Scientists Study Getting an Unwanted Tune Out of Your Head

Scientists Study Getting an Unwanted Tune Out of Your Head: Hugh Pickens writes writes "Richard Gray reports that scientists have found a way to help anyone plagued by those annoying tunes that lodge themselves inside our heads and repeat on an endless loop — when snippets of a catchy song inexplicably play like a broken record in your brain. The solution can be to solve some tricky anagrams to force the intrusive music out of your working memory allowing the music to be replaced with other more amenable thoughts. 'The key is to find something that will give the right level of challenge,' says Dr Ira Hyman, a music psychologist at Western Washington University who conducted the research. 'If you are cognitively engaged, it limits the ability of intrusive songs to enter your head.' Hyman says that the problem, called involuntary memory retrieval, is that something we can do automatically like driving or walking means you are not using all of your cognitive resource, so there is plenty of space left for that internal jukebox to start playing. Dr Vicky Williamson, a music psychologist at Goldsmiths, University of London, says that the most likely songs to get stuck are those that are easy to hum along to or sing and found that that Lady Gaga was the most common artist to get stuck in people's heads, with four of her catchy pop songs being the most likely to become earworms – Alejandro, Bad Romance, Just Dance and Paparazzi. Other surveys have reported Abba songs such as Waterloo, Changes by David Bowie or the Beatles' Hey Jude."

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New mechanism for long-term memory formation discovered

New mechanism for long-term memory formation discovered: Neurobiologists have found a novel molecular mechanism that helps trigger the formation of long-term memory. The researchers believe the discovery of this mechanism adds another piece to the puzzle in the ongoing effort to uncover the mysteries of memory and, potentially, certain intellectual disabilities.

Violins can mimic the human voice

Violins can mimic the human voice: For many years, some musical experts have wondered if the sound of the Stradivari and Guarneri violins might incorporate such elements of speech as vowels and consonants. A Texas A&M University researcher has now provided the first evidence that the Italian violin masters tried to impart specific vowel sounds to their violins.

Predictions of climate impacts on fisheries can be a mirage

Predictions of climate impacts on fisheries can be a mirage: In the early 1940s, California fishermen hauled in a historic bounty of sardine that set the backdrop for John Steinbeck's "Cannery Row" novel. But by the end of the decade the nets came up empty and the fishery collapsed. Where did they all go? According to a new study, the forces behind the sardine mystery are a dynamic and interconnected moving target.

Could that cold sore increase your risk of memory problems?

Could that cold sore increase your risk of memory problems?: The virus that causes cold sores, along with other viral or bacterial infections, may be associated with cognitive problems, according to a new study.

Drone Swarm Creates Star Trek Logo In London Sky

Drone Swarm Creates Star Trek Logo In London Sky: garymortimer writes "As a harbinger for the Paramount film 'Star Trek — Into Darkness', starting in May in Europe's cinemas, last night a swarm of 30 mini-helicopters equipped with the LED lights drew the Star Trek logo into the skies over London. The choreography for the show was developed by Ars Electronica Futurelab from Linz (Austria). Quadrocopter maker Ascending Technologies GmbH from Munich (Germany) provided the aircrafts."

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You Can't Have Google's Pluto Switch, But You Can Have This

You Can't Have Google's Pluto Switch, But You Can Have This: When photos of Google's mystery "Pluto Switch" appeared on the web early last year, it seemed like something from another world -- and not just because Google called it the Pluto Switch. But as alien as the Pluto Switch may seem, it's very much a sign of where the rest of the computer networking world is moving.

Say We Really Do Bring the Passenger Pigeon Back From Extinction — Then What?

Say We Really Do Bring the Passenger Pigeon Back From Extinction — Then What?: The plan to bring back the passenger pigeon, which has been extinct for nearly a century, will push the bounds of genetic engineering. But let's just say for now that the technical challenges are surmountable. If researchers actually do create a genetic replica of a passenger pigeon, what should they do with it? And could they really claim to have brought the species back from extinction?

