Innovative technology linked with the brain is already helping restore the quality of life for many disabled individuals, such as one paralyzed patient who piloted a virtual drone by simply thinking. This breakthrough in neurotechnology, detailed in a recent study, demonstrates the exciting possibilities becoming available for those with motor impairments who want to enjoy recreational activities like playing video games.The study, published in Nature Medicine, was founded on paralyzed individuals' desire to engage in hobbies like sports or gaming, activities that may normally be difficult due to loss of movement in the body. By designing a brain-computer interface (BCI) to address this issue, researchers have made tremendous progress in showing how people who have developed physical impairments can enjoy games and socialize with friends in unprecedented ways.Implementing a Brain-Computer Interface The BCI created in the study was tested on a research participant with tetraplegia (or paralysis in all four limbs) caused by a spinal cord injury. The BCI separated the hand into three finger groups: the thumb and two pairs of fingers (the index and middle fingers and the ring and little fingers). To link this technology to the brain, electrodes are attached to the motor cortex and then exit the skin to be connected to a computer.It takes the signals created in the motor cortex that occur simply when the participant tries to move their fingers and uses an artificial neural network to interpret what the intentions are to control virtual fingers in the simulation, said Matthew Willsey, a University of Michigan professor of neurosurgery and first author of the study, in a statement.The signals are then sent to the computer and control the movement of a quadcopter through a virtual obstacle course. The participant involved in the study was tasked to complete the course, which involved maneuvering the drone through multiple rings as quickly and as accurately as possible.A Chance to Rise UpThe research was conducted as part of the BrainGate2 clinical trials, which intend to determine how people with tetraplegia can use a neural interface to control assistive devices and navigate communication software. The trials represent a critical opportunity for those with neurological injuries or diseases that inhibit the ability to use both hands: this includes cervical spinal cord injury, brainstem stroke, muscular dystrophy, and ALS among other conditions.The paralyzed participant has worked with researchers as far back as 2016, and expressed a particular interest in flying the virtual drone. A major theme of the study's results was the sense of enablement that the BCI gave the participant. He voiced his enthusiasm to complete the quadcopter sessions, as they made him feel like he could figuratively rise up out of his bed or chair. New Possibilities for Disabled PatientsPrevious BCIs have tested movement through point-and-click cursors and robotic arms that can grasp objects, but this newly developed BCI targets more complex finger control that could allow a paralyzed individual to perform activities like playing a musical instrument or using a digital video game controller.The possibilities for BCIs to give disabled patients access to a wider range of activities are growing as neurotechnology evolves. A noteworthy outcome of this development is that these people will feel more connected with others, fostering a healthy level of socialization and helping them overcome barriers related to their disability that sometimes go unnoticed.People tend to focus on restoration of the sorts of functions that are basic necessities eating, dressing, mobility and those are all important, said Jaimie Henderson, a professor of neurosurgery at Stanford University and a co-author of the study. But oftentimes, other equally important aspects of life get short shrift, like recreation or connection with peers. People want to play games and interact with their friends.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Brain Gate. Clinical TrialsJack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.

