Instant Expert 31: The human brain Cookies on the New Scientist website close Our website uses cookies, which are small text files that are widely used in order to make websites work more effectively. Find out about our cookies and how to change them Log in Your login is case sensitive I have forgotten my password close My New Scientist Look for Science Jobs Instant Expert 31: The human brain (Image: Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging)It took thousands of years, but our understanding of how the brain works has brought us to the brink of enlightenment. Milestones of neuroscience We now have a detailed understanding of the brain's building block – the neuron. More than one way to map a mind Injuries were once the key to learning how the brain worked, but advanced imaging techniques are now giving us detailed maps of where our skills ariseRead more From tiny neurons to expansive minds How does the brain generate a conscious mind? Looking over the neuroscience horizon Download a paper brain to build yourself REVIEW: 19:00 16 April 2014
Welcome - National Anti-Vivisection Society Animaux sont aussi conscients que les humains : The Wolf Nature Animal Les scientifiquesdéclarent : Animauxsont aussi conscientsqueles humains Un groupe international de scientifiques de renom a signé la Déclaration Cambridge sur la Conscience dans laquelle ils proclament leur soutien à l'idée que les animaux sont conscients et conscientes de la mesure dans laquelle les êtres humains sont - d'une liste des animaux que comprend tous les mammifères, les oiseaux et même les poulpe. Cependant, ce seront nous faire arrêter le traitement de ces animaux d'une manière totalement inhumaine ? Bien que cela puisse ne pas sembler beaucoup pour les scientifiques de déclarer que de nombreux animaux non humains possèdent états de conscience, c'est la reconnaissance ouverte c'est les grandes nouvelles ici. La déclaration a fait les observations suivantes :Le domaine de la recherche sur la conscience évolue rapidement. Les oiseaux semblent offrir, dans leur comportement, de la neurophysiologie, neuroanatomie et un exemple frappant de l'évolution parallèle de la conscience.
The 6 Most Mind-Blowing Animal Senses You probably already know that when it comes to everything but intellectual pursuits and wearing cardigans in a knot over one's shoulders, animals have humans beat. All of your senses together can't match what a dog can pick up with its nose, for instance. But every now and then, an animal's sensory superiority goes above and beyond the usual and takes a turn for the bizarre and/or terrifying. #6. Wikipedia Vampire bats are the only mammals that subsist entirely on blood -- otherwise, we'd just call them "bats." Livescience.comBats only appear on film as 1980s school photos. That nose that God forgot actually does more than just invite business cards of bat plastic surgeons -- it can sense the heat of your blood flowing through your veins. Its nose-lip combo contains infrared heat cells that can sense the warmth of the blood at a distance. WikipediaIt's the fact that they refuse to eat or drink unless it's served to them in a sterling silver bowl. #5. Photos.com #4. Wikipedia
UW Madison Cruelty: Photos The University of Wisconsin–Madison fought for more than three years to keep these photographs of Double Trouble’s abuse a secret until a successful PETA lawsuit compelled the university to release the disturbing images. WARNING: The photographs that follow are graphic. Double Trouble was subjected to several invasive surgeries on her eyes, ears, and brain. Experimenters drilled a hole in Double Trouble’s head and screwed this steel post to her skull. Electrodes were inserted into her brain, and electrical devices were implanted deep into her ears. Wires protruded from the grotesque contraption on Double Trouble’s head. Double Trouble would be deprived of food for days at a time, and experimenters would hold a feeding tube in the metal device in front of her mouth to deliver morsels of food so that she would cooperate during experiments. Double Trouble’s open, bloody head wound became a breeding ground for a serious bacterial infection.
