A feeling of relaxation. An altered sense of time and space. A slowed reaction time. These effects are all associated with cannabis, but what else do we understand about the drugs effects on the brain? Investigating the impacts of the drug, recent research in JAMA Network Open has revealed that heavy cannabis use is associated with reduced brain activity during working memory tasks. Representing the largest of any such study so far, the research indicates that the negative outcomes that are linked with heavy cannabis use are not as inconsequential as commonly thought. As cannabis use continues to grow globally, studying its effects on human health has become increasingly important, said Joshua Gowin, a study author and an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, according to a press release. By doing so, we can provide a well-rounded understanding of both the benefits and risks of cannabis use, empowering people to make informed decisions and fully comprehend the potential consequences.Read More: Weed Might Not Make You Creative After AllTies Between Cannabis and Brain ActivityAccording to the study, cannabis use is rising, as more and more states and countries allow its production and sale. But as the drugs prevalence increases, so, too, does the perception that cannabis is innocuous, whether used recreationally or medically.To address this perception, and to examine the cognitive effects of cannabis, Gowin and a team of researchers turned to the brains of around 1,000 young adults. Monitoring their brain activity with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), they revealed that around 63 percent of heavy cannabis users demonstrated reduced brain activity during working memory tasks. They also revealed that their reduced brain activity during those tasks was associated with poor performance. Defined as the minds short-term storage system, the working memory allows people to manage and manipulate information temporarily. Though the research cannot reveal whether cannabis caused the reduced brain activity and poor working memory performance, the researchers say their results call out the negative outcomes that are associated with heavy cannabis use.People need to be aware of their relationship with cannabis, Gowin said in the release. Heavy users may need to be more cautious.Testing the TiesAccording to the researchers, the associations between cannabis use and brain activity during working memory tasks were statistically significant in heavy cannabis users. While these users were defined as those who had used cannabis over 1,000 times throughout their lives, moderate users had used the drug 10 to 999 times and non-users had used the drug fewer than 10 times. The researchers also studied the associations between cannabis use and brain activity during other tasks, including motor tasks, language tasks, and emotion and reward tasks, though the ties were not statistically significant.Not only that; the researchers tested the associations between cannabis use and brain activity in recent cannabis users, too. These users were identified through drug testing, though the links between their cannabis use and brain activity during working memory and motor tasks did not survive a statistical analysis meant to minimize false positives. "We applied the highest standards to our research, setting rigorous thresholds for statistical significance, Gowin said in the release. While some of the other tasks indicated potential cognitive impairment, only the working memory task showed a statistically significant impact.Demonstrating reduced brain activity during working memory tasks in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and the anterior insula, heavy cannabis users saw activity diminish in the areas of the brain that are associated with memory, decision-making, and attention.There are a lot of questions we still need answers to regarding how cannabis impacts the brain, Gowin said in the release. Large, long-term studies are needed next to understand whether cannabis use directly changes brain function.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:JAMA Network Open. Brain Function Outcomes of Recent and Lifetime Cannabis UseSam 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.

NewsLifeThis drawing is the oldest known sketch of an insect brainFound in a 17th century manuscript, the illustration shows the brain of a honeybee drone This drawing by Johannes Swammerdam shows the brain of a honeybee drone. It's the oldest known image of an insect brain.A. Strazzoni/Royal Society Notes and Records 2025By Tina Hesman Saey39 seconds agoAfter nearly 350 years, a depiction of a bees brain is getting some buzz.A manuscript created in the mid-1670s contains the oldest known depiction of an insects brain, historian of science Andrea Strazzoni of the University of Turin in Italy reports January 29 in Royal Society Notes and Records. Handwritten by Dutch biologist and microscopist Johannes Swammerdam, the manuscript contains a detailed description and drawing of a honeybee drones brain.The illustration, based on his own dissections, was just one of Swammerdams firsts. In 1658, he was also the first to see and describe red blood cells.

NewsAnimalsChatty bats are more likely to take risksBroadcasting vocalizations may affect group dynamics Bats may broadcast their individual personalities through their calls, a study finds, with chattier bats behaving more boldly.Luis Vargas/iNaturalist (CC BY-NC 4.0)By Richard Kemeny41 seconds agoAll bats are vocal, but some are more vocal than others.This chattiness reveals their individuality, with more talkative bats acting more boldly, researchers report January 29 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Bats might broadcast their personalities to others from a distance, which could play into social dynamics within a colony, the finding suggests.This study is a major step forward in our understanding of behavioral types in bats and how those relate to patterns of social vocalization, says

Nature, Published online: 28 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00266-1The freezes effect on research is still unclear, but scientists fear incalculable damage.

Nature, Published online: 28 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00235-8One of Jupiters biggest moons has the potential to harbour life in a subsurface sea. The nature of its core will provide information about that ocean.

By achieving a top speed of Mach 1.1, Boom Supersonic has broken records and is on course to revive supersonic passenger travel.

2 years of doing anything but modeling in Blender I found out that it's actually pretty fun submitted by /u/Nenad1979 [link] [comments]

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No, these auto rickshaws are not from Pixars next Cars movie, although they were inspired by the franchise. This is an animation created by Pranav Pradi in Blender with characters from his Sundari short. He wanted to create a character with a similar to Cars spirit but with a unique South Indian twist.These Indian rickshaws are cute as they are, but if you are really attentive, you might also spot a little joke in there. Ill give you some time to find it.Ready? When one Redditor noted that autos in India never use indicators, Pradi replied:You are damn right. But look closely: in the video, the indicators turn on [the opposite side of] the wheel direction. ( I made sure while rigging [that] when turning right, the left indicator turns on and vice versa.)If you want to see the short and some behind-the-scenes footage, check out the artists Instagram. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Pranav Pradi (@pranav.pradi) View this post on InstagramA post shared by Pranav Pradi (@pranav.pradi) View this post on InstagramA post shared by Pranav Pradi (@pranav.pradi)Weve also seen Pradis realistic donut animation, which can be found there. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Pranav Pradi (@pranav.pradi)And if you want another rickshaw perspective, check out Tsombul Samuel Tavershimas work inspired by a cap from a Nigerian TV series.Tsombul Samuel TavershimaJoin our 80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post These Cute Auto Rickshaws Made in Blender Look Like Cars Characters appeared first on CG SHARES.

As the artist explained, this transport design was created for GALAHAD 3093, a mech-based hero shooter set in a sci-fi future inspired by Arthurian legend, which never made it into the final game. In the game, the plan was for the mech to be dropped from a height and use its jets to slow the fall, providing a workaround to hide the map loading times.Mike took on this project to learn SubD modeling and create a polished, functional 3D model for his portfolio with a strong focus on physics. The process took several months and really challenged him to figure out the plausibility limits, which you can skip or not overly focus on during the concept stage. With the model nearly done, check out some of the in-between progress shots:Visit Mike Doschers ArtStation for more amazing mechs and vehicles and join our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us on Instagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Impressive Blender-Made Rigged & Animated Mech Aircraft Carrier appeared first on CG SHARES.