Nature Podcast

Keys, wallet, phone: the neuroscience behind working memory

Apr 17, 2024

Discover the mysterious methane emissions from a cool brown dwarf. Learn about the fascinating workings of working memory and how distractions can impact it. Uncover the discovery of bitter taste receptors dating back 450 million years and a planet with a rainbow phenomenon.

34:10

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Quick takeaways

Working memory involves two brain regions for memory storage and control.

Mysterious methane emissions from a brown dwarf are linked to possible auroras in its atmosphere.

Deep dives

Discovery of a Nitrogen-Fixing Organelle in an Alga

Researchers have discovered a unique organism, an alga, harboring a nitrogen-fixing organelle called a nitroplast. This organism, previously thought to be a symbiotic bacterium, has shown characteristics of an organelle that is passed down through generations and accessed proteins from the host cell. The findings shed light on the evolution of eukaryotic cells and offer potential insights for crop engineering to facilitate self-fertilizing plants.

Exploring an Unusual Find in Space

01:27

PAC Neurons and Working Memory

01:27

Introduction

2min

Unveiling Mysteries of Brown Dwarfs

12min

Exploring the Fragile Nature of Working Memory and Neural Activity

2min

Uncovering New Neuronal Groups in Working Memory

6min

Brain Stimulation for Working Memory and Coral Bleaching Crisis

6min

Discovery of Nitrogen Fixing Organelle in Algae

4min

Exploring the Evolution of Symbiotic Relationships and Nitrogen Fixation in Crops

3min

In this episode:

00:46 Mysterious methane emission from a cool brown dwarf

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is revealing the makeup of brown dwarfs — strange space objects that blur the line between a planet and a star. And it appears that methane in the atmosphere of one of these objects, named W1935, is emitting infrared radiation. Where the energy comes from is a mystery however, researchers hypothesise that the glow could be caused by an aurora in the object’s atmosphere, perhaps driven by an as-yet unseen moon.

Research Article: Faherty et al.

10:44 Research Highlights

The discovery that bitter taste receptors may date back 450 million years, and the first planet outside the Solar System to boast a rainbow-like phenomenon called a ‘glory’.

Research Highlight: Bitter taste receptors are even older than scientists thought

Research Highlight: An exoplanet is wrapped in glory

13:07 How working memory works

Working memory is a fundamental process that allows us to temporarily store important information, such as the name of a person we’ve just met. However distractions can easily interrupt this process, leading to these memories vanishing. By looking at the brain activity of people doing working-memory tasks, a team have now confirmed that working memory requires two brain regions: one to hold a memory as long as you focus on it; and another to control its maintenance by helping you to not get distracted.

Research article: Daume et al.

News and Views: Coupled neural activity controls working memory in humans