Les animaux en toute conscience Darwin affirmait, il y a cent cinquante ans, qu’il n’y a pas une différence de nature mais de degré entre l’homme et les autres espèces animales. Pourtant, il y a encore quelques décennies, parler chez l’animal de conscience, c’est-à-dire des états supérieurs de l’activité intellectuelle, eût été inconcevable dans les milieux scientifiques. Il y régnait un climat de «mentaphobie» dénoncé par Donald Griffin, fondateur de l’éthologie cognitive. Ce temps semble définitivement révolu. A l’issue d’un congrès à l’université de Cambridge sur le sujet, des scientifiques internationaux renommés, dont Stephen Hawking, ont signé le 7 juillet une Déclaration de conscience des animaux (3), dont la conclusion est que «les humains ne sont pas les seuls à posséder les substrats neurologiques qui produisent la conscience. Le néocortex n’est donc plus considéré comme indispensable pour penser finement. Par Pierre Jouventin éthologiste, directeur de recherche au CNRS (1) et David Chauvet juriste (2)
Rubber Hand Trick Reveals Brain-Body Link | Wired Science The rubber hand illusion is more than a vaguely creepy parlor trick. It’s a window into relationship between our mental and physical self-conception. During the illusion, a participant’s hand is hidden, and a rubber hand positioned so that it appears as her own. Suddenly the rubber hand literally feels like it belongs to her. Scientists have now shown that the hidden hand’s temperature drops during the illusion: its effects aren’t simply mental, but physical as well, and could even hint at as-yet-unknown processes of disease. "These findings show that the conscious sense of our physical self, and the physiological regulation of our physical self, are linked," write a team of researchers led by Oxford University’s G. At first, this may seem a retelling of mind-body linkage: embarrassment causes blushing, fear a burst of strength. When participants in the study confused a rubber hand for their own, their hidden hands became half a degree colder. Video: New ScientistImage: PNAS See Also:
Companies That Still Test on Animals Many manufacturers of personal care and household items still test their products on animals, despite the growing number of alternative methods for evaluating product safety. The following list contains all such companies known and their associated brand names. This list originally was compiled from two primary references (cited at the bottom of this page). In addition, it is updated as new information is made available to us. We do our absolute best, but we cannot fully guarantee its accuracy, so please use the list accordingly--and do let us know if you can offer any further updates. You may wish to print out the list and take it along next time you go shopping! Companies That Still Test on Animals (and associated brands): Primary Original References: American Anti-Vivisection Society, Guide to Compassionate Shopping (8214.GCS) People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Consumer Products Companies That Test on Animals (edition concurrent with origin list)
Certains animaux possèdent une conscience Vendredi 31 août 2012 5 31 /08 /Août /2012 16:41 Descartes s'est trompé sur ce point: la conscience n'est pas le propre de l'homme Lu ce matin dans Libé : Par PIERRE JOUVENTIN éthologiste, directeur de recherche au CNRS (1) et DAVID CHAUVET juriste (2) « Darwin affirmait, il y a cent cinquante ans, qu'il n'y a pas une différence de nature mais de degré entre l'homme et les autres espèces animales. Le néocortex n'est donc plus considéré comme indispensable pour penser finement. Notre code civil témoigne de cette chosification de l'animal, qu'il qualifie archaïquement de bien meuble (article 528) quand, en Allemagne ou en Suisse, les animaux sont expressément distingués des choses. (1) Auteur de "Kamala, une louve dans ma famille», Flammarion, 2012. (2) Auteur de «la Personnalité juridique des animaux jugés au Moyen Age», l’Harmattan, 2012. (3)
5 Mind-Blowing Ways Your Senses Lie to You Every Day #2. Your Brain Changes the Size of Objects Around You Yuliya Chsherbakova/Photos.com Your eyes are lying to you right now about something as basic as the size of the stuff you're looking at. Don't believe us? Take a look at the photograph below, and tell us which of the two vertical red lines is longer in your monitor: Mighty Optical IllusionsSpoiler: You're about to feel dumb. If you answered the one on the right, congratulations, you're completely normal, and also completely wrong. Mighty Optical Illusions They're the exact same size. The above photograph is an example of the Ponzo illusion, which occurs when an image's context tricks your brain into seeing size differences. QuiaPoint all you want, kid, it'll always be shorter. So where have you seen this type of illusion in real life? If you see four at the same time, though, you probably need new glasses. #1. Jupiterimages/Photos.com The answer is: you. Boris Kaulin/Photos.comOn the plus side, rubber hands keep fresh much better.
Americans For Medical Advancement | AFMA 5 Mind-Blowing Ways Your Senses Lie to You Every Day We are so completely dependent on our five senses every moment of the day that we totally forget how full of shit they can be. Your reality is cobbled together from a bunch of different parts of your brain working in conjunction, and often it's like a bickering conference room full of uncooperative co-workers. In fact, we're pretty sure the thing your brain does best is convince you that it works. But it doesn't take much to spot the bizarre little flaws in your gray matter. #5. Photos.com/AbleStock.com/Getty Images When you hear someone talk, the whole process is pretty straightforward, right? Short answer: your eyes. In the clip, you see (and hear) a guy saying "bah bah bah" over and over. BBCYour brain also gave the "fah" version a tan, for unknown reasons. This illusion is called the McGurk effect, and the creepiest part is that, even knowing know full well what's going on, you can't get your ears to hear the correct sound. But that's not the only time your eyes screw you over ... #4.
Animal Testing Change the World » Animal Testing » Every year, in laboratories around the world, ‘scientists’ poison, torture and kill millions of defenceless animals in the name of ‘safety’. But, there’s nothing safe about ‘safety’ tests on animals! These are some of the different animals that are known to have been used in product tests around the world: Click on the tests below to find out more about each of the common tests performed on animals. Many scientists have argued for a long time that animal tests are ineffective at ensuring products are safe for humans. If that weren’t enough reason to end such tests right now, then the alternatives certainly are! Why should animals suffer and die for a new brand of lipstick or new laundry detergent? Millions of rodents are forced to endure painful tests every year in the name of product testing. Dogs are also used in product tests. Day 6 of an LD50 (Lethal Dose 50%) acute toxicity poison test. The draize test can leave rabbits blinded. Play Slideshow