#Cognitivescience

A pop-culture moment from a Hollywood star has turned into a serious health conversation here in Thailand. The odd fitness tip—from walking backwards uphill—claimed by a trainer in an exclusive interview has caught the attention of researchers who study how unusual movements can train the brain as well as the body. While celebrity anecdotes aren’t medical advice, the underlying idea is drawing interest: our brains may benefit when we break routine and challenge our balance, coordination, and cognition in new ways.

A new study suggests that regular tea drinking may be linked to signs of a younger brain in adults, with green tea appearing to offer the strongest potential benefits. Researchers analyzed a large group of participants and used brain imaging to estimate “brain age,” a metric that reflects how old the brain appears compared with a person’s actual age. Those who reported daily tea consumption tended to show a brain age that was younger than their chronological age, by a margin that experts describe as modest but meaningful. The finding adds to a growing body of research on how everyday dietary choices might influence cognitive aging, though scientists caution that appearing younger on a brain scan does not prove causation and that many lifestyle factors can shape brain health.

A newly published international study has confirmed what many Thais may intuitively sense—feeling good can actually help us remember more, even when the subject matter itself is boring or meaningless. In ground-breaking research led by scientists from Hangzhou Normal University and Nanjing Normal University, the team demonstrated that positive emotions during learning measurably enhance our ability to recall information, offering potential life-changing applications for students, teachers, and anyone aiming to boost brain power (Neuroscience News; MedicalXpress; News-Medical).

A recent international study confirms a simple insight many Thai educators have long sensed: feeling good can improve memory, even with material that is dry or dull. Led by researchers from Hangzhou Normal University and Nanjing Normal University, the study shows that positive emotions during learning enhance recall later on. This could influence teaching strategies for students, teachers, and lifelong learners in Thailand.

The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, tracked brain activity in 44 participants as they viewed neutral squiggles. Each squiggle was paired with images designed to evoke positive, negative, or neutral emotions. When memory was tested a day later, only the squiggles linked to positive emotions were reliably remembered. Squiggles associated with neutral or negative feelings were largely forgotten.

A recent study in Evolutionary Psychological Science shows that everyday illness-related noises—such as coughing and sniffling—can hinder learning even when they are not overtly distracting. The brain may be hardwired to detect illness signals, pulling attention away from tasks that require memory and problem solving. While the experiment took place with U.S. undergraduates, its implications are clear for Thai classrooms, offices, and study spaces as Thailand strengthens public health awareness and aims for better learning environments.

A new study published in Evolutionary Psychological Science has discovered that everyday sounds—such as coughing and sniffling—could significantly undermine one’s ability to learn, even when these noises are not perceived as especially distracting. This research highlights how the human brain is evolutionarily wired to detect potential signs of illness, potentially drawing attention away from important academic or professional tasks. Conducted among undergraduates in the United States, the findings are being discussed worldwide and may have profound implications for classrooms, offices, and other shared environments in Thailand, especially as the nation grapples with evolving public health awareness and the demands for effective learning environments (psypost.org).

A new psychological study has found that everyday sounds of illness, such as coughing and sniffling, may disturb learning more than we realize—by subtly distracting students and impairing their academic performance. The research, published in Evolutionary Psychological Science and reported by PsyPost, reveals that exposure to common pathogen-related sounds during a learning task results in statistically significant declines in test scores, raising questions about classroom environments and the human mind’s sensitivity to signs of disease (psypost.org).

A recent study suggests that everyday illness noises in classrooms—coughs and sniffles—can subtly hinder student learning. Research conducted in the United States found that exposure to pathogen-related sounds during a learning task led to lower quiz scores. For Thai educators, the findings highlight the importance of classroom acoustics and health considerations in creating effective learning spaces.

In Thailand, crowded classrooms, variable ventilation, and seasonal illness pose ongoing challenges. In the post-pandemic era, schools remain vigilant about public health in education, making this research relevant for policy discussions on healthier, more focused classrooms that support students across provinces.

A new artificial intelligence (AI) system, developed by international researchers, is turning heads worldwide for its uncanny ability to predict human decisions with unprecedented accuracy—raising both hopes of revolutionary applications and urgent questions about privacy and ethics. This breakthrough, recently published in the journal Nature, introduces the AI model “Centaur”, which has outperformed decades-old cognitive models in forecasting how people think, learn, and act across diverse scenarios (studyfinds.org).

