Medium Article: https://medium.com/@jsmith0475/the-principle-of-least-cognitive-action-4c13039e077e
Dr. Smith's article introduces the "principle of least Cognitive Action," arguing that all minds, biological or artificial, inherently seek the most efficient pathways for thinking. This principle explains phenomena like expertise and the effectiveness of certain learning methods. The author draws parallels between human and artificial intelligence, particularly attention mechanisms, but highlights crucial differences in their evolutionary constraints. Smith contends that understanding this principle is vital for education, technology, and preserving human autonomy in an AI-driven world, as both minds optimize cognitive resource allocation. The piece suggests a unified view of intelligence across disciplines, where efficiency governs both physical and cognitive systems. Ultimately, the article posits that true freedom lies in recognizing and working with these inherent cognitive limitations to navigate an increasingly complex information landscape.

The Principle of Least Cognitive Action - How All Minds Follow the Path of Least Resistance

🧠📻 انجمن علمی مغز و شناخت دانشگاه خوارزمی تقدیم می‌کند


▶️ اپیزود چهارم پادکست سرشناخت ( آلزایمر )


🗣 گوینده: الناز صفدری
⚙️ مدیریت پادکست: فاطمه امینی
🔍 نظارت بر محتوا: زهرا نورمحمدی
✍️ نویسندگان: کوثر حامد، الهام خدائی، فاطمه امینی، فاطمه کیانی، فاطمه اصغری
🎧 تدوین: محمدرضا گروسی

رادیو سرشناخت- اپیزود چهارم- آلزایمر

Lire une œuvre de fiction pourrait ne pas être une lecture comme les autres.

- Episode #310 du podcast La Tête Dans Le Cerveau -

Toutes les références scientifiques de cet épisode sont sur Cerveau en Argot : https://cervenargo.hypotheses.org/7544.

Afin de discuter science et cerveau, vous pouvez me retrouver sur :
- Twitter - @Christophe_Rodo (https://twitter.com/Christophe_Rodo),
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- la page Facebook de La Tête Dans Le Cerveau (https://www.facebook.com/LaTeteDansLeCerveau/),
- et sur le blog Cerveau en Argot (https://cervenargo.hypotheses.org).

Si vous avez des questions ou des sujets dont vous voudriez que je parle, ou simplement des retours à me partager, n'hésitez pas à me le faire savoir directement sur mon compte Twitter ou Instagram, sur la page Facebook du podcast ou par mail à l'adresse latetedanslecerveau@gmail.com.

Tous les épisodes, y compris celui-ci sont disponibles en (ré)écoute sur le podcast La Tête Dans Le Cerveau à retrouver sur :
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- iTunes/Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/la-tête-dans-le-cerveau/id1241262689),
et toutes les autres plateformes de podcast, ainsi que sur YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/LaTêteDansLeCerveau).

Merci pour vos commentaires, partages et abonnements !

Pour me permettre de travailler dans de meilleures conditions, vous pouvez me soutenir financièrement avec un don ponctuel ou mensuel sur la page Kiss Kiss Bank Bank du podcast (https://www.kisskissbankbank.com/fr/projects/latetedanslecerveau).

La Tête Dans Le Cerveau

Soutenir

La Tête Dans Le Cerveau #310 - La plus-valante lecture fictionnelle

Effectuer un effort mental ne serait pas la plus agréable des expériences.

- Episode #311 du podcast La Tête Dans Le Cerveau -

Toutes les références scientifiques de cet épisode sont sur Cerveau en Argot : https://cervenargo.hypotheses.org/7618.

Afin de discuter science et cerveau, vous pouvez me retrouver sur :
- Twitter - @Christophe_Rodo (https://twitter.com/Christophe_Rodo),
- Instagram - @_christophe_rodo_ (https://www.instagram.com/_christophe_rodo_/),
- la page Facebook de La Tête Dans Le Cerveau (https://www.facebook.com/LaTeteDansLeCerveau/),
- et sur le blog Cerveau en Argot (https://cervenargo.hypotheses.org).

Si vous avez des questions ou des sujets dont vous voudriez que je parle, ou simplement des retours à me partager, n'hésitez pas à me le faire savoir directement sur mon compte Twitter ou Instagram, sur la page Facebook du podcast ou par mail à l'adresse latetedanslecerveau@gmail.com.

