Understanding learning by inference

Both humans and other animals are good at learning by inference, using information we do have to figure out things we cannot observe directly. New research shows how our brains achieve this by constructing cognitive maps.

Soy sauce’s salt-enhancing peptides

Soy sauce deepens the flavor of soup stocks, gives stir-fried rice its sweet-salty glaze and makes a plate of dumplings absolutely enjoyable. But what exactly makes this complex, salty, umami sauce so tasty? Now, researchers have discovered the protein…

Watching the death of a rare giant star

Extreme supergiant stars known as hypergiants are very rare, with only a few known to exist in the Milky Way. By tracing molecular emissions in the outflows around the red hypergiant star VY Canis Majoris, astronomers obtained the first detailed map of…

Quantum simulator delivers new insight

A quantum simulator is giving physicists a clear look at spin-charge separation, a bizarre phenomenon in which two parts of indivisible particles called electrons travel at different speeds in extremely cold 1D wires. The research has implications for …