Memory for Analogies and Analogical Inferences

An important property of analogical reasoning is that resulting inferences can be used to acquire new knowledge in a target domain. However, little is known about what happens to memory for these inferences. In this study, we explore the link between analogical reasoning, inferences, and memory. We gave participants information on a political debate. Some subjects were given a short text and other subjects were given a long text to read. In addition, half the subjects were given an analogy at the end of the text. A week later, subjects were brought back and asked to recall the information. We were particularly interested in whether subjects would (a) remember the analogy, and (b) incorporate analogical inferences into their memory for the text. We found that when they were given more information, subjects did not report the analogy, but falsely included analogical inferences in their recall. Results were different when subjects were given a lesser amount of information they remembered the analogy and did not erroneously recall analogical inferences. Overall, the results indicate that memory for analogical inferences is highly related to the amount of information that people are given

The local perceptual bias of a non-remote and educated population

In 1977, Navon argued that perception is biased towards the processing of global as opposed to local visual information (or the forest before the trees) and implicitly assumed this to be true across places and cultures. Previous work with normally developing participants has supported this assumption except in one extremely remote African population. Here we explore local-global perceptual bias in normally developing African participants living much less remotely than the African population tested previously. These participants had access to modern artefacts and education but presented with a local bias on a similarity matching Navon task, contrary to Navon’s assumptions. Nevertheless, the urban and more educated amongst these participants showed a weaker local bias than the rural and less educated participants, suggesting an effect of urbanicity and education in driving differences in perceptual bias. Our findings confirm the impact of experience on perceptual bias and suggest that differences in the impact of education and urbanicity on lifestyles around the world can result in profound differences in perceptual style. In addition, they suggest that local bias is more common than previously thought; a global bias might not be universal after all

Évaluation d’un système de récolte automatique des déchets flottants pour la réduction de la pollution aquatique par les plastiques.

Le plastique représente actuellement une des problématiques environnementales les plus préoccupantes. Les matières plastiques ne se dégradent pas; elles subissent plutôt une dégradation causée par différents processus. Cette fragmentation mène éventuellement à la formation de micro et nanoplastiques pouvant causer des dommages importants aux écosystèmes aquatiques et terrestres. Des initiatives ont été proposées afin de nettoyer les milieux aquatiques en réduisant les plastiques qui atteignent les océans. C’est le cas de la technologie Seabin mise en place à la Marina du Port de Québec. À la suite de l’introduction de cette technologie, deux méthodes étaient utilisées simultanément à l’été 2021 afin de récolter les déchets à la surface de l’eau du bassin Louise: l’approche automatisée Seabin et la récolte à la main sur une péniche. En plus d’évaluer les plastiques récoltés par le Seabin et son efficacité, ce projet a permis de comparer les deux méthodes. Les plastiques récoltés par les deux méthodes ont été triés des débris végétaux et ont été pesés. Les résultats obtenus montrent que la technique à la péniche permet de récolter en une seule journée ce que le Seabin a récolté en 3 mois. Il a aussi été démontré que l’endroit auquel le Seabin était installé n’était pas idéal

Improving working memory and pain inhibition in older persons using transcranial direct current stimulation

The aim of the present study was to examine whether transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) could enhance working memory and pain inhibition in older persons. Fifteen volunteers (7 women, 8 men; mean ± SD: 64 ± 4.4 y.o.) participated in two tDCS sessions during which an n-back task was performed with two levels of working memory load, while painful stimulation was delivered at the ankle. The experiment included five within-subject counterbalanced conditions (pain alone and 0-back or 2-back with or without pain) performed twice during each session. Compared with the pre-tDCS baseline, anodal tDCS decreased response times and improved pain inhibition by working memory in the 2-back condition (p 0.3). These results indicate that working memory and pain inhibition can be improved by tDCS in older persons. © 2019 Elsevier B.V. and Japan Neuroscience Societ

Dead wood gathering among Neanderthal groups: Charcoal evidence from Abric del Pastor and El Salt (Eastern Iberia)

We present here a new approach combining the microscopic characterization of fungal decay features and the fragmentation degree of the charcoal remains from Middle Palaeolithic combustion structures: features H4 and H11 from Abric del Pastor, unit IV (>75 ka BP) and features H50 and H57 from El Salt, unit Xb (ca. 52 ka BP), Eastern Iberia. The observation of wood degradation patterns that occurred prior to charring followed by their quantitative analysis according to previous experimental studies revealed differences between the alteration degrees of the firewood used in the hearths, highlighting the existence of firewood acquisition criteria based on dead wood gathering and also suggesting smoke-related functions. Coupled with fragmentation analyses, this method highlighted possible post-depositional processes affecting the higher degraded charcoals. These results lead us to propose a quantitative analysis of the fungal decay patterns on Middle Palaeolithic charcoal reinforcing the previous hypotheses about dead wood gathering among Neanderthal groups as an accessible and available resource in the surroundings. These data have significant implications for the interpretation of firewood use and management by Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers which was traditionally defined as an opportunistic activity according to the absence of selection criteria based on specific taxa