Science by Email 13 January 2012

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	13 January 2012
People see faces all the time, even when there isn't a real face at all. News: Figuring out fake faces By Patrick Mahony Humans see faces all the time: whether it’s the faces of our friends and family or things that resemble faces but aren’t – such as masks, emoticons and swirls in the clouds. These fake faces don’t fool us. They might look like they have two eyes, a nose and a mouth but we can easily tell when something is a real face, and when it isn’t. Neuroscientists in the USA wanted to understand how the brain works out what is and isn’t a human face. They investigated a part of the brain called the fusiform gyrus, which is known to play a role in facial recognition. People were shown a series of images, ranging from real faces to objects that were clearly not faces. The images in the middle of the series consisted of swirls and smudges that a computer incorrectly identified as faces. While the test subjects viewed the images, they had their brains scanned. This revealed the parts of their brains that were active and responding to the images. The study found that different sides of the brain react differently. As the faces changed, the activity in the left fusiform gyrus changed gradually, with no clear distinction between faces and non-faces. The right fusiform gyrus reacted differently. It showed consistent activity for real faces, but a dramatic change in activity for non-faces. The right side also reacted after the left side. The scientists concluded that the left fusiform gyrus identifies face-like shapes while the final decision on whether or not it is a face is made by the right. Our active left fusiform gyrus could explain why we see faces flying in the clouds, while the right brings us back down to Earth. More information How does our brain know what is a face and what’s not? 50 things that look like faces Careers What can you do with a psychology degree?
You will need these materials.   Use your middle and index fingers to find your pulse.   Measure your heart rate by counting the number of beats in 10 seconds and multiplying by six.   Walk up and down the stairs a few times. Measure your heart rate again. Keep walking, then measure your heart rate a third time.   Try this: Racing heart   You will need Stopwatch Flight of stairs What to do Use your index and middle fingers to find your pulse in your neck. You can feel your pulse just under the back of your jawbone. When you have found your pulse, count the number of beats in 10 seconds. Use the stopwatch to keep time. Multiply the number of beats by six, to obtain your resting heart rate in beats per minute. Walk up and down the stairs a few times, until you start to breathe a bit faster and feel a little tired. Immediately repeat steps 2 and 3. Keep walking up and down the stairs for a few more minutes. Take your pulse again. What happens to your heart rate? What's happening? Blood is important for transporting oxygen around the body. The circulatory system is responsible for ensuring blood gets to where it is needed around the body. Muscles surrounding the circulatory system squeeze the blood along in a steady beat. This is what you feel as your pulse. Your pulse beats in time with your heart, which is the main pump for moving blood around the body. When you exert your body, such as by climbing stairs, your cells require more oxygen for the biochemical reactions that provide the energy to do this extra work. The heart beats faster to get more oxygen around your body. This is why your heart rate increases while climbing stairs. Our emotions can also affect our heart rate: when we are stressed our heart rate increases, while when we are relaxed it slows down. Some drugs also affect heart rate – for example, the caffeine in the tea and coffee can cause an increase in heart rate. Applications Heart rate is often linked to your general health and fitness. If your heart rate is too slow or too fast, it might mean you are sick. Problems with the pulse could indicate a problem with the heart, so the pulse is often monitored during medical emergencies. People with high levels of fitness have more efficient hearts, meaning they tend to have lower resting heart rates. Try another hearty Science by Email activity More information Heart and circulatory system By Patrick Mahony View online version Quiz questions 1. How is monotreme reproduction different to other mammals? 2. What layer of the Earth lies beneath the crust? 3. Which has the higher atomic number: aluminium or magnesium? 4. Which body in our Solar System are the GRAIL spacecraft investigating? 5. What are Psittaciformes more commonly known as? Did you know? Pigeons produce a milk-like substance to feed their young. Researchers from Deakin University and CSIRO Livestock Industries have shown that, like mammal milk, pigeon milk contains antioxidants and proteins essential for baby pigeons’ growth. Website See it! See these ghostly images and find out their not-so-scary explanations. See it! What is the connection between wind and waves? Find out in this video. Events NSW: Nuclear science fun for kids The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) is running science programs these school holidays. The programs are aimed at kids aged 8 and above and will run at the ANSTO campus at Lucas Heights (located off New Illawarra Road) from 9 to 25 January 2012. The programs include free tours until the 25 January and 90 minute workshops on rockets that will run on 12, 13, 19 and 20 January. The cost of the workshops is $10. Registrations are essential: to register or for more information, call 02 9717 3090 or email tours@ansto.gov.au Security, Sunday 15 January at 7.30 am on Network Ten Locks, alarms, motion detectors and biometrics – whether it's keeping people out or keeping things in, there are a multitude of technologies to secure all that is valuable. Join Dr Rob as he unlocks the secrets and SCOPES out all the science behind security, as once again the ordinary becomes extraordinary, under the SCOPE. Next episodes: Thursday 19 January: Cooking science Sunday 22 January: Human movement Want to have your own episodes of SCOPE to watch whenever you feel like it? Click here to download them directly into your iTunes folder, or go here to download iTunes. Charges apply. Quiz answers 1. Monotremes don’t give birth to live young – they lay eggs. 2. The mantle is the layer beneath the Earth’s crust. 3. Aluminium, which has an atomic number of 13. Magnesium’s atomic number is 12. 4. The GRAIL spacecraft are investigating the Moon. 5. Psittaciformes is the name of the order that is made up of parrots and cockatoos. Some species of black cockatoos in Western Australia are under threat of extinction due to habitat destruction. Science by Email is a CSIRO publication. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and bankmecu are proud partners of Science By Email. Editor: Jasmine Leong | Manage your subscription | FAQ

 

 

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