Robot with a Rat Brain
This is the video accompanying the Chapter 1 Update article that described the use of cultured rat neurons to control a small roving robot. There is footage of the robot in action and a microscopic photo of the network the neurons have formed. Click here for video
Sex Lives of Animals
This video takes a brief but fascinating look at the sexual behavior and characteristics of animals. Topics include animal homosexuality and "prostitution". Click here for video
The Brain of an Android
Neuroscientists often use artificial intelligence to simulate behavior in hopes of learning how the brain carries out tasks. Usually these simulations occur totally inside the computer, but an interesting exception involves the creation of life-like androids. In these two examples the androids are not generating the behavior themselves—we're not that far along; the value of these efforts is in the ability of artificial intelligence to mimic the complexities of human expression and gestures. Video of a female android; male android
Smelling Fear
The function of Grueneberg ganglion cells, located in the nose of many mammals, has been a mystery until now. In this video a normal mouse exposed to alarm-produced pheromones crouches in the corner of its cage, while one whose Grueneberg ganglion cells have been surgically destroyed appears indifferent. You can find a brief description of the research as well as a video here.
Are You a Synesthete ?
People with synesthesia have cross-modal sensory experiences; that is, stimulation of one sense evokes an experience in another sense as well. The synesthete may "taste" a musical tone or see colors during a symphony, or say that the word "February" is "yellow". We aren't sure why this happens, but the most compelling hypotheses start with the fact that there are many, mostly silent, neural interconnections among the cortical sensory areas. In a You Tube video a synesthete describes his strange experiences of the world and a researcher tries to make sense of the phenomenon. A second video lets you test yourself for one form of visual/auditory synesthesia.
A New Example of Mirror Recognition
In a video accompanying a research article that documents mirror recognition in magpies, one of the birds attempts to remove the mark from its breast, then checks its mirror image to determine success.
The Ventromedial Nucleus and Female Receptivity
The Chapter 7 Update describes a study in which blocking production of estrogen receptors in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus eliminated sexual receptivity in female rats. This video compares the extreme sexual reluctance of a treated female with the normal receptiveness of one injected with neutral RNA.
