Genes, brain state, and work ethic

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-08/niom-brc081004.php

Using a new molecular genetic technique, scientists have turned procrastinating primates into workaholics by temporarily suppressing a gene in a brain circuit involved in reward learning. Without the gene, the monkeys lost their sense of balance between reward and the work required to get it, say researchers at the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

"The gene makes a receptor for a key brain messenger chemical, dopamine," explained Barry Richmond, M.D., NIMH Laboratory of Neuropsychology. "The gene knockdown triggered a remarkable transformation in the simian work ethic. Like many of us, monkeys normally slack off initially in working toward a distant goal. They work more efficiently – make fewer errors – as they get closer to being rewarded. But without the dopamine receptor, they consistently stayed on-task and mde few errors, because they could no longer learn to use visual cues to predict how their work was going to get them a reward."

A while ago, I read Acedia and Me, a personal and historical overview of the collapse of motivation. I got a strong impression that there was something about ideas of time and effort involved, but I couldn't put a finger on it. The monkey study supplies a large clue.

Link thanks to Rico Saarelma at Less Wrong.

NonOBSF: A Deepness in the Sky.

Genes, brain state, and work ethic

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-08/niom-brc081004.php

Using a new molecular genetic technique, scientists have turned procrastinating primates into workaholics by temporarily suppressing a gene in a brain circuit involved in reward learning. Without the gene, the monkeys lost their sense of balance between reward and the work required to get it, say researchers at the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

"The gene makes a receptor for a key brain messenger chemical, dopamine," explained Barry Richmond, M.D., NIMH Laboratory of Neuropsychology. "The gene knockdown triggered a remarkable transformation in the simian work ethic. Like many of us, monkeys normally slack off initially in working toward a distant goal. They work more efficiently – make fewer errors – as they get closer to being rewarded. But without the dopamine receptor, they consistently stayed on-task and mde few errors, because they could no longer learn to use visual cues to predict how their work was going to get them a reward."

A while ago, I read Acedia and Me, a personal and historical overview of the collapse of motivation. I got a strong impression that there was something about ideas of time and effort involved, but I couldn't put a finger on it. The monkey study supplies a large clue.

Link thanks to Rico Saarelma at Less Wrong.

NonOBSF: A Deepness in the Sky.

Vast improvement in the ability to find extrasolar planets

http://www.economist.com/science-technology/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15905845

A novel approach plays with the peaks and troughs of the light waves to do the job more effectively. This week, in Nature, Eugene Serabyn of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and his colleagues describe a stunning implementation of what is known as an optical vortex coronagraph. In place of a dark spot, this uses a disk of glassy material, etched with a carefully designed pattern which changes the phase of the incoming light, in effect twisting it back onto itself and creating a dark hole in the centre of the image. This blots out the starlight more effectively, making it easier to see any nearby planets.

In order for this technique to work, the distortions imposed on the incoming light during its passage through the Earth’s atmosphere must be removed using a trick called “wavefront correction”. The researchers did this using a small part of the giant Hale telescope in California, with which they examined a star called HR 8799 in the constellation of Pegasus. When images showing three planets orbiting this star were obtained in 2008, it was the first time exoplanets had been directly observed. The researchers could also see the planets—and their telescope was in effect five times smaller than the telescopes used in 2008.

With a two-metre telescope—small by modern astronomical standards—Dr Serabyn and his team say they could spot a planet 33 light-years away orbiting its host star at a similar distance to that at which the Earth orbits the Sun. Such a planet would fall into the so-called “Goldilocks zone” (neither too hot nor too cold) where the interesting chemistry should happen. As well as bringing planet-hunting within the reach of many smallish telescopes on Earth, the new technique also means that smaller, cheaper, or perhaps more numerous space telescopes—entirely free of deleterious atmospheric effects—could be employed to stretch out the eyes of men and finally fulfil Wren’s prediction.

Link thanks to Geekpress.

Vast improvement in the ability to find extrasolar planets

http://www.economist.com/science-technology/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15905845

A novel approach plays with the peaks and troughs of the light waves to do the job more effectively. This week, in Nature, Eugene Serabyn of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and his colleagues describe a stunning implementation of what is known as an optical vortex coronagraph. In place of a dark spot, this uses a disk of glassy material, etched with a carefully designed pattern which changes the phase of the incoming light, in effect twisting it back onto itself and creating a dark hole in the centre of the image. This blots out the starlight more effectively, making it easier to see any nearby planets.

In order for this technique to work, the distortions imposed on the incoming light during its passage through the Earth’s atmosphere must be removed using a trick called “wavefront correction”. The researchers did this using a small part of the giant Hale telescope in California, with which they examined a star called HR 8799 in the constellation of Pegasus. When images showing three planets orbiting this star were obtained in 2008, it was the first time exoplanets had been directly observed. The researchers could also see the planets—and their telescope was in effect five times smaller than the telescopes used in 2008.

With a two-metre telescope—small by modern astronomical standards—Dr Serabyn and his team say they could spot a planet 33 light-years away orbiting its host star at a similar distance to that at which the Earth orbits the Sun. Such a planet would fall into the so-called “Goldilocks zone” (neither too hot nor too cold) where the interesting chemistry should happen. As well as bringing planet-hunting within the reach of many smallish telescopes on Earth, the new technique also means that smaller, cheaper, or perhaps more numerous space telescopes—entirely free of deleterious atmospheric effects—could be employed to stretch out the eyes of men and finally fulfil Wren’s prediction.

Link thanks to Geekpress.

Another random question

Why aren't governments doing flight tests in the ash clouds? Would the conclusions from tests be more trusted if governments did them? Should the data (chemical analysis? photos?) from the tests be posted online?

Addendum:sodyera tells me government tests have been done. I don't know whether this wasn't reported on NPR and/or the BBC, or I didn't hear it or register it. Probably the latter.

Another random question

Why aren't governments doing flight tests in the ash clouds? Would the conclusions from tests be more trusted if governments did them? Should the data (chemical analysis? photos?) from the tests be posted online?

Addendum:sodyera tells me government tests have been done. I don't know whether this wasn't reported on NPR and/or the BBC, or I didn't hear it or register it. Probably the latter.

A good short story

Twisted-- somewhat in the spirit of The Unnatural, in which the national sport in embalming, except that it's balloon sculpture.

Read it if you in the mood for some deadpan weirdness.

A good short story

Twisted-- somewhat in the spirit of The Unnatural, in which the national sport in embalming, except that it's balloon sculpture.

Read it if you in the mood for some deadpan weirdness.