Scientists have developed a method for artificial intelligence to transcribe what people are thinking, according to a study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience. Researchers trained an AI model to understand "the gist" of people's thoughts based on brain scans with the goal that the technology will aid people who can't verbally communicate.

Scientists in Wales have uncovered an unusual area of well-preserved fossils from the Ordovician period 462 million years ago, according to a study in Nature Ecology & Evolution. The Castle Bank site contains rare fossils of soft tissue such as eyes and brains, and the majority of the tiny 170 animals appear to be from unknown species.

Astronomers are embarking on a long-term study of Saturn using the James Webb Space Telescope to determine how quickly the planet's rings are deteriorating. Scientists have observed Saturn's rings eroding since the 1980s, and current estimates of how long the rings will last range from 100 million years to 1.1 billion years.

Smaller birds are more successfully raising offspring than large birds as climate change brings hotter temperatures, a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found. Researchers surveyed the nesting habits of 100 species and discovered that large birds such as hawks and storks laid smaller nests and had fewer chicks survive.

The world's efforts in sustainable development and land conservation have moved ahead of efforts to improve oceans in recent years, according to a study published in the journal iScience. The study of 17 sustainability goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 also determined that "low-income countries lagged, and the gap between high-income and low-income countries became wider over time," said lead author Yuqian Zhang.

A new CRISPR method can detect small RNA molecules in blood to diagnose cancer at early stages, according to a study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering by University of Florida researchers. "We designed a fast, sensitive method to detect microRNAs that is simpler and has a low risk of cross-contamination," says Yong Zeng, an associate professor of chemistry.

A study of adults living in Spain associated midday naps of 30 minutes or more with higher body mass index and blood pressure and other cardiometabolic conditions, compared with not napping, researchers reported in the journal Obesity. Researchers did not find a similar association with shorter naps and said people in this group were less likely to have elevated systolic blood pressure when compared with people who did not nap.

The University of Delaware has launched a Computational Biology, Bioinformatics and Biomedical Data Science Program for graduate students with a $1.5 million NIH grant. The interdisciplinary program, which will train students in areas such as machine learning, biomedical engineering and computational science, plans to educate 30 doctoral students in the next five years.

Submissions are now open for Sigma Xi's 2023 International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE), taking place November 10-12 in Long Beach, Calif. Both students and professionals are invited to submit proposals for symposia, individual presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and additional STEM-related session abstracts. Submit today!

Become a sponsor or exhibitor at Sigma Xi's College, Graduate School, and Jobs Fair. The 2023 exhibition will take place in Long Beach, Calif., in conjunction with the IFoRE '23 conference. Hundreds of elite STEM students from the US and across the globe will be in attendance to present research, network, and connect to potential schools and job opportunities. Reserve your booth today!