How We're Turning Digital Natives Into Etiquette Sociopaths

How We're Turning Digital Natives Into Etiquette Sociopaths: Cyber-savvy folks are arguing for such new etiquette rules because in an information-overloaded world, time-wasting communication is not just outdated ? it?s rude. Living according to the gospel of technological efficiency and frictionless sharing is fine as a Silicon Valley innovation ethos. But etiquette norms aren?t just about efficiency: they?re actually about building thoughtful and pro-social character.

US Senate Passes National Internet Sales Tax Mandate

US Senate Passes National Internet Sales Tax Mandate: SonicSpike writes with the news that the U.S. Senate yesterday "passed a nonbinding proposal to allow states to collect sales tax on Internet sellers that have no presence within their borders. The proposal was an amendment to a 2014 budget bill that the Senate debated Friday. It was pushed by Senators Mike Enzi, a Wyoming Republican, and Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, and was designed to give backers a sense of whether they had enough votes to push forward with final legislation to impose an Internet sales tax. The vote showed they have plenty of backing to overcome any filibuster seeking to block a final sales tax bill."

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IRS Spent $60,000 Producing Star Trek Parody

IRS Spent $60,000 Producing Star Trek Parody: An anonymous reader writes According to the AP, the IRS is being "scolded for spending $60,000 dollars on an elaborate parody video that played at a 2010 conference. 'The video features an elaborate set depicting the control room, or bridge, of the spaceship featured in the hit TV show. IRS workers portray the characters, including one who plays Mr. Spock, complete with fake hair and pointed ears. The production value is high even though the acting is what one might expect from a bunch of tax collectors. In the video, the spaceship is approaching the planet 'Notax,' where alien identity theft appears to be a problem.' You can find the hilarious and/or nausea-inducing video on YouTube."

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Nuclear life of actin uncovered: Protein with key job in muscle function moonlights in nucleus to help regulate genes

Nuclear life of actin uncovered: Protein with key job in muscle function moonlights in nucleus to help regulate genes: Actin, a protein with a well-known job in the cytoplasm and an active role in muscle contraction, moonlights in the nucleus. It's function there was not understood, but now scientists find that it connects with chromatin.

Want to Make an Alligator Angrier Than Normal? Make It Use a Treadmill

Want to Make an Alligator Angrier Than Normal? Make It Use a Treadmill: Alligators, crocodiles and gharials aren't known for their easygoing nature -- and they get even less friendly when you force them to run on a treadmill. But it's worth it, because watching crocodilians exercise might teach us how dinosaurs breathed.

Can Innovation Be Automated?

Can Innovation Be Automated?: JimmyQS writes "The Harvard Business Review blog has an invited piece about Innovation Software. Tony McCaffrey at the University of Massachusetts Amherst talks about several pieces of software designed to help engineers augment their innovation process and make them more creative, including one his group has developed called Analogy Finder. The software searches patent databases using natural language processing technology to find analogous solutions in other domains. According to Dr. McCaffrey 'nearly 90% of new solutions are really just adaptations from solutions that already exist — and they're often taken from fields outside the problem solver's expertise.'"

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Major Find By Japanese Scientists May Threaten Chinese Rare Earth Hegemony

Major Find By Japanese Scientists May Threaten Chinese Rare Earth Hegemony: cold fjord writes "It looks like deep sea exploration may pay off big time as Japanese scientists have located rich deposits of rare earth elements on the sea floor in Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone waters, following up on their find two years ago of huge deposits of rare earths in mid-Pacific waters. The cumulative effect of these finds could significantly weaken Chinese control of 90% of the world supply of rare earth metals, which the Chinese have been using to flex their muscles. The concentration of rare earth metals in the Japanese find is astonishing: up to 6,500 ppm, versus 500-1,000 ppm for Chinese mines. The newly identified deposits are just 2-4 meters below sea floor which could make for relatively easy mining compared to the 10+ meters they were expecting... if they can get there. The fact that the deposits are 5,700 meters deep means there is just one or two little problems to resolve : 'A seabed oil field has been developed overseas at a depth of 3,000 meters. . . But the development of seabed resources at depths of more than 5,000 meters has no precedent, either at home or abroad. There remains a mountain of technological challenges, including how to withstand water pressure and ocean currents and how to process the mining products in the ocean, sources said.'"

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