A unified coding strategy for processing faces and voices

Both faces and voices are rich in socially-relevant information, which humans are remarkably adept at extracting, including a person's identity, age, gender, affective state, personality, etc. Here, we review accumulating evidence from behavioral, neuropsychological, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging studies which suggest that the cognitive and neural processing mechanisms engaged by perceiving faces or voices are highly similar, despite the very different nature of their sensory input. The similarity between the two mechanisms likely facilitates the multi-modal integration of facial and vocal information during everyday social interactions. These findings emphasize a parsimonious principle of cerebral organization, where similar computational problems in different modalities are solved using similar solutions

Genus Two Partition Functions and Renyi Entropies of Large c CFTs

We compute genus two partition functions in two dimensional conformal field theories at large central charge, focusing on surfaces that give the third Renyi entropy of two intervals. We compute this for generalized free theories and for symmetric orbifolds, and compare it to the result in pure gravity. We find a new phase transition if the theory contains a light operator of dimension $\Delta\leq0.19$. This means in particular that unlike the second Renyi entropy, the third one is no longer universal.Comment: 28 pages + Appendice

Transitions and Probes in Turbulent Helium

Previous analysis of a Paris turbulence experiment \cite{zoc94,tab95} shows a transition at the Taylor Reynolds number \rel \approx 700. Here correlation function data is analyzed which gives further evidence for this transition. It is seen in both the power spectrum and in structure function measurements. Two possible explanations may be offered for this observed transition: that it is intrinsic to the turbulence flow in this closed box experiment or that it is an effect of a change in the flow around the anemometer. We particularly examine a pair of ``probe effects''. The first is a thermal boundary layer which does exist about the probe and does limit the probe response, particularly at high frequencies. Arguments based on simulations of the response and upon observations of dissipation suggests that this effect is only crucial beyond \rel\approx 2000. The second effect is produced by vortex shedding behind the probe. This has been seen to produce a large modification in some of the power spectra for large \rel. It might also complicate the interpretation of the experimental results. However, there seems to be a remaining range of data for \rel < 1300 uncomplicated by these effects, and which are thus suggestive of an intrinsic transition.Comment: uuencoded .ps files. submitted to PRE. 12 figures are sent upon request to jane wang ([email protected]

Heat Conduction in κ\kappa-(BEDT-TTF)2_2Cu(NCS)2_2

The first study of thermal conductivity, $\kappa$, in a quasi-two-dimensional organic superconductor of the $\kappa$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$X family reveals features analogous to those already observed in the cuprates. The onset of superconductivity is associated with a sudden increase in $\kappa$ which can be suppressed by the application of a moderate magnetic field. At low temperatures, a finite linear term - due to a residual electronic contribution- was resolved. The magnitude of this term is close to what is predicted by the theory of transport in unconventional superconductors.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures include