AI: Scientists from Columbia University have discovered that the brain plays an important role in controlling the immune system. In a study in mice, they found that the brain can detect inflammation and modulate the immune response, boosting or suppressing it as needed. This discovery could lead to the development of new treatments for immune-related diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, it may help create new approaches to treat acute inflammatory conditions, such as severe immune reactions due to viral infections.

AI: The author described his experience using Spotify's new DJ feature, which uses artificial intelligence to create personalized playlists. He noticed that his musical preferences had remained virtually unchanged over the past ten years, and began researching the phenomenon of musical paralysis and the science of sound preferences. Research results have shown that ear openness usually peaks at age 24, and after that age it usually declines. 31 is considered the age when musical tastes begin to stagnate and parents stray from the mainstream faster than other groups in the population. The author admits that he is on the cusp of becoming a musical dinosaur, and his musical preferences are becoming more specialized as he ages.

https://archive.is/MxU8v

AI: MIT researchers have found a link between children's socioeconomic status (SES) and their brains' sensitivity to reward. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), they found that children with lower SES levels showed less sensitivity to rewards than children with higher SES levels. This may be due to the fact that in lower SES environments there are fewer rewards, leading to brain adaptations to respond less to rewards. The study also highlights the importance of including diverse groups of participants in studies to obtain more accurate results about the influence of SES on brain development.

KEY TAKEAWAYS The Higgs boson's discovery in 2012 sparked significant interest, proposing an explanation for subatomic particle mass. Recent measurements of CERN data show an unexpectedly high decay rate of the Higgs into Z bosons and photons, suggesting potential new physics. It's too early to know whether these measurements reflect undiscovered phenomena or statistical fluctuations. Further analyses could soon answer the question.

To create advanced technology, a species would likely require the capability to increase the temperature of the materials used in its production. Oxygen's role in enabling open-air combustion has been critical in the evolution of human technology, particularly in metallurgy. Exoplanets whose atmospheres contain less than 18% oxygen would likely not allow open-air combustion, suggesting a threshold that alien worlds must cross if life on them is to develop advanced technology.

KEY TAKEAWAYS Digital reading might be adversely affecting kids' reading comprehension skills, a recently published meta-analysis finds. Digital reading does improve comprehension skills, but the beneficial effect is between six and seven times smaller than that of print reading. Digital texts, such as social media chats and blogs, tend to be much shorter and have worse linguistic quality compared to printed works. Phones and computers also expose readers to distractions from social media, YouTube, and video games. The authors recommend that parents and teachers limit kids' time with digital content, or at least emphasize printed works or using basic e-readers with ink screens.

• Crowther's research found that there is room on Earth for 1.2 trillion trees, which can absorb up to two-thirds of the carbon.

• The study sparked a tree-planting craze among companies and leaders seeking to bolster their environmental credentials.

• This led to a firestorm of criticism from scientists who argued that Crowther's study vastly overestimated the area of ​​land suitable for reforestation.

• Crowther published a more detailed paper showing that preserving existing forests can have a greater impact on the climate than planting trees.

• The study caused a crisis of confidence in conservation programs, as the purchase of private carbon credits for forest conservation proved futile.

• Hypotheses explain the rapid rise in obesity over recent decades.

• Energy balance: Weight gain due to consuming more calories.

• Carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis: Excess carbohydrate intake stimulates the insulin response.

• Effect of Protein: Eating insufficient protein causes constant hunger.

• New hypothesis: sugar, especially fructose, is to blame for obesity.

• Fructose suppresses mitochondrial function, causing hunger and thirst.

• In the long term, regular exposure to fructose can damage mitochondria.

• Corn syrup, honey and cane sugar are common sources of fructose.

• Fruits are still healthy, but they contain less fructose than juices or candies.

AI CONCISE SUMMARY: Scientists have identified a novel type of brain cell that acts like both neurons and glial cells. Known as glutamatergic astrocytes, these cells release the primary neurotransmitter used by neurons (glutamate) and could lead to new treatments for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other nervous system disorders. Further research is needed to explore their function in humans and potential protective role against memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease as well as their role in other regions and pathologies.

•  Google is rolling out "Enhanced Ad Privacy" to Chrome. 

•  The feature allows websites to target ads based on the user's browsing history. 

•  The feature notification pop-up is available for some Chrome users. 

•  Google plans to opt out of third-party cookies for targeted advertising. 

•  Themes are determined based on the user's browser history via the Chrome Themes API. 

•  Some users complain and ask to disable the feature. 

•  The pop-up window is regionally-variable and offers the option to turn off theme API support. 

•  Apple and Mozilla will not use themes for privacy reasons. 

3/5 – Moderation, not Federation, is the Threadiverse’s killer feature

Lemmy is not Reddit, and calling Lemmy a Federated or Open-Source version of its inspiration is doing it a disservice. Since Lemmy instances are not venture capital funded, continual growth is not the criteria for success. On Reddit, people who read, post, comment, and vote are the product, advertisers are the customers, and investors set the policy. Return on investment trumps all other concerns, and Reddit must continue to grow to be successful. Lemmy allows for a much more diverse set of definitions of success.

So the 0th step in becoming a successful Lemmy instance is deciding what that success looks like. That’s obviously up to the admin(s), but it can’t be achieved without skilled and dedicated moderators. Moderators do obvious tasks like remove spam and ban hate-speech, but they also encourage community activities, model conflict resolution, and produce content. A healthy community is a well-kept garden, and a successful Lemmy instance must include a collection of healthy communities. Moderators are the gardeners that help a community grow.

Moderation is a difficult and emotionally taxing job. I’ve alluded earlier that Reddit made an unforced error, degrading the moderator experience by killing 3rd party apps, and that Lemmy is missing those same essential tools due to its current stage of development. But Lemmy has an advantage over Reddit in there are plenty of instances where admins will listen to and respect their moderators. Lemmy’s codebase and 3rd party software is improving, and while Reddit may be able to improve their internal moderator support mechanisms, moderators will never be more than exploited rubes for them.

Since moderation is so difficult to do well, and is so essential to the Threadiverse project, the effect on moderators should be the primary concern in making any decision that changes the policy, culture, or performance of a Lemmy instance.