Quirky Science
Giving emotions to virtual characters
Researchers at the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEM) were able to simulate human facial expressions in virtual characters and use them in order to create better environments within a virtual communication.
So far, the so-called virtual agents also mimic human behavior through programmed commands or scripts, but it results in a very "robotic" reaction, which is not interesting for the user, according to Marco Antonio Ramos Corchado, engineer at the Department of Computational Science at UAEM.
The main objective of the research is to generate expressions and emotions based on real people, taking as reference the 43 muscles involved in facial behavior depending on the psychological environment.
To achieve this in human models, tactile sensors were placed that release tiny electrical pulses to provoke different gestures with which a 3D camera captures the personality traits.
Reminiscing can help boost mental performance
To solve a mental puzzle, the brain's executive control network for externally focused, goal-oriented thinking must activate, while the network for internally directed thinking like daydreaming must be turned down to avoid interference – or so we thought.
New research led by Cornell University neuroscientist Nathan Spreng shows for the first time that engaging brain areas linked to so-called “off-task” mental activities (such as mind-wandering and reminiscing) can actually boost performance on some challenging mental tasks. The results advance our understanding of how externally and internally focused neural networks interact to facilitate complex thought, the authors say.
“The prevailing view is that activating brain regions referred to as the default network impairs performance on attention-demanding tasks because this network is associated with behaviors such as mind-wandering,” writes Spreng. “Our study is the first to demonstrate the opposite – that engaging the default network can also improve performance.”
‘Lost chapel' skeletons found holding hands after 700 years
University of Leicester archaeologists have uncovered a trove of relics and remains at Chapel of St Morrell in Leicestershire.
Some relationships last a lifetime -- and University of Leicester archaeologists have discovered that they can last even longer after unearthing two skeletons at a lost chapel in Leicestershire that have been holding hands for 700 years.
The happy couple 'refused' to be parted by death when they were discovered by a team of archaeologists from the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) working with local volunteers during an excavation at the Chapel of St Morrell in Leicestershire, a site of pilgrimage in Hallaton during the 14th Century. The excavation took four year.
Physicists sound warning to 'nail beauty fanatics'
The daily trimming of fingernails and toenails to make them more aesthetically pleasing could be detrimental and potentially lead to serious nail conditions.
This is according to researchers at the University of Nottingham who have devised equations to identify the physical laws that govern nail growth, and used them to throw light on the causes of some of the most common nail problems, such as ingrown toe nails, spoon-shaped nails and pincer nails.
According to the research, which has been published on 17 October, in IOP Publishing's journal Physical Biology, regular poor trimming can tip the fine balance of nails, causing residual stress to occur across the entire nail.
This residual stress can promote a change in shape or curvature of the nail over time which, in turn, can lead to serious nail conditions.
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