Humans are born with brains 'prewired' to see words: Study finds connections to language areas of the brain:
"Analyzing brain scans of newborns, researchers found that this part of the brain -- called the "visual word form area" (VWFA) -- is connected to the language network of the brain.
"That makes it fertile ground to develop a sensitivity to visual words -- even before any exposure to language," said Zeynep Saygin, senior author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at The Ohio State University.
The VWFA is specialized for reading only in literate individuals. Some researchers had hypothesized that the pre-reading VWFA starts out being no different than other parts of the visual cortex that are sensitive to seeing faces, scenes or other objects, and only becomes selective to words and letters as children learn to read or at least as they learn language.
"We found that isn't true. Even at birth, the VWFA is more connected functionally to the language network of the brain than it is to other areas," Saygin said. "It is an incredibly exciting finding."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201022125525.htm
Two new species of greater glider discovered
"A study of the genetics of greater gliders, published in Nature's public access Scientific Reports journal, found distinct species in the southern, central and northern ranges.
"Australia's biodiversity just got a lot richer. It's not every day that new mammals are confirmed, let alone two new mammals," one of the study authors, James Cook University Professor Andrew Krockenberger, said."
Big news on the cancer and health front. I love good news.
Australian researchers have discovered a new way to target an aggressive childhood cancer, neuroblastoma, one of the most common and dangerous cancers in young children. The discovery may also have important implications for some other aggressive cancers in children, including certain brain tumours, as well as some adult cancers, including ovarian and prostrate cancer.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-03-world-first-discovery-paves-cancer-treatment.html
Researchers from Northumbria University in Newcastle, and Bogazici University in Turkey, have discovered a new way of examining the structure and dynamics of single protein molecules within the human body—which could help scientists better understand the progression and possible treatment of diseases such as cancer.
https://phys.org/news/2021-03-protein-dynamics-breakthrough-result-cancer.html
Food scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have made an antibacterial gel bandage using the discarded husks of the popular tropical fruit, durian.
https://phys.org/news/2021-03-scientists-antibacterial-gel-bandage-durian.html
This article popped up for me for the second time today, and I take that to mean I'm supposed to pass it along, so here it is. Greener, Cleaner, Better, Faster, Cheaper. What's not to like?
Earth Power: Hemp Batteries Better Than Lithium And Graphene
Mechanical Trees can remove tons (literally) of CO2 from the air daily.
This article is from 2019 and describes the technology:
https://news.asu.edu/20191205-popular-science-picks-lackner-mechanicaltree-2019-top-technology
This one is from last year and talks about a grant to the company that makes the trees:
https://news.asu.edu/20210702-carbon-collect-mechanicaltree-selected-us-department-energy-award
I came across this article the other day and thought you might find it interesting. It’s a woman with an extraordinary ability. Well that piqued my interest.
Here is a link to the story, I think you will be able to read it without a subscription..
"The Discovery Of My Super Human Gift
In December 2012, Dr. Jay Neitz, a world-renowned leader in the field of color vision, discovered I was a “Tetrachromat,” a human possessing an incredible genetic anomaly is a rare mutation. Hailed as a Tetrachromat, I possess four color receptors in my eyes instead of the regular three. This “super vision” allows me to see up to 100 million more colors than regular vision! Almost overnight I became a super human X-Woman, and the subject of worldwide media attention. Ever since I have been the study of Dr. Kimberly Jameson at U.C. Irvine, California. She has performed almost a decade of studies with me, and written many papers and journal articles on my otherworldly ability to express functioning Tetrachromacy. She calls me “the perfect storm” for this rare gift.