Centaur’s creators set out with an ambitious goal: develop a single AI system capable of predicting human behaviour in any psychological experiment, regardless of context or complexity. To achieve this, they compiled a massive “Psych-101” dataset spanning 160 types of psychological tests—ranging from memory exercises and risk-taking games to moral and logical dilemmas—amassing data from over 60,000 people and more than 10 million separate decisions. Unlike traditional models tuned for specific tasks, Centaur was trained to generalise, understanding the plain-language descriptions of each experiment.

A groundbreaking AI system is drawing attention for its ability to forecast human choices with impressive accuracy. Published in Nature, the Centaur model seeks to predict how people think, learn, and decide across diverse tasks. The research team says Centaur generalizes beyond single experiments, offering new ways to study decision-making in real time.

Centaur was trained on a vast “Psych-101” dataset containing 160 types of psychological tests. The data come from more than 60,000 participants and over 10 million decisions. The system learns language-driven task descriptions rather than task-specific rules. Unlike older models designed for narrow tasks, Centaur aims to apply broad reasoning to novel experiments.

A newly published analysis in The Economist revisits the decades-long debate on whether being bilingual actually benefits the brain, challenging long-held assumptions while highlighting persistent scientific uncertainty. With Thailand’s education system increasingly promoting English and Mandarin alongside Thai, the study’s findings carry particular weight for Thai families, educators, and policymakers contemplating the cognitive worth of learning an additional language.

For years, researchers have claimed that speaking two or more languages confers a host of cognitive advantages beyond mere linguistic prowess. In addition to opening doors to different cultural and professional opportunities, multilingualism has frequently been linked to improvements in “executive function”—an umbrella term covering skills like ignoring distractions, planning complex tasks, and adjusting one’s thinking as circumstances change. Widespread media coverage and popular science books have further fuelled the belief that bilingualism may even delay dementia, with some research suggesting bilinguals can experience the onset of dementia as much as four years later than monolinguals (The Economist).

A new analysis in The Economist revisits the long-standing question of whether bilingualism truly benefits the brain, and it cautions that the science remains uncertain. As Thailand expands English and Mandarin programmes alongside Thai, families, educators, and policymakers are paying close attention to what language learning actually delivers for cognitive health and learning outcomes.

For years, researchers have linked multilingualism to advantages beyond language—especially in executive function, which includes staying focused, planning tasks, and adapting to new rules. Media attention and popular science have bolstered the belief that bilingualism could delay dementia, with some studies suggesting bilinguals experience dementia onset several years later than monolingual peers. In Thailand, where many students enroll in English or Mandarin programmes and even trilingual international schools, residents have hoped language learning will sharpen thinking and problem-solving to drive the country’s development.

A new study by researchers from a renowned UK university shows that higher cognitive ability is tied to more accurate life predictions and better everyday choices. The work, published in a leading psychology journal, suggests intelligence supports better judgment not only in school or at work, but also in daily decisions such as finances and health. For Thai readers, the findings highlight opportunities to strengthen education, public health messaging, and social policy.

A groundbreaking study from the University of Bath’s School of Management has provided fresh insight into why individuals with higher IQs consistently make better decisions, linking superior intelligence to more accurate life predictions and improved outcomes. The research, recently published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, demonstrates that cognitive ability not only affects academic and professional achievement, but also underpins day-to-day decision-making—from financial planning to health choices. For Thai readers, the study’s findings offer critical implications for education, public health communication, and social policy.

A groundbreaking study from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience has unveiled that human perception is powerfully shaped by expectation, with our brains often “seeing” what we anticipate rather than what our eyes actually detect. This discovery, published in the journal Cell Reports, sheds new light on how daily life feels seamless and highlights surprising mechanisms within our neural circuits—insights that carry implications for health, technology, and Thai society alike (Earth.com).

A groundbreaking study from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience shows that our brains often “see” what we expect to see, not just what our eyes detect. Published in Cell Reports, the research reveals the brain’s powerful use of expectation to make daily life feel seamless. For Thai readers, the findings offer new angles on health, education, technology, and everyday interaction in crowded, fast-paced environments.

