Latest news with #TrendsinCognitiveSciences
Arab Times
6 days ago
- Health
- Arab Times
Why does your mind go blank? Research offers surprising insights
NEW YORK, Aug 4: Imagine looking up from your phone and suddenly realizing that, for a fleeting moment, you weren't thinking about anything at all. It's not a lapse in memory or a daydream — it's a moment when conscious thought simply ceases. Neuroscientists call this phenomenon "mind blanking," and recent studies have shed light on this curious mental state. Mind blanking, described as a brief, waking state where conscious thought stops completely, has long been overlooked by researchers who once believed that the brain was always actively generating thoughts. However, recent findings suggest that mind blanking is a distinct conscious state, associated with changes in "arousal" — the brain's responsiveness and alertness to stimuli. This discovery is reshaping how scientists understand consciousness and how the brain works during moments of mental stillness. Thomas Andrillon, a neuroscience researcher at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research and the Paris Brain Institute, explained that for some people, mind blanking is like a "blip" in the mind — a sudden pause when there's simply nothing. "But it's not that feeling of 'there was something I forgot,'" he said. "It's just… nothing." Though many are unaware of these lapses until prompted, studies indicate that mind blanking is more frequent than people realize. Andrillon pointed out that about 5% to 20% of a person's waking hours may be spent in this state. People often only recognize it when asked, "What were you just thinking about?" In a groundbreaking study published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences in July 2025, Andrillon and his team used electroencephalography (EEG) to track brain activity during lapses in attention, including mind blanking. In the experiment, participants were asked to press a button every time they saw a number on a screen — except for the number "3," which they were instructed to skip. This task measured how quickly participants responded and their ability to inhibit their actions. The study revealed key differences in brain activity during mind blanking and mind wandering. While participants' responses were quicker when their minds were wandering, they slowed down noticeably during mind blanking, suggesting that the two mental states are distinct. The EEG data showed a slight slowing of brain activity during mind blanking, supporting the theory that this state is associated with reduced brain function compared to active thinking. EEG, however, cannot pinpoint which specific regions of the brain are involved during mind blanking. Andrillon compared the technology to listening through a wall: you can tell if a group is noisy or quiet but can't identify who is making the noise. To address this limitation, the team turned to functional MRI (fMRI), a tool that provides a clearer view of brain activity but at a slower tracking speed. In the fMRI portion of the study, led by Athena Demertzi at the GIGA Institute-CRC Human Imaging Center at the University of Liège, participants were asked to think about nothing while resting in the scanner. The results were surprising: when participants reported experiencing mind blanking, their brains showed "hyperconnectivity," a synchronized pattern of activity similar to that seen in deep sleep. This state of hyperconnectivity suggests that mind blanking may resemble a mini-reset for the brain, pushing it toward a state of synchronization, which is typically seen in deep sleep. "What we think happens in the case of mind blanking is that the brain is pushed a little bit toward the side of synchronization," Andrillon explained. "This may disrupt the brain's normal conscious activity, sending it into a state of blankness." The similarity between the brain activity during mind blanking and deep sleep raises intriguing possibilities about its function. Deep sleep, or slow-wave sleep, is crucial for the brain's restorative processes, including clearing waste and conserving energy. Andrillon and Demertzi speculate that mind blanking might serve a similar function while we're awake, acting as a "mini-reset" that helps the brain maintain itself. Demertzi likened it to "taking five to steam off" or "cooling your head." Early studies in Demertzi's lab suggest that sleep-deprived individuals experience more frequent mind blanking, supporting the idea that it may help the brain recover from mental fatigue. However, both researchers noted that while mind blanking could be beneficial for the brain, it may not always be ideal for performance, particularly during tasks requiring concentration. While the phenomenon of mind blanking is still being explored, Andrillon believes that almost everyone experiences it, even if they aren't always aware of it. "It can require an interruption," he said, "to realize that there was no content in your mind." As research into mind blanking progresses, scientists hope to uncover more about how consciousness works and how brief moments of mental stillness might play a critical role in our cognitive well-being.
