Cooling down solar cells, naturally

Too much sun and too much heat can reduce the efficiency of photovoltaics. A solar farm with optimally spaced panels facing the correct direction could cool itself through convection using the surrounding wind. Researchers explored how to exploit the g…

For memory formation, organization matters

Researchers have found that cells in the rat hippocampus — a brain region that is essential for making memories — are specifically organized into small clusters when fear-based memories are formed. Furthermore, when rats slept after a learning period…

New target in the fight against heart disease

Soon after cholesterol and fat start depositing on the lining of the blood vessels that supply your heart, the smooth muscle cells that give the blood vessels strength and flexibility start to get bigger and multiply. While scientists studying the phen…

New tools map seizures, improve epilepsy treatment

Two new models could solve a problem that’s long frustrated millions of people with epilepsy and the doctors who treat them: how to find precisely where seizures originate to treat exactly that part of the brain. By helping surgeons decide if and where…

How the brain processes language

Humans accomplish a phenomenal amount of tasks by combining pieces of information. We perceive objects by combining edges, categorize scenes by combining objects, interpret events by combining actions, and understand sentences by combining words. But r…