MI weekly selection #406
Arguments use more brain space
Disagreements take up more real estate in the brain than agreements. After measuring brain activity in pairs of people either agreeing or disagreeing during discussions, researchers found that agreements activated sensory brain regions, while arguments activated cognitive regions, such as the frontal lobes.
Pack hunting amps up eels’ attacks
Researchers have observed Volta’s electric eels hunting in packs of more than 100, working together to trap and shock prey ahead of a feeding frenzy. The Amazon eels herd thousands of small fish into the shallows where they send out shocks to stun the fish so they can be devoured easily.
Gut microbiome may be linked to COVID-19 severity
Data on 100 patients with COVID-19 showed the gut microbiome composition in patients with COVID-19 was different than in people who did not have COVID-19, according to a study led by Yun Kit Yeoh, MD, of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and published in Gut. The altered composition was associated with COVID-19 severity, researchers said.
Exoplanet with extremely lengthy orbit discovered
A huge gas giant exoplanet that orbits its star every 218 days has been discovered about 1,300 light-years away. Kepler-1514b’s lengthy orbit is rare among exoplanets, with just a handful found with orbits of more than 200 days, researchers say.
Earth’s crust grew faster 3B years ago
Scientists who studied ancient zircon crystals from stream sediment in Greenland say the Earth’s crust experienced major growth 3 billion years ago. “The spike in the age of crust production in Greenland matches other regions across the globe and points to a significant widespread event that formed crust relatively early in the history of our planet,” says Chris Kirkland, lead author of the study.