A new paper published in Current Biology suggests a novel twist on an old saying: Instead of "monkey see, monkey do," the paper proposes "chimp see, chimp pee." Well, not in so many words. But the study, which involved 20 captive chimpanzees at the Kumamoto Sanctuary at Kyoto University, does suggest that when one chimp urinates, others urinate too. In humans, urinating together can be seen as a social phenomenon, said Ena Onishi, a study author and a doctoral student at Kyoto University, in a press release. This behavior, which is called tsureshon in Japanese, is represented in art across centuries and cultures and continues to appear in modern social contexts. Our research suggests that this phenomenon may have deep evolutionary roots.Contagious PeeingWhen researchers at the Kumamoto Sanctuary saw something strange in the behavior of their captive chimpanzees, they set out to study it. Instead of urinating alone, the chimps appeared to urinate together, at around the same time, with one chimp initiating the behavior and other chimps continuing it. Calling the behavior contagious urination, the researchers wanted to see whether it was at all similar to contagious yawning, whereby a chimpanzee or a human yawns, causing onlooking chimps or humans to do the same.Since there were no prior studies on contagious urination in any species, we drew parallels to contagious yawning, another semi-voluntary physiological behavior, said Onishi in the release.Observing the Kumamoto chimpanzees for over 600 hours, then documenting the almost 1,330 urinations that occurred during that time, the researchers determined whether the chimpanzees urinations were synchronized. They also determined whether the chimps urinations were influenced by their physical proximity and their social closeness.We found that chimpanzees, our closest relatives, tend to urinate in response to the urination of nearby individuals, Onishi said in the release.According to the researchers, the results reveal important insights into the social groupings of chimps, helping us understand how they get and stay together, through cohesion, connection, and, apparently, urination. Read More: Are Chimpanzees Capable of Empathy?Synchronized Peeing PatternsAfter analyzing their observations, the researchers concluded that the chimps urinations were synchronized, occurring at around the same time much more frequently than if they were randomized. But their analysis also identified other trends in the chimpanzees urination, too. For instance, the chimps urinations were more synchronized when the chimpanzees were closer together in terms of their physical proximity, though not in terms of their social closeness.We initially expected that any social influences might resemble those seen in yawning such as stronger contagion between socially close pairs, Onishi said in the release. However, our results showed no evidence of effects related to social closeness.Instead, the researchers revealed a strong influence of social hierarchy, with higher-status chimps urinating alone and lower-status chimps urinating in response to the higher-status individuals.We observed a clear influence of social rank, with lower-ranking individuals being more likely to follow the urination of others, said Onishi in the release. We were surprised to discover that the contagion pattern was influenced by social rank.Though the purpose and mechanisms of contagious urination remain a mystery, the researchers say that their results are unprecedented, representing the first formal study of contagious urination in any species.This was an unexpected and fascinating result, as it opens up multiple possibilities for interpretation, said Shinya Yamamoto, another study author and an associate professor at Kyoto University, in the release. These findings raise intriguing questions about the social functions of this behavior. Article Sources:Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Current Biology. Socially Contagious Urination in ChimpanzeesProceedings of the Royal Society B. Contagious Yawning in ChimpanzeesSam Walters is a journalist covering archaeology, paleontology, ecology, and evolution for Discover, along with an assortment of other topics. Before joining the Discover team as an assistant editor in 2022, Sam studied journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

A screenshot of the game display shows the quadcopter following a green path around the rings. The inset shows a hand avatar. The neural implant records from nearby neurons and algorithms determine the intended movements for the hand avatar. The finger positions are then used to control the virtual quadcopter. Credit: University of Michigan / Nature MedicineShareMultiple brain-computer interface (BCI) projects are currently underway, but BrainGate is one of the first aimed at motor restoration in users affected by neurodegenerative disorders and spinal cord injuries. Researchers have spent years working through the devices clinical trial phases, but their most recent breakthrough isnt focused on physical accomplishments. Instead, the latest achievements could pave the way for people with disabilities to more easily utilize complex computer software, communicate with loved ones, work remotely, and even make music.According to a study published by BrainGate engineers on January 20 in the journal Nature Medicine, a volunteer with quadriplegia can now maintain unprecedented control over a virtual object using their surgically implanted BrainGate BCI device. To demonstrate the ability, the patient guided a virtual rotocopter through hoops in a digital obstacle course by simply thinking about moving the fingers on one of their hands.This is a greater degree of functionality than anything previously based on finger movements, Matthew Willsey, study first author and a University of Michigan assistant professor of neurosurgery and biomedical engineering, said in an accompanying announcement.Noninvasive BCI technology already exists to help users with physical restrictions operate computer software and video games, often relying on electroencephalography (EEG) signals. Willsey and his colleagues, however, note that these methods require analyzing larger regions of the brain beyond the motor cortex. Because of this, the engineers believe placing microthin electrode wiring closer to the actual neurons allows for the restoration of more precise motor control.