Not all mugs are born equal. You will realize it if you think about it for a second: there is a big difference between each and every mug. Some are good for the morning coffee, some for the afternoon tea. Others when you read a book. Some are perfect for writing a paper. The dilemma, until now, was: where should I drink from to gain inspiration when I write a Neurdon post? Problem solved (see mug on the left for solution).

Neurdon is giving away a mug per month to the best post. Inspire us, and you will be inspired!

Neural chips keep shrinking, but powering these chips still represents a challenge, especially for applications in the medical domain, such as neural prosthetics. A step towards the direction of reducing this issue has been recently taken by Brian Otis, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Washington. Otis, the lead researcher on NeuralWISP, has designed a microprocessor powered by a commercial radio-frequency reader that doubles as a data-collection device. The circuitry converts usable power from the reader to a voltage that can be used to power the “neural” chip. More information is available here.

The Center of Excellence for Learning In Education, Science & Technology (CELEST), a NSF-funded center comprised of Boston University, Brandeis University, Harvard University & Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is hosting the third annual inter-Science of Learning Centers (iSLC) Student and Postdoctoral Conference.

iSLC is a meeting of junior researchers from the NSF-funded Science of Learning Centers (SLCs). iSLC 2010 immediately follows CELEST’s annual International Conference on Cognitive and Neural Systems (ICCNS). Read the rest of this entry »