Tous les épisodes, y compris celui-ci sont disponibles en (ré)écoute sur le podcast La Tête Dans Le Cerveau à retrouver sur :
- Soundcloud (https://soundcloud.com/latetedanslecerveau),
- Deezer (https://www.deezer.com/fr/show/54637),
- Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ypb92MByl4HzZUnRnbVAx),
- Acast (https://shows.acast.com/latetedanslecerveau/),
- Amazon Music (https://music.amazon.fr/podcasts/5cc01b17-1307-4e47-82e8-bdc76c24cc31/la-tête-dans-le-cerveau),
- iTunes/Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/la-tête-dans-le-cerveau/id1241262689),
et toutes les autres plateformes de podcast, ainsi que sur YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/LaTêteDansLeCerveau).

Merci pour vos commentaires, partages et abonnements !

Pour me permettre de travailler dans de meilleures conditions, vous pouvez me soutenir financièrement avec un don ponctuel ou mensuel sur la page Kiss Kiss Bank Bank du podcast (https://www.kisskissbankbank.com/fr/projects/latetedanslecerveau).

La Tête Dans Le Cerveau #311 - L’aversive réflexion

Ich hab dich durchschaut

Pratiquer de l’exercice physique ne serait pas anodin sur le fonctionnement du cerveau.

- Episode #319 du podcast La Tête Dans Le Cerveau -

Toutes les références scientifiques de cet épisode sont sur Cerveau en Argot : https://cervenargo.hypotheses.org/7914.

Afin de discuter science et cerveau, vous pouvez me retrouver sur :
- Twitter - @Christophe_Rodo (https://twitter.com/Christophe_Rodo),
- Instagram - @_christophe_rodo_ (https://www.instagram.com/_christophe_rodo_/),
- la page Facebook de La Tête Dans Le Cerveau (https://www.facebook.com/LaTeteDansLeCerveau/),
- et sur le blog Cerveau en Argot (https://cervenargo.hypotheses.org).

Si vous avez des questions ou des sujets dont vous voudriez que je parle, ou simplement des retours à me partager, n'hésitez pas à me le faire savoir directement sur mon compte Twitter ou Instagram, sur la page Facebook du podcast ou par mail à l'adresse latetedanslecerveau@gmail.com.

Tous les épisodes, y compris celui-ci sont disponibles en (ré)écoute sur le podcast La Tête Dans Le Cerveau à retrouver sur :
- Soundcloud (https://soundcloud.com/latetedanslecerveau),
- Deezer (https://www.deezer.com/fr/show/54637),
- Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ypb92MByl4HzZUnRnbVAx),
- Acast (https://shows.acast.com/latetedanslecerveau/),
- Amazon Music (https://music.amazon.fr/podcasts/5cc01b17-1307-4e47-82e8-bdc76c24cc31/la-tête-dans-le-cerveau),
- iTunes/Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/la-tête-dans-le-cerveau/id1241262689),
et toutes les autres plateformes de podcast, ainsi que sur YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/LaTêteDansLeCerveau).

Merci pour vos commentaires, partages et abonnements !

Pour me permettre de travailler dans de meilleures conditions, vous pouvez me soutenir financièrement avec un don ponctuel ou mensuel sur la page Kiss Kiss Bank Bank du podcast (https://www.kisskissbankbank.com/fr/projects/latetedanslecerveau).

La Tête Dans Le Cerveau #319 - Le cognitivant exercice physique

Medium Article: https://medium.com/@jsmith0475/beyond-intelligence-why-large-language-models-may-signal-the-rise-of-anti-intelligence-eb9f7a62dd62
"Anti-Intelligence: Why LLMs Undermine Human Understanding" by Dr. Jerry A. Smith, explores the concept of large language models (LLMs) as "anti-intelligence" systems. It argues that while LLMs produce convincing and fluent outputs, they lack true understanding or grounded comprehension, operating instead on statistical prediction of text patterns. The author highlights empirical evidence suggesting that relying on LLMs can reduce human critical thinking and lead to acceptance of inaccuracies, despite the models' sophisticated performance. The article proposes the need for "cognitive integrity" approaches and human oversight to mitigate these risks and preserve genuine understanding in an age of synthetic fluency.

