Brain’s Built-In Signal Threshold Helps Differentiate Imagination from Reality

A basic but inscrutable brain system may distinguish between reality and imagination. New research has found that there may be a “dial” in the fusiform that may influence whether we interpret something sensory as real or imagined. The research, published in the journal Neuron, also gives new understanding of conditions like schizophrenia, where perception and thought are […]

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Supernovas May Have Triggered Deadly Ancient Climate Shifts, and They Could Happen Again

Earth’s ancient climate was influenced by unexplained ‘mystery particles’ from outer space. Explosive stellar events may be forecasted by analysing iron isotopes in interstellar dust. New research indicates that nearby supernovas, the giant death explosions of stars, may have upset the planet’s atmospheric balance thousands of years ago. These bursts, creating torrents of high-energy radiation, may have […]

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Astrophotographer Captures Stunning Portrait of Lagoon and Trifid Nebulas in Glowing Detail

Astrophotographer Greg Meyer has released a stunning image of two of the Milky Way’s most recognisable star-birthing natal areas — the Lagoon and Trifid nebulas — shining bright in a field of densely packed galactic stars. Recorded over a 34-hour period from a dark sky site in Arizona, the picture highlights showy, narrowband-filtered emission lines from interstellar […]

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