Scientist at Carnegie Mellon University have discovered that the diversity in how neurons respond to incoming stimuli is essential to overall brain function and to how neurons process complex stimuli and code information. More in the article Intrinsic biophysical diversity decorrelates neuronal firing while increasing information content (Nature Neuroscience) or in Carnegie Mellon’s press release.

Swarm intelligence describes artificial intelligence systems where collective behavior of simple causes coherent solutions or patterns to emerge. Examples of systems studied by swarm intelligence are colonies of ants and termites, schools of fish, flocks of birds, herds of land animals. Read how ants, bees - or other colonies - can help improve solving complex problems (via economist.com).

World Finance, a leading financial magazine, features an in depth article about ai-one inc., the technology and its applications. Read more about the ai-one approach.

Until now, it is thought that the brain has a top down structure - like a company. However, in a new study, brain circuits were traced. These circuits turned out to look like a distributed network, rather like the Internet. Read more on how the brain is wired (bbc.co.uk).

Dennis Hong, director of RoMeLa and his team work to infuse robots with artificial intelligence. In this video, Dennis Hong introduces seven all-terrain robots, that walk and climb over different surfaces and adapt their gait accordingly.

“My mind to your mind… my thoughts to your thoughts…” Remember how Spock chanted these words to initiate a mind meld? Humans can do this too, when two people “click” in a conversation. That is according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Brain scans of a speaker and listener showed their neural activity synchronizing during storytelling. The stronger their reported connection, the closer the coupling. Read more onwww.scientificamerican.com.

Dharmendra Modha is manager of cognitive computing at IBM Research Almaden. He also heads the project SyNAPSE, Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics. The aim of SyNAPSE is to build brain-like computers.

Dharmendra Modha has published a paper detailing the latest achievement: mapping a monkey’s brain. Watch the video in which Modha explains SyNAPSE or read his blog.

In last weeks post we discussed how AI can help make our lives easier (AI enters the home and workplace) - and not only there. Now a investment banking is looking into it too: Rebellion Research, a hedge fund in New York are using AI to make investment decisions. Watch the video below are read the WSJ article.

AI applications are entering the home and workplace and making our lives easier today. Not only Siri, with which you can have a conversation, is helpful, but the auto maker Ford is building artificial intelligence into its interior design. Read more on how AI is helping us in our every day lives (forbes.com).

Research in cognition shows how entangled the body and brain are. So is it matter over mind? It seems so according to a new study. The study shows shows that objects you touch may influence the way you think and behave.

So, if you want to negotiate a tough deal, make sure you are sitting on a hard chair - or are you searching for a job? Take not: Resumes printed on heavy paper stock are likely considered more seriously than those on lightweight sheets. Read more about how touch influences what you think (abc.net.au)