Every day I call myself fortunate for my other worldly color vision which allows me to see very subtle hue variations and differentiations, an ability which those with normal vision cannot perceive. My 100 million more visual perception of the natural world is breathtaking. Everything is so vibrant and stimulating to my eyes. My gift allows me to see the true colors of the beauty that surrounds me, my life long passion and dedication to art allows me to paint it. Painting provides a medium through which I can show those colors to others too. I share the gift through my art works. Tetrachromacy has given me what I love the most, the ability to truly see the beauty of this planet, my Mother, my journey, my dedication and my belief in myself gave me the permission to live the life I wanted. Art and color are my daily muses."
I have read a number of Near Death Experiences where people describe seeing beautiful colors they have never seen on earth.
But I also found this in an article: “Unfortunately, computer screens do not provide enough colour information to be able to ‘tap into’ the extra dimension that tetrachromats may possess. It is therefore impossible for an online test to investigate tetrachromacy.”
Well, if you’re ever in San Diego it might be interesting to see her art in person..
And if you’re still interested here is one more article:
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/331169-human-tetrachromacy-is-real-heres-what-we-know
Thanks @Craig for the interesting information!
Apparently geneticists have discovered that about 12 percent of people, mostly women, have a chromosomal aberration that gives them an extra set of colors they can see. The rest of us see just three colors and everything else we see is a combination of these three colors. But some people see four.
@Craig had found an article about a San Diego artist who was recently tested.
So whereas the rest of us might see something as being grey, she sees multiple colors in that object.
Has me wondering if there are more colors in people's auras than previously perceived and whether they have extra more nuanced meaning.
Also do people give off colors we can't detect when they are sick or extra excited or healing people? I expect we do. I think of cats who wander around nursing homes and hop on the bed of someone who is dying, even when the medical staff are not aware the patient is about to pass over. What are they detecting, probably through smell, that the rest of us can't detect?
Also how many of the great impressionists had this gene? Seurat with his pointillism that created images from dots of color and Van Gogh of course. Perhaps it was an extra color perception that inspired them to paint in a way that revealed the many colors in an object.
Craig - thanks for the article! I, too, have read about near death experiencers who have seen colors they cannot describe and am fascinated by this woman's ability. I also wonder, as Jeanne mentioned, about other people or animals that can see/sense more than the average person. I love that there is so much we don't know and only get glimpses of here and there.
Jeanne - your question about the Impressionists is intriguing! You all may have seen this image going around on FB. I see it pop up from my art friends every so often. I wonder how this woman's visual experience would compare? :)
@cc21 What a fun chart! Interesting how many more colors fine artists see than lay people. I painted constantly for about six years and I noticed my color sense increased dramatically during that time. I'd attribute it to the result of increased awareness that comes from practice. The more we focus on using one of our senses, the more we sense. During the time I was painting, I loved painting landscapes, so when I was outdoors, I was often thinking about how I would recreate something on canvas. What colors would I need to make a particular color, also what instruments would create the texture I wanted.
@jeanne-mayell Yes! If you have done any work in visual arts, I think you definitely notice many different shades of colors. I do a lot of nature-based artwork, esp. botanical art, so there are many, many shades of green! :) I often work in colored pencil (Faber-Castell Polychromos), so I tend to think of which pencil I would use for something..."oh, that is Carmine red or, no, it is more an earthy Pompein red..." And then you can get into layering colors...fun stuff :)
I have also read a lot of nde accounts where people report seeing colors they can’t see in our waking reality, so I’m delighted that came up in the article. Also, foragers, particularly in indigenous cultures, tend to have heightened color and smell perception.
I learned a great deal about colors from my 64 count box of Crayola Crayons. Who didn't like using the name "burnt sienna"? I loved periwinkle pink carnation and mulberry. I loved sorting my crayons by color too.
Fun fact. When my children were younger, our dog would eat the crayons they left out and poop a rainbow of different colors. I never thought to identify the different shades of the colors he pooped by name though...thank goodness. hahaha
One would need a new lexicon of "dirty" colors. Scat-scarlet? Poopish-purple? Turdy-teal? The lawn is the limit.....Imagine how disturbing it could be to a tetrachromat!