Anti-Intelligence: LLMs Undermine Human Understanding

BUFFALO, NY — July 30, 2025 — A new #research paper was #published in Aging (Aging-US) on July 23, 2025, titled “Second generation DNA methylation age predicts cognitive change in midlife: the moderating role of childhood socioeconomic status.”

In this study, led by Sophie A. Bell and Eric Turkheimer from the University of Virginia, researchers investigated how biological aging, measured through DNA methylation, is connected to changes in thinking skills during midlife and whether childhood socioeconomic status influences this relationship. 

Biological age provides a picture of how the body is aging that goes beyond simply counting years. In this study, researchers used both first- and second-generation DNA methylation clocks—tools that track chemical changes in DNA as markers of aging. GrimAge and PhenoAge, the second-generation clocks designed to reflect broader health and aging processes, were more accurate at predicting long-term changes in Intelligence Quotient (IQ) than the first-generation models that only estimated chronological age. The study analyzed 287 participants from the Louisville Twin Study, which is a long-term project that has followed twins from childhood into midlife.

“DNAmAge was estimated with five commonly used algorithms, or epigenetic clocks (Horvath, Horvath Skin and Blood, GrimAge, and PhenoAge).”

The results showed that twins with more rapid epigenetic aging had a larger drop in IQ scores. This pattern remained even after considering genetic background and early family environment, made possible by the twin-based design. Importantly, the relationship was strongest in twins who had grown up in families with lower socioeconomic status. This finding suggests that early-life disadvantage may make individuals more vulnerable to the effects of biological aging on brain health.

This research adds knowledge to earlier work showing that childhood poverty can influence long-term health. It also highlights the value of second-generation epigenetic clocks as early indicators of brain aging. Unlike the first generation of clocks, these newer tools capture broader biological changes such as inflammation, disease risk, and behaviors like smoking.

Although smoking partly explained the results because it strongly influences DNA methylation, it did not fully account for the association between accelerated biological aging and cognitive decline. This suggests that both life experiences and lifestyle factors shape body and brain aging.

By combining decades of developmental data with a genetically informed twin design, the study provides new evidence that biological aging, especially when shaped by childhood adversity, is a key factor in midlife cognitive decline. These findings may inform early health strategies that consider both social and biological risks and support the use of second-generation methylation clocks to predict age-related cognitive changes.

DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206284

Corresponding authors - Sophie A. Bell - bvf7pa@virginia.edu, and Eric Turkheimer - ent3c@virginia.edu

Video short - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vopDdS1olXw

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Aging (Aging-US)

Study in Twins Links Childhood Environment to Epigenetic Aging and Cognitive Decline

Medium Article: https://medium.com/@jsmith0475/flat-facts-curved-beliefs-a-geometric-hypothesis-for-transformer-cognition-5ad6f850ebd5
The article, by Dr. Jerry A. Smith, proposes a geometric hypothesis for transformer cognition, suggesting that beliefs might operate within a curved, hyperbolic mathematical space, unlike factual information which likely resides in a flatter, Euclidean space. This theory attempts to explain why opposing concepts, like "love" and "hate," appear artificially close in traditional, flattened visualizations of transformer's internal representations. The author suggests that different "attention heads" within transformers may specialize in different geometries, with some handling stable facts in Euclidean space and others managing nuanced beliefs in hyperbolic space, which naturally accommodates hierarchies and divergent ideas. The text outlines potential experiments to test this hypothesis, such as measuring geodesic distances between beliefs in a hyperbolic model and analyzing the "tree-like" quality of attention head graphs. Ultimately, this perspective implies that transformers have independently discovered the need for varied geometries to fully represent the complexity of meaning, moving beyond the limitations of simply increasing Euclidean dimensions to accurately model human-like understanding.

Flat Facts, Curved Beliefs: A Geometric Hypothesis for Transformer Cognition

BUFFALO, NY — October 9, 2025 — A new #research paper was #published in Volume 17, Issue 9 of Aging-US on August 22, 2025, titled, “The impact of long-term social housing on biconditional association task performance and neuron ensembles in the anterior cingulate cortex and the hippocampal CA3 region of aged rats.”