[BrainGate2] takes the signals created in the motor cortex that occur simply when the participant tries to move their fingers and uses an artificial neural network to interpret what the intentions are to control virtual fingers in the simulation, said Willsey.The updated BrainGate BCI system works by analyzing the users hand in three partsthe thumb, then the index and middle fingers, followed by the ring and pinky fingers. Each section is also defined by its horizontal and vertical movements. To guide a virtual quadcopter through its digital obstacle course, the BCI user only needs to think about moving those hand groupings as needed to fly the vehicle through the floating hoops.The volunteer, who cannot move their limbs after sustaining a spinal cord injury many years ago, has worked with Willseys team since 2016. But unlike some of the previous trials, this one was specifically tailored to their interests. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.The quadcopter simulation was not an arbitrary choice, the research participant had a passion for flying, added Donald Avansino, study co-author and a computer scientist at Stanford University. While also fulfilling the participants desire for flight, the platform also showcased the control of multiple fingers.According to the teams results, the BrainGate array wired directly to motor neurons offered a sixfold improvement on the users quadcopter piloting when compared to an EEG system. This digital precision may soon extend much further than copter steeringit could allow for greater connectivity between the BCI user and their friends and loved ones.People tend to focus on restoration of the sorts of functions that are basic necessitieseating, dressing, mobilityand those are all important, explained Jaimie Henderson, a neurosurgery professor at Stanford and study co-author. But oftentimes, other equally important aspects of life get short shrift, like recreation or connection with peers. People want to play games and interact with their friends.Henderson said there are also practical implications to the BCI improvements showcased in the quadcopter trialsthe ability to control multiple virtual fingers allows for multifactor control schemes for all kinds of things, including using CAD software and composing music.

Nature, Published online: 21 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00197-xThe new president signed decrees designed to shift the US governments stance on climate and public health.

Nature, Published online: 21 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00168-2For open communication, give researchers a permanent e-mail alias

Nosferatu 4K Limited Edition Steelbook $38 Preorder at Amazon Robert Eggers Nosferatu is a chilling remake of F.W. Murnaus iconic horror film, and it pulled in positive reviews from both fans and critics when it hit theaters late last year. And if youre interested in bringing it to your home theater, preorders for the Nosferatu Limited Edition Steelbook are now open at Walmart ahead of the film's February 18 release on 4K Blu-ray. This release includes the original theatrical version as well as a new extended cut. The Limited Edition Steelbook has already sold out at least three times at Amazon, so you'll want to secure your preorder soon.Preorder Nosferatu Steelbook Edition at:Walmart -- $40Amazon -- $38 | Sold outGruv -- $38 Continue Reading at GameSpot

New Hello Kitty and Friends DLC has arrived in Minecraft, and it lets players build a cute farm filled with crops and animals, alongside many Hello Kitty characters.In this DLC, players will be able to water and grow crops to harvest.There are plenty of animals to raise, including chickens, cows, sheep, and pigs, which can provide eggs, milk, and wool. Pigs also have the ability to find valuable truffles that are worth quite a lot. Over 180 different Hello Kitty-themed furniture and decor will be added, such as the Badtz-Maru chair and the Tuxedo Sam table.The DLC also comes with changing seasons to freshen up the landscape as well as festive events. These events include the Eggciting Cherry Blossom Festival, Frosty Funday, Halloween Spooktacular, and the Fireworks Festival. However, players will have to watch out for natural disasters, such as typhoons and heat waves that could ruin your crops.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Minecraft is a relaxing game that allows players to enjoy both a survival experience and a creative builder experience. There are many different things that players will need to be able to survive within the game if they are playing in survival mode, but there are also many different qualities of life choices players can make as well. For example, making dye for their armor and other items within the game.

According to a leaked article, Bethesdas upcoming first-person shooter Doom: The Dark Ages is seemingly set to be released on May 15, 2025. Doom: The Dark Ages was only announced in June 2024, but the latest entry into id Softwares long-running FPS franchise is already one of Microsofts most anticipated games in 2025.