The Star
21-07-2025
- Science
- The Star
Human brain focuses in quick flickers, not in steady stream: study
JERUSALEM, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers have discovered that the human brain does not pay attention in one smooth stream, but in quick bursts, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a statement on Monday. Although it might seem like the human eyes and brain take in the world in a steady, continuous way, a new study published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences shows otherwise. It was found that attention works more like a strobe light, flickering on and off at a regular rhythm. As people scroll through their phones or switch between tasks, the brain is already doing something similar, the researchers explained. Rather than processing everything at once, it takes rapid mental snapshots, more like a slideshow than a movie. This process, named "attentional sampling," helps the brain handle the constant flood of information. The study found that the brain focuses on visual input around eight times per second. When attention is split between two things, it alternates between them at about four times per second. Attention is always shifting, even when feeling deeply focused. This flickering focus helps the brain manage competing visual inputs by quickly switching between them, often without being aware of it. The idea builds on a long-standing theory called "biased competition," which suggests that different parts of the visual system compete to process information. What drives this rhythm is still unknown, with some scientists believing higher-level brain regions may control the pattern, while others point to local brain circuits. The researchers said this mechanism may apply not just to vision, but to all the senses, and could have wide-reaching implications for interface design, education, and neurological treatments.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
When it comes to languages, babies still beat AI chatbots hands down
Artificial intelligence chatbots are sometimes lauded for their rapid-fire generation of comprehensive responses to user prompts. But when it comes to picking up new languages, the bots are tongue-tied when compared to infants, according to a team of researchers based at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics and the ESRC LuCiD Centre in the UK. Toddlers' quick growth of social, cognitive and motor skills and deployment of "all their senses" enables them not only to "build their language skills" but to do so at a speed that vastly exceeds what AI can manage. "If a human learned language at the same rate as ChatGPT, it would take them 92,000 years," the researchers said, publishing their findings in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences. "AI systems process data but children really live it," said Max Planck's Caroline Rowlands, who believes makers of AI systems should look closely at how young brains function. The team said they pulled together "wide-ranging evidence from computational science, linguistics, neuroscience and psychology" to propose that children learn much faster than AI through "an active, ever-changing developmental process" that stands apart from how AI bots are "passively" fed texts by people. Kids "explore their surroundings, continuously creating new opportunities to learn," the researchers said, explaining some of what lies behind the formidable learning powers demonstrated in early life.
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Researchers review past studies, say 'mind blanking' is distinct with unique brain activity
New Delhi: Mind blanking is a distinct state of mind, with unique neural and cognitive properties , according to a research article. Often experienced after performing tasks requiring sustained focus, mind blanking can include lapses in attention and memory and sometimes, a temporary absence of inner speech. Writing in the article, published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences , the authors explained that when we are awake, our thoughts shift through varied contents. "However, there are moments that are seemingly devoid of reportable content, referred to as mind blanking," they wrote. Author Athena Demertzi, a neuroscientist at the University of Liege , Belgium, said, "We sought to better understand mind blanking by parsing through 80 relevant research articles -- including some of our own in which we recorded participants' brain activity when they were reporting that they were 'thinking of nothing'." The team found that how commonly one experiences mind blanking ranges between 5-20 per cent of the time on average. Children with attention disorders (such as ADHD ) were found to report "thinking about nothing" more often, compared to neurotypical people. Further, the authors noted a lowered heart rate and pupil size among people experiencing a mind blank after having engaged in tasks needing sustained attention. The participants also showed brain activity that was relatively less complex -- a state of mind which the researchers said is usually observed in unconscious people. The authors also suggested that mind blanking could be " local sleep episodes ", as a person's ability to process sensory information -- such as touch and temperature -- is disrupted, with slow, sleep-waves seen in their brain. The researchers said that mind blanking has been previously studied as part of research and experiments designed to study mind wandering -- a state of mind where thoughts "occur seamlessly", and "resemble a stream continuously flowing". However, the team argued that mind blanking is a distinct experience -- it involves feeling sleepier, more sluggish, and making more errors -- and should be looked at independently.