The research team led by Anne M. Dankert from Providence College and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, showed that aged rats who lived in socially enriched environments throughout life retained better memory and cognitive flexibility than those housed alone. This study highlights the importance of social interaction in protecting the aging brain.

Cognitive decline, such as memory loss and reduced problem-solving ability, affects many people over the age of 65. While many factors contribute to age-related cognitive decline, this study suggests that one key factor may be surprisingly simple: long-term social connection. To explore how social interaction might influence memory performance and brain activity, the researchers designed a study using rats as a model for aging in humans.

“Cognitive decline and changes in neuronal activity are hallmarks of aging.”

They compared three groups of rats: young adults, aged rats housed alone, and aged rats housed socially in groups. All groups had access to the same physical enrichment, such as exercise and stimulating objects, but only some experienced lifelong social companionship. The team tested these animals on a complex memory challenge known as the biconditional association task, which requires animals to make context-based decisions—an ability that typically declines with age.

The results showed that aged rats living in social groups performed just as well as young adults on the memory task, while those housed alone showed significant impairments. Socially housed rats also made fewer working memory errors and required less effort to complete cognitive tasks, suggesting not only better performance but more efficient brain function. These benefits were not observed in aged rats who received only environmental enrichment without social interaction.

Brain imaging revealed additional differences between the groups. Socially housed aged rats showed increased activity in the hippocampus, particularly in the CA3 region, which plays a key role in forming and separating memories. In contrast, aged rats that lived alone had lower activity in this region, which may explain their poorer performance. Interestingly, socially housed rats also showed reduced overactivity in the anterior cingulate cortex—a brain area involved in attention and decision-making—suggesting a more balanced and efficient neural response.

This research provides new insight into how lifelong social experiences shape brain health during aging. While earlier studies have shown that physical activity and cognitive stimulation help preserve cognitive function, this study identifies social interaction as an independent and powerful protective factor. The findings are consistent with human studies showing that older adults who remain socially active tend to experience slower cognitive decline and stronger brain function.

Overall, these results emphasize that brain aging is not inevitable but may be influenced by our social environments. This research suggests that fostering lifelong social connections could be a critical, low-cost strategy to protect memory and mental flexibility in older adults.

DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206310

Corresponding author - Anne M. Dankert - adankert@unc.edu

Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poNnPz1ti6Q

https://www.aging-us.com/

MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM

Aging-US

Lifelong Companionship Protects Aging Rat Brains from Cognitive Decline

Ich liebe es Texte zu schreiben, in denen ich meinen Gefühlen freien Lauf lasse.
Da ich nicht besonders gut singen oder Instrumente spielen kann, bin ich unglaublich dankbar dafür, dass ich mithilfe von KI meine Texte in Musik verwandeln kann, die mehr ausdrückt als Worte allein sagen können 🎶❤️

In-Depth Explorations of Neuroscience-Inspired Architectures Revolutionizing AI.

Aging-US is dedicated to advancing our understanding of the biological mechanisms that drive aging and the development of age-related diseases. Our mission is to serve as a platform for high-quality research that uncovers the cellular, molecular, and systemic processes underlying aging, and translates these insights into strategies to extend healthspan and delay the onset of chronic disease.

Read about the Aging (Aging-US) Scientific Integrity Process: https://aging-us.com/scientific-integrity

La Tête Dans Le Cerveau est un podcast hebdomadaire qui à travers l'actualité de la recherche scientifique, des études de cas surprenantes et des histoires fascinantes invite à découvrir les mystères et les secrets du cerveau tout en ouvrant à la réflexion sur la science et la recherche.

Les chroniques sont écrites et animées par Christophe Rodo, neuroscientifique et communiquant scientifique, puis sont mises en ligne avec du contenu additionnel, les références ayant servies à l'écriture et des conseils de lecture pour approfondir les sujets des épisodes sur Cerveau en Argot (https://cervenargo.hypotheses.org).

La Tête Dans Le Cerveau est en partenariat pour sa diffusion avec la Fédération française des sciences de la cognition, The Conversation et Ouest-France.

New tracks tagged #cognition