New But Ancient Orchid Species Discovered in Japan Japan’s most recognizable orchid, the Spiranthes australis, has been cherished for centuries (it even features in The Man’yōshū, the oldest collection of Japanese waka poetry, dating back to 759AD) and it’s just been discovered to have an almost identical twin: the Spiranthes hachijoensis. The flower was actually hiding in plain sight—in private gardens, balconies, parks and more—and …
A team led by John Hopkins University and the University of Cambridge have completed the most expansive map of a brain to date. The diagram, which traces every neuron and connection of a larval fruit fly (whose biology is comparable with humans), took 12 years to map and is expected to inform future brain research. To survey the brain, scientists sliced it into hundreds and thousands …
Brooklyn-based startup Synchron has recently implanted their brain device—called strenode—in a patient in the US for the first time. The device will help the patient, who cannot move or speak due to ALS, by converting their thoughts into text. The company has already implanted strenode into four patients in Australia who have successfully been able to communicate and surf the internet without side effects. The …