In everyday scenes, such as watching someone prepare breakfast, the brain’s action observation network helps predict what happens next. The researchers contrasted two types of scenes: orderly sequences and scrambled ones. Using millisecond-precise brain recordings, they found that when actions flowed as expected, higher-level motor areas sent signals to the visual cortex to ease sensory processing. The brain effectively lightened the eye’s workload by relying on memory and learned sequences.

A new study from researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem shows that people with depressive symptoms tend to interpret neutral situations more negatively when surrounded by unrelated negative visuals. This “emotional spillover” effect has important implications for understanding and treating depression in Thailand, where mental health remains a sensitive topic, and points to new ways to strengthen emotional resilience in a rapidly changing society.

In Thai life, atmosphere shapes mood—from the bustle of street markets to the confusion of traffic in Bangkok. Now science confirms that surrounding context can strongly influence emotional responses, particularly for those with depressive tendencies. The study explored how peripheral visual information—background images not directly connected to the core task—affects emotional experience. More than 270 university students were shown images with varying emotional content, while surrounded by neutral, negative, or positive visuals.

A groundbreaking study led by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has found that individuals with depressive symptoms are more likely to interpret neutral situations negatively when exposed to unrelated negative surroundings—a phenomenon described as an “emotional spillover” effect. This discovery carries significant implications for understanding and treating depression in Thailand, where mental health issues remain a deeply sensitive topic, and highlights new avenues for improving emotional resilience in a rapidly changing society (Neuroscience News).

A major international study involving almost 20,000 participants shows that persistent negative thinking may be connected to real changes in brain structure and function. Researchers led by a US brain-health institute analyzed brain scans and cognitive data from individuals with anxiety disorders. They found clear links between a habitual negativity bias and abnormal activity in several brain regions responsible for decision-making, memory, and emotional regulation. For Thai readers, these findings offer a scientifically grounded perspective on mental health and highlight practical, evidence-based approaches to improve well-being.

A ground-breaking study involving nearly 20,000 individuals has revealed that persistent negative thoughts aren’t just distressing—they may also be physically altering the very structure and functioning of your brain. In research led by a team at Amen Clinics, a prominent US-based brain health diagnostics institution, scientists used brain scans and cognitive data from individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorders, discovering clear links between what is called the “negativity bias” and abnormal patterns in several critical brain regions. For Thai readers, this may shed new light on mental health struggles and introduces opportunities for science-backed practices to improve national wellbeing.

A seemingly simple act—tapping your finger at a specific rhythm—has been found to significantly boost brainpower and improve hearing, according to groundbreaking new research published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The study, led by a team from Aix-Marseille University, demonstrates that rhythmic finger tapping, particularly at a moderate pace, primes the brain to better comprehend speech amid background noise. This discovery points to a previously unknown human ability that may have important implications for how we navigate noisy environments, learn languages, and even support those with hearing challenges.

A simple tap of the finger at a steady rhythm could boost brain performance and improve hearing in noisy settings, new research suggests. Published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the study from a team at Aix-Marseille University shows that moderate-rate finger tapping primes the brain to better understand speech amid background noise. The finding hints at a human ability that could help Thai readers navigate crowded spaces, learn languages, and support those with hearing challenges.

The puzzle of consciousness—the sensation of being aware—remains unsolved after a high-profile test of leading theories published in Nature. International teams under the Cogitate Consortium conducted rigorous experiments, but neither GNWT nor IIT claimed victory. The study reinforces how challenging it is to connect brain activity with subjective experience.

Thai readers may recall Buddhist concepts of mind (จิตใจ) and awareness (สติ), which echo science’s long quest to bridge biology and personal experience. The recent results underscore a global truth: even with advanced brain science, the origins of conscious perception stay elusive.

The scientific quest to unravel consciousness—the fundamental mystery of how our brains generate the feeling of subjective experience—remains as enigmatic as ever, following a much-anticipated head-to-head study of leading theories recently published in the journal Nature. Despite marshalling the efforts of global neuroscientists under the Cogitate Consortium and conducting rigorous experiments, neither of the two dominant theories of consciousness could claim victory, leaving the origins of conscious perception as one of science’s most perplexing puzzles (PsyPost).