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Listening to electronic music seems to change our state of consciousness. Plus: why the brain’s microbiome could hold the key to curing Alzheimer’s.

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Mind-altering music

Listening to electronic music makes neurons in our brain fire in time with the beat, which appears to alter our reaction time and sense of unity. Sound, especially when in a continuous pattern, has been used by cultures around the world to induce altered mental states, for example drumming in ritualistic contexts. Raquel Aparicio Terrés at the University of Barcelona in Spain and his colleagues measured volunteers’ brain activity via skin electrodes to investigate the role of entrainment, which occurs when neurons fire synchronously with an external rhythmic stimulus, such as music. Better understanding the brain mechanisms behind this could improve treatments for consciousness-related conditions, as well as enabling doctors to utilise these mechanisms to reduce stress during medical procedures.  Read more

Cosmic interference

Nearly a fifth of all difficult-to-correct errors in quantum computers are caused by powerful particles from space hitting the machines. These cosmic ray-induced errors have long been predicted by scientists, but now they have been precisely measured for the first time by setting up an array of 10 superconducting qubits inside an extremely cold fridge with radiation detectors close by. The findings could help make future devices error-proof, but there is still some way to go until cosmic ray-resistant quantum computers can be built.  Read more

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RUSSELL KIGHTLEY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Until recently, the brain was thought to be devoid of microbes, not least because of the blood-brain barrier, a specialised membrane that keeps out pathogens and toxins in the blood. However, evidence is mounting that, far from being microbe-free, your brain actually has its own microbiome. What’s more, this seems to play an important role in mental health. In particular, an imbalance in the brain microbiome may dispose people to neurodegenerative disease. This would explain strange cases where Alzheimer’s has been cured with antimicrobial medication. It also suggests that many more dementias may be reversible.  Read more

Whale watching and marine ecosystems in the Azores Islands: Portugal

7 May 2024 | 7 days

Experience the hidden paradise of the richly biodiverse Azores islands, their lush flora and fauna, volcanic craters, lagoons and picturesque towns. This is a rare opportunity to actively take part in whale research and get an opportunity to watch the social interactions of whales as they descend into the water. 

Myra Cheng at Stanford University, California, who has found that researchers increasingly view tech as having human-like qualities.

T hat's all for today. Thanks for reading.

Sam Wong

Assistant news editor, New Scientist
Email me at newsletter@newscientist.com

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