#CognitiveScience

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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

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).

A new wave of research and cultural discussion has cast fresh light on the nature of empathy, challenging the familiar notion that empathy is merely a spontaneous, uncontrollable feeling. Instead, research and commentary increasingly suggest that empathy is a conscious choice—often a difficult one—that anyone can practice, especially when facing troubling or complex situations such as addiction, social deviance, or crisis. This revised understanding has significant implications for Thai society, health, and education, pointing the way toward more compassionate and effective responses in homes, schools, hospitals, and workplaces.

In an era saturated with information, artificial intelligence, and rapid social change, recent scientific research is shedding new light on a timeless human trait: intuition. Once dismissed as mystical or unreliable, intuition is now emerging as a sophisticated mental tool—though one that demands careful cultivation and scrutiny for effective use in daily life and decision-making. Experts argue that in the face of overwhelming data and uncertainty, a well-honed intuition could be the inner compass modern Thais need more than ever.

A new spotlight on childhood education has emerged as international reports highlight eight effective memory tricks to help children retain knowledge and excel in their studies, offering hope to many Thai families navigating the demands of school exams and rapidly changing curricula. According to a recent article by The Times of India (timesofindia.indiatimes.com), these techniques are quickly gaining traction among teachers and parents worldwide, promising practical, science-backed solutions for memory improvement.

As the pace of technological and societal change accelerates, relying solely on data and logic may no longer be enough to navigate the complexities of modern life. Recent research highlighted in Time Magazine’s piece, “The Surprising Science Behind Your Intuition” (time.com), and reinforced by studies from neuroscience and psychology, reveals that intuition—once dismissed as mere superstition or guesswork—can be a powerful inner compass if harnessed correctly. For Thai readers navigating periods of uncertainty, understanding the mechanisms behind intuition can offer practical tools for decision-making, resilience, and personal growth.

A groundbreaking theory in neuroscience is changing our understanding of what happens in our brains when we listen to music, potentially opening new pathways for therapies, education, and technology in Thailand and worldwide. This emerging insight, known as Neural Resonance Theory (NRT), demonstrates that our brain’s natural oscillations—the very rhythms of our neurological function—sync up with the beats, pitches, and grooves of the music we hear, helping to explain music’s universal appeal and therapeutic power (ScienceAlert).

In a compelling research development that is capturing international attention, scientists have identified a curious brain phenomenon known as “jamais vu”—a glitch that abruptly makes familiar situations appear completely strange, leaving millions feeling confused and disoriented in an instant. This startling effect, described as the psychological opposite of the well-known déjà vu, is gaining recognition for its implications on our understanding of memory, cognition, and neurological health. The revelation, recently featured in a widely discussed study, could significantly reshape the way we think about routine memory lapses and cognitive disturbances in daily life, including those experienced by people across Thailand.

A sweeping new meta-analysis conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences has produced the most detailed map yet of the brain activity involved in reading, revealing distinct patterns of neural engagement for everything from individual letters to full texts. Summarizing findings from 163 previous studies, the review—recently published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews—offers a nuanced framework that could influence education strategies and interventions for reading difficulties worldwide, including in Thailand (medicalxpress.com).

In a discovery that stretches the boundaries of memory research, scientists have recently shed light on “jamais vu”—the rare and unsettling feeling that something deeply familiar suddenly appears strange or unrecognizable. While most Thais are familiar with the spine-tingling phenomenon of déjà vu, the eerie sense that one has lived through a moment before, its lesser-known counterpart, jamais vu, proves to be even more uncanny, and researchers say it holds important clues to the workings of the human brain (ScienceAlert).

A groundbreaking wave of neuroscience research is redefining what it means to think—and, crucially, why artificial intelligence (AI) still falls far short of the intricacies of the human mind. A newly published feature in Salon highlights the distinct evolutionary adaptations that make the human brain more than a glorified computer, challenging decades-old assumptions fundamental to AI development and the neural network concept that underlies machine learning models.

For years, popular understanding—and much of AI research—has treated the brain as a vast network made up of nearly identical neurons whose intelligence emerges through the patterns of their collective firing. This view inspired so-called artificial neural networks, computer systems designed to solve problems by mimicking the way brains process information. Such analogies, cemented over decades, fostered the belief that if machines could imitate the structure and connectivity of brains, they might one day match, or even surpass, human intellect. But recent scientific discoveries show this metaphor misses the mark in fundamental ways, with profound implications for both neuroscience and the future of AI.

A groundbreaking study from MIT is shaking up decades of neuroscience wisdom, revealing the brain’s “object recognition” pathway may also play a significant role in understanding spatial information—an insight that could revolutionize our approach to learning, artificial intelligence, and brain health around the world, including here in Thailand.

For years, scientists have believed the ventral visual stream, a key pathway in the human brain, is dedicated to recognizing objects—like a Starbucks cup on a Bangkok Skytrain or a rambutan vendor at the Chatuchak Market. This idea shaped not just neuroscience textbooks, but also inspired computer vision systems now used in everything from smartphones to smart cars. Yet, new research led by MIT graduate student Yudi Xie suggests the story is far more nuanced. Their findings, presented at the prestigious International Conference on Learning Representations, show that when deep learning models are trained not only to identify objects, but also to understand spatial features like location, rotation, and size, these models mirror neural activity in the ventral stream just as accurately as traditional object recognition models. In other words, the ventral stream might be wired for much more than recognizing faces or products—it could be a multifaceted toolkit for seeing and interacting with the world.

In a groundbreaking study, researchers have unveiled that letting our minds wander during simple tasks can enhance learning, challenging the long-held belief that focused attention is always necessary for effective learning. Conducted by Péter Simor and colleagues at Eötvös Loránd University, the research, published in JNeurosci, examined the impact of spontaneous mind wandering on low-effort learning tasks. It revealed that participants who allowed their minds to drift performed just as well, if not better, than when they were fully focused, highlighting the cognitive benefits of states akin to daydreaming.

In a groundbreaking study that could revolutionize treatments for neurological disorders, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have identified a novel mechanism of brain cell communication through advanced cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), revealing how the neurotransmitter glutamate activates brain receptors. This could pave the way for new therapeutic options to address conditions like epilepsy and certain intellectual disabilities.

The research sheds light on the intricate dance of ion channels and neurotransmitters that enable our brains to function. Glutamate, a critical signaling molecule, influences AMPA receptors—channels that control the flow of ions into neurons, thereby facilitating electrical communication within the brain. The team’s innovation lies in capturing freeze-frame images of these channels in action, providing unprecedented clarity on their operation and potential drug interaction points.

In an intriguing revelation, scientists have now established that childhood experiences have the capacity to reshape the brain’s architecture, not just influence cognitive abilities. This latest research from Mass General Brigham elucidates how the formative years leave indelible imprints on the brain’s communication wiring, or white matter, underscoring the profound impact of early environments on lifelong cognitive development. For Thai readers, with the emphasis on family and communal ties, these findings shed light on the critical balance between adversity and support within our societal structures.