Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, study how speech recognition software can be improved by modelling it to be more like the brain, such that it works well even in the presence of background noise. 

Humans have always been fascinated by symmetry. Many celebrated works of art are appreciated for their symmetry, such as the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo Da Vinci, or Somnathpur temple above. Given the importance of symmetry in our lives, does the brain have a special way of processing symmetric objects?

Scientists from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Université libre de Bruxelles- Institute of Neuroscience, Belgium, Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research, Pune and Sophia College for Women, Mumbai are now a step closer to understanding how the development of neural and glial cells – the two primary cell types in our brains – is regulated in a developing brain.

The brain is considered as the most complex organ, able to store and access huge data, and can even analyze, manipulate and draw from these memories. But how does the brain store all that information? Commonly held theories suggest, experiences cause neurons in the brain to fire and strengthen connections, while brain cells called engrams encode specific memories. They do this by triggering coordinated activity that represent a memory,in a set of these cells, helping in recalling a memory. In this new study, scientists show that engram cells can actually be identified.