Play and the joy associated with it are powerful means of positive reinforcement. Rats, who jump excitedly when delighted, were able to learn the complex game of hide-and-seek after being rewarded with playful interactions (in this case, tickling). Soon enough, the rats found the game quite fun, continuing to play even without the positive reinforcement; after being found by a researcher, the rat would run off to hide once more to continue the game. Read full article here
Science
‘Ghostly’ neutrinos provide new path to study protons
In groundbreaking research, an international collaboration of scientists from the University of Rochester have used a beam of neutrinos to measure the size and shape of the protons that make up the nuclei of atoms. This feat, once thought impossible, provides scientists with a new way of looking at the small components of an atom’s nucleus and opens up a wealth of new information about the structure of an atom’s nucleus and the dynamics of the forces that affect neutrino interactions. The researchers solved the challenge of harnessing neutrinos in large numbers by using a neutrino detector containing a target of both hydrogen and carbon atoms, and over nine years of data collection at Fermilab’s accelerator. Read full article here
Merv
March 25, 2023