Forbes
15-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Perfect Isn't Profitable: Why The Smartest Brands Are Embracing Real Smiles (and Real People)
I've been receiving feedback about my smile for more than two decades—unsolicited, often unkind, sometimes truly vile, and always irrelevant to the work I do. I'm not alone. Even in 2025, it seems a woman's appearance is still up for public review, no matter her platform or purpose. And it really does wear you down. But let's park the personal, because this story goes beyond my inbox. There is a significant commercial shift underway—one that rewards authenticity over airbrushing, reality over perfection. And the world's smartest brands are already leaning in. Teeth are more than biology—they're big business. From cosmetic dentistry and whitening products to toothpaste and aligner brands, the global oral care market was valued at over $47 billion in 2023, with projected growth through 2030. But the metrics of what's considered 'desirable' are shifting. Recent research published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences (2024) explored how subtle facial irregularities, including asymmetrical or imperfect smiles, are increasingly being perceived as more trustworthy and emotionally expressive than those associated with cosmetic perfection. While beauty standards remain complex and culturally loaded, there is growing scientific support for the idea that consumers don't just accept imperfection—they respond positively to it. Yet marketing is still catching up. The push for 'real' representation—people of different shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and yes, smiles—has too often been reduced to a temporary campaign strategy rather than a brand foundation. According to a 2023 Creativebrief analysis, many brands are still treating the concept of 'real people' as a gimmick. The piece argues that audiences can sniff out tokenism—and they're turned off by it. When brands use imperfect or 'relatable' casting without depth or narrative substance, it risks appearing inauthentic, especially when the rest of the brand's ecosystem doesn't support those same values. It's a sentiment echoed in a Creative Review case study on Colgate's 'Smile Is Your Superpower' campaign by VML. The brand's commitment to showcasing unretouched smiles—from diverse age groups and ethnicities—wasn't framed as edgy or provocative. It was positioned as human. And that landed. The campaign was praised not just for representation but for consistency—smile diversity was also visible across packaging, influencer strategy, and corporate messaging. In short: it wasn't a campaign, it was a commitment. In a fragmented advertising ecosystem, trust is a currency. And nothing erodes trust faster than inconsistency. The Vox retrospective on Dove's 'Real Beauty' campaign—once groundbreaking—illustrates this well. While it initially challenged industry standards, years later, the same parent company was criticised for selling skin-whitening creams under different brands. Consumers noticed. And they remembered. Today, brands that treat authenticity as an add-on, not a value, will struggle to build long-term loyalty. This is especially true among Gen Z and Gen Alpha, for whom digital literacy and cultural nuance are second nature. Even entertainment is under review. A recent parody sketch on Saturday Night Live (The White Potus) took aim at Aimee Lou Wood, one of the breakout stars of White Lotus 3. Among the cast of characters, hers was the only appearance mocked with exaggerated dental features. The backlash was swift—not just because it was unfunny, but because it felt out of sync with the current cultural mood. Wood's calm rebuttal on social media —'I have big gap teeth, not bad teeth'—was more effective than any punchline. And it underscored a growing reality for content creators and brands alike: appearances are no longer fair game. Satire that relies on visual mockery isn't just tired—it's commercially risky. In fashion and beauty, the stakes are even higher. A consumer base attuned to inclusivity expects more than surface-level casting. They want inclusive sizing and store layouts. They want diverse faces and brand storytelling that reflects lived experience. That includes teeth. Retailers who over-invest in 'aspirational sameness' are already losing market share to challenger brands who celebrate individuality—brands like Glossier, Parade, and even Colgate, which has found a way to make a 200-year-old commodity feel progressive. Authenticity is not about abandoning polish or professionalism. It's about removing the pressure to homogenise. That means featuring smiles with gaps, age lines, and natural variance not as statements, but as standard. And it means investing in campaigns that go beyond token moments to tell real, consistent stories. And of course, this conversation goes far beyond smiles. The push for authenticity must include the full spectrum of human diversity—race, gender identity, disability, age, neurodiversity, and body type. Representation cannot be reduced to a single visible trait. Brands that want to be future-fit must commit to portraying the reality of modern life—not the filtered version. That means inclusive casting, accessible design, and messaging that recognises the complexities of identity. Anything less risks alienating the very consumers they claim to champion. From my own perspective—as a consumer, a broadcaster, and someone who has spent years researching and reporting on the public voice—I can tell you that representation matters. Not for vanity. But for validation. If consumers don't see themselves in your brand, they won't feel seen by your brand. And no matter how glossy the finish, invisibility doesn't sell.
