (IBL) has created the first whole-brain map of decision-making in mammals, a groundbreaking achievement in neuroscience. Researchers trained mice to manipulate a virtual steering wheel to move shapes on a screen, simultaneously recording the activity of over 600,000 neurons across 279 brain regions in 139 mice. The results reveal that decision-making is not confined to specific brain regions, but is distributed throughout the entire brain, including areas previously thought to be solely involved in movement. This research provides a valuable data resource for understanding the brain's complex workings and demonstrates the potential of large-scale international collaborations in neuroscience.

Ocean Wave Energy Harvesting: A Six-Pillar Design for Next-Gen Triboelectric Nanogenerators

2025-08-31

A groundbreaking study published in *Nano-Micro Letters* outlines six design principles for next-generation triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) to efficiently harness wave energy. Researchers from the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy & Nanosystems and Guangxi University detail advancements like multilayer stacking and magnetic levitation, achieving significantly improved energy conversion efficiency in real-world wave environments. This innovation paves the way for self-powered ocean grids and marine IoT, promising a future where the ocean itself becomes a sustainable power source.

Human Civilization at a Crossroads: Authoritarian Collapse or Superabundance?

2024-12-30

Dr. Nafeez Ahmed, a renowned systems theorist, argues in a new study published in Foresight that human civilization is on the verge of a 'giant leap' in evolution towards a 'networked superabundance' powered by distributed clean energy. However, this progress is threatened by rising authoritarianism and nationalist populism. Ahmed, who accurately predicted the 2008 financial crisis and the rise of clean energy, posits that industrial civilization is in decline, but emerging technologies like clean energy, cellular agriculture, and AI could create unprecedented prosperity. The success of this transition hinges on responsibly governing these new capabilities.