Necromancers are the summoners of Diablo 4, but thats not their entire identity. Like much of Diablo 4, Necromancers are far more complex than youd initially imagine. So when you can summon minions to do your bidding or sacrifice them for major stat bonuses, how do you know what to do? Thats where we come in, with our suggestions of the best Necromancer builds for Diablo 4 season 7. Necromancers are able to summon Skeletons and Golems. But theyre also able to cast Sorcerer-like spells dealing in the creepier sides of magic. They can sling bones and drain blood from foes. They can even project poison blight on the ground. And, yes, they can sacrifice minions for incredible bonuses with the Book of the Dead. Not to your taste? We also have builds for the Sorcerer, Rogue, Druid, Spiritborn, and Barbarian classes.In this Diablo 4 guide, weve gathered and simplified the best Diablo 4 Necromancer builds for season 7. If you need even more information on item affixes or other more complex ideas, weve been sure to link out to the more detailed versions of these builds, as well as where to find their original creators.Best Necromancer build for leveling in Diablo 4 season 7This build is based off Seroc Ifkres Necromancer leveling guide at maxroll.gg, and is purely for leveling (i.e., allocating your 71 skill points between levels 1 and 60) and early stages of the Torment I difficulty. If you want more detailed information about the item affixes you want to look for on your gear, or which other Legendary powers are great for your build, check out the original maxroll.gg guide.Best skills for levelingThis Necromancer leveling guides focuses on Raise Skeleton. In this build, youll also use Blight, Soulrift, Blood Mist, Corpse Tendrils, and Reap.Here are the best skills for a Necromancer leveling build, organized by the exact order you should purchase them in bearing in mind that some skills require you to allocate a number of skill points in the tree in order to unlock them. As such, youll need to unlock new skills before enhancing existing ones.Reap / Enhanced ReapSever (rank 1-3) / Enhanced Sever / Supernatural SeverNecrotic FortitudeTitans FallSpiked ArmorFueled By DeathGrim HarvestSkeletal Warrior MasteryDecrepify / Enhanced Decrepify / Abhorrent DecrepifyAmplify DamageDeaths Embrace (rank 1-3)Corpse Tendrils / Enhanced Corpse Tendrils / Blighted Corpse TendrilsSoulrift (rank 1-5) / Supreme Soulrift / Prime SoulriftFinality (rank 1-3) / Inspiring LeaderKalans EdictSkeletal Warrior Mastery (rank 2-3)Skeletal Mage Master (rank 1-3)Hellbent Commander (rank 1-3)Blight / Enhanced Blight / Supernatural BlightHewed FleshNecrotic Fortitude (rank 2-3)Titans Fall (rank 2-3)Fueled By Death (rank 2-3)Spiked Armor (rank 2-3)Deaths Approach (rank 1-3)Amplify Damage (rank 1-3)Reapers Pursuit (rank 1-3)Terror (rank 1-3)Gloom (rank 1-3)Necrotic Carapace (rank 1-3)Golem Master (rank 1-3)Inspiring Leader (rank 2)Best Book of the Dead setup for levelingHere are the minions you should use for this build:Skeletal Warriors ReapersSkeletal Mages ShadowGolem Iron (Sacrifice)Best Legendary Aspect for Necromancer leveling buildWhen you first start your new character, complete these five dungeons first in order to collect their Aspects. Then place them on a piece of gear (ideally jewelry and never weapons). The random drop Aspects are all nice to add to your Codex and your gear if youre lucky enough to find them on your leveling journey.Reanimation (Aldurwood, Scosglen)Damned (Uldurs Cave, Kehjistan)Disobedience (Halls of the Damned, Kehjistan)Best Necromancer build for endgameNote: The following build was the one of best Necromancer endgame builds for season 6. While you might not get the most bang for your buck from it in season 7, its still effective as of this writing..This build is based off of Seroc Ifkres Spirit Wave Necromancer endgame guide at MaxRoll.gg, and is a general endgame guide capable of finding success in all activities. This guide assumes that youre over level 60, have access to all 71 skill points, and are making progress on your Paragon Boards. If you want more detailed information about the item affixes you want to look for on your gear, or why these Legendary powers are great for your build, check out the original MaxRoll guide.Best skill