Secrets of Memory and Dying 

Scientists have long been competing to find a “memory molecule”, and a near-20-year effort by two New York neuroscientists may have the best case yet. A coupling of two proteins, PKMzeta and KIBRA, was found to be instrumental in the maintenance of long-term memories. These proteins work by attaching and marking synapses, which can then allow neurons to wire together. What’s more, elevating the activity of these proteins was found to increase memory strength, which has fascinating implications.

A deep dive into the last living moments of the human mind reveal that death is “not the simple dimming of one’s internal light of awareness but rather an incredibly active process in the brain.” Terminal lucidity, or the regaining of consciousness and personality moments to days before death was studied in patients revived using CPR, and it was suggested that there may be cognitive structures remaining in patients thought to be lost causes, as the brain was found to light up even after minutes of heart-death.

New survey results have suggested that people’s judgements of right and wrong can change with the seasons. The survey looked at values such as loyalty, authority, and purity and found that they were weaker during the summer and winter. To explain this, the increased anxiety felt during the fall and spring has been suggested as a potential cause for this difference. This seasonal shift in judgment may affect court decisions, campaigns, and even elections.