Briefing Chat: Evidence mounts for hidden chambers beyond Tutankhamun's tomb
Nature staff discuss geophysical evidence that could indicate hidden chambers beyond Tutankhamun's tomb and what the findings might imply for the search for Nefertiti's burial place. The episode also examines a multifunctional brain-computer interface that translates neural activity into both speech and gestures, highlighting how one implant can support several forms of communication.
Interactions between neurons during visual perception and restoring them in blindness
I will discuss the mechanisms that determine whether a weak visual stimulus will reach consciousness or not. If the stimulus is simple, early visual cortex acts as a relay station that sends the information to higher visual areas. If the stimulus arrives at a minimal strength, it will be stored in working memory. However, during more complex visual perceptions, which for example depend on the segregation of a figure from the background, early visual cortex’ role goes beyond a simply relay. It now acts as a cognitive blackboard and conscious perception depends on it. Our results also inspire new approaches to create a visual prosthesis for the blind, by creating a direct interface with the visual cortex. I will discuss how high-channel-number interfaces with the visual cortex might be used to restore a rudimentary form of vision in blind individuals.