points for Spirit Wave build for endgameThis build utilizes Blood Wave as its core skill. It also uses Blight, Blood Lance, Corpse Tendrils, Corpse Explosion, and Blood Mist.Since you need all 71 points for this build, the order you select these skills in doesnt matter as long as you have the pre-requisite points in the earlier skill tree tiers. Here is how you should spend your skill points for this build:Hemorrhage (rank 1-2)Blood Lance / Enhanced Blood Lance / Paranormal Blood LanceBlight / Enhanced Blight / Supernatural BlightImperfectly Balanced (rank 1-3)Hewed Flesh (rank 1-3)Blood MistCorpse ExplosionNecrotic Fortitude (rank 1-2)Titans Fall (rank 1-3)Fueled by Death (rank 1-3)Decrepify / Enhanced Decrepify / Abhorrent DecrepifyDeaths Embrace (rank 1-3)Amplify Damage (rank 1-3)Corpse Tendrils / Enhanced Corpse Tendrils / Plagued Corpse TendrilsBone Spirit (rank 1-5) / Enhanced Bone Spirit / Ghastly Bone SpiritNecrotic Carapace (rank 1-3)Compound Fracture (rank 1-3)Evulsion (rank 1-3)Blood Wave (rank 1-5) / Prime Blood Wave / Supreme Blood WaveFinality (rank 1-3)Memento Mori (rank 1-3)Stand Alone (rank 1-3)Inspiring Leader (rank 1-2)Ossified EssenceNecromancer Book of the Dead setup for Spirit Wave buildThis is a full sacrifice build, so heres how you need to setup your Book of the Dead:Skeletal Warriors Skirmishers (Sacrifice)Skeletal Mages Cold (Sacrifice)Golems Iron (Sacrifice)Legendary Powers and Uniques for Spirit Wave buildTo make this build work, youre going to need powerful Legendary Powers and Unique items to augment your build.Seroc Ifkre recommends these Aspects:Helm: Harlequin Crest (Mythic) or Cursed AuraChest: Blood Artisans Cuirass (Unique)Gloves: TidalPants: Hardened BonesBoots: Concussive StrikesSword: SerrationShield: Gore QuillsAmulet: Great FeastRing 1: Fastblood (dungeon)Ring 2: Ring of Starless Skies (Mythic) or SerrationIf you want to get into the nitty gritty of stat priorities, refer to Seroc Ifkres original guide.Paragon Boards for Necromancer Spirit Wave buildThe Paragon Board system is very complex, and youll want to carefully pair your Glyphs with specific boards for your class:Starter Board / SacrificialBone Graft / EssenceBlood Begets Blood / ExploitFrailty / CorporealFlesh-eater / AmplifyYou should level your Glyphs to 15 in this specific order:EssenceSacrificialCorporealExploitAmplifyYou can path your own way through the Paragon Boards following these basic guidelines. However, for the best results, follow Seroc Ifkres path exactly.How to make a great Necromancer buildNecromancers are Diablo 4s main summoning class although Druids, ironically, had better summons during the games launch window. But aside from their army of minions, Necromancers also act as a darker caster, sharing a lot of playstyle DNA with the Sorcerer.Like all classes, most Necromancer builds boil down to a few Key Passives:BoneBlood/HealthShadowMinionBone skills like Bone Spear hit extremely hard for Necromancers, and are great for chunking down enemies. The Ossified Essence Key Passive modifies that damage even further for players that successfully pool their Essence. Blood builds utilize Blood skills to both keep the Necromancer healthy while dealing big damage. These builds typically end with the Rathmas Vigor Key Passive.Shadow builds use Shadow skills to poison enemies with dark essence. Interestingly, the Shadowblight Key Passive not only benefits the Necromancer, but also their minions, making it a more diverse build path. Minion builds are Necromancers main bread and butter, but are entirely dependent on how good minions are in the current meta. When theyre useful, these builds end with the Kalans Edict Key Passive.Like all classes, Necromancer builds have other identities to them like Thorns but most will converge on one of the four identities highlighted above. What really determines build viability on Necromancer is how you use your minions and the Book of the Dead. If you want to make your own build, decide early on if you want to sacrifice your minions or use them in battle. This will not only determine which skills youll want to use, but which of the four Key Passives you want to angle toward.Looking for other Diablo 4 builds? We have explainers on the Spiritborn, Sorcerer, Rogue, Druid, and Barbarian classes.