APP: PREDICTS GRADES, PASS OR FAIL?

 We all generally get anxious when our exam result is to be disclosed..

Can you imagine a phone with a phone app that predicts your result like whether you will be pass or fail?

Researchers at Dartmouth College and the University of Texas at Austin developed an app smartGPA that automatically predicts college students' grade point average based on their cellphone data that tracks their study, party and other habits.

We all know ways to improve our GPA(grade point 

average).we all know about the amount of time we spend in 

watching a movie or sleeping or any other task, but now our

 smartphones can do the same for us

This Dartmouth new app can track student behavior and predict their GPAs to within a tenth of a point based solely on the info from their smartphones.

This app uses gps and wifi data for all parts of the college and tracks you when you are in class in canteen or library and then using your location data, this app predicts what you are actually doing and tracks your studying, sleeping, socializing, physical activity, class attendance, and even your stress levels, to get a picture of how you're doing.

 It can then predict your classroom performance without knowing anything previously about your talents, your IQ, your grades, your SAT scores, or anything else

The app's data – gathered via monitoring all smartphone use from physical activity to time spent sleeping – is analysed via machine learning algorithms and, once periodic self reporting from users is factored in, is unnervingly accurate in predicting grades.

This shows that it is your behaviour not your talent that will

 predict your academic success. their is no such thing as 

great talent without great willpower.

The app and its supporting research underline that there are certain behavioural patterns that have a direct impact on a student's grade point average – such as stress levels, time devoted to social interaction and sleep cycles – and these behaviours can be quantified via a smartphone, automatically, without need for direct user input. 

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There may be few people who will not like this app and this includes me too. As I don’t want my smartphone to track my every move. Though it is for my own good, but please there is something called privacy

It isn't hard to say that if we get more sleep, more exercise, go to class, skip the party, and study more that we'll get good grades. he limitation to this going global, of course, is that for now the app is tuned to Hanover. If you took the same app to Cambridge or Palo Alto you'd have to reprogram it for the locations there.

The good news is that if the app recognises behaviour that could negatively impact on the student's average, it can offer alerts and advice on how to turn things around.

NOISE : gives you a pot belly

What type of noise are you exposed ?

To answer this question you need to know what actually is noise?

Noise means any unwanted sound. Sounds, particularly loud ones, that disturb people or make it difficult to hear wanted sounds, are noise.

There is a bad news for people who are regularly exposed to

combination of road, rail 

and plane noise, as 

 according to new Swedish study are at a high risk of developing a pot belly.

Exposure to a combination of road traffic, rail, and aircraft noise may pose the greatest risk of acquiring a spare tyre - otherwise known as central obesity, and thought to be one of the most harmful types of fat deposition around the body, the finding suggests

Noise exposure may be an important physiological stressor and bump up the production of the hormone cortisol, high levels of which are thought to have a role in fat deposition around the middle of the body.

"This may explain why the effects of noise were mainly seen for markers of central obesity, such as waist circumference and waist-hip ratio, rather than for generalised obesity, measured by BMI (Body Mass Index)," the study said

The body mass index (BMI), or Quetelet index, is a value derived from the mass (weight) and height of an individual. The BMI is defined as the body mass divided by the square of the body height

A sound's loudness is measured in decibels (dB). Normal conversation is about 60 dB, a lawn mower is about 90 dB, and a loud rock concert is about 120 dB .

In general, sounds above 85 are harmful, depending on how long and how often you are exposed to them and whether you wear hearing protection, such as earplugs or earmuffs.

The researchers assessed how much road traffic, rail, and aircraft noise 5,075 people living in five suburban and rural areas around Stockholm, Sweden, had been exposed to since 1999.

They did this by using official figures on road and rail traffic noise levels and flow.

Between 2002 and 2006, when they were aged between 43 and 66, they completed a detailed questionnaire covering lifestyle, current state of health, levels of psychological distress, insomnia and job strain.

The researchers found no link between road traffic noise and BMI. But there was an association between road traffic noise and waist size, with a 0.21 cm increase for every additional five decibel (dB) increase in exposure, although this was only significant among women.

Similarly, there was a link to waist:hip ratio, with a change of 0.16cm for every five dB increase in noise exposure to road traffic. This association was stronger in men.

A larger waist was significantly associated with exposure to any of the three sources of noise, but thefor link was strongest  for aircraft noise; a larger waist:hip ratio was associated with road traffic and aircraft noise only.

So residents near a airport area specially men would be seen with a high waist:hip ratio.

There seemed to be a cumulative effect, however: the more sources of noise pollution a person was exposed to at the same time, the greater their risk of central obesity seemed to be.

The heightened risk of a larger waist rose from 25 per cent among those exposed to only one source to almost double for those exposed to all three sources

"Exposure to traffic noise is increasing because of ongoing urbanization and increasing traffic volumes,. "It is important to fully assess the public health consequences of this development."

The findings of this study were not influenced by socioeconomic factors, lifestyle, or exposure to ambient air pollution from local road traffic.

But age was an influential factor, with associations between central obesity and road traffic noise only found for those below the age of 60.

The FAA says that a maximum day-night average sound level of 65 dB is incompatible with residential communities. Noise associated with aircraft does not only affect people on the ground, but also those within the aircraft .Simulated aircraft noise at 65 dB(A) has been shown to negatively affect individuals’ memory and recall of auditory information.

Now if you encounter with few people of a particular society 

or occupation having their mid section raised or a large

 waist:hip ratio you can relate with the above study.

What I personally suggest is that If your workplace or residential area has harmful noise levels, plan ahead and wear hearing protection. Wearing hearing protectors can help prevent damage from both moderate and loud noise.

SHAKING STEERING WHEEL

Few years before I heard a quote from somebody that “the driver is safer when roads are dry;the roads are safer when the driver is dry.

According to a study and evidences it is known that almost all accidents are caused by drivers not paying attention.

 Infact Poor concentration is the main cause of road accidents in the Uk. But electronics soon would bring a relief to this problem.

British microchip giant ARM has claimed that the new innovation could eradicate concentration lapses which are responsible for more crashes on British roads than any other factor. 

Experts say that they can save lives through a device which would set on vehicles rear view mirror where it would scan the drivers blink rate for evidence of drowsiness.

 Earlier it was said that best car safety is a rear view mirror with a cop in it…but it can be said that best car safety is a rear view mirror with this device.

The device would sit on the vehicle's rear-view mirror where it would scan the driver's 'blink rate' for evidence of drowsiness and

the alert would then come either through a shaking steering wheel, a vibrating seat or an audible alarm.

 so this shaking steering wheel could soon be used to remind distracted motorists to keep their eyes on the road. 

ARM Vice President Richard York said sensors were becoming more common in modern cars. They are used for a variety of preventative measures, including measuring the distance between vehicles and when a car drifts out of a lane.

But with this device soon rate of accidental injuries due drivers distraction would be surely reduced.

ECOCAPSULE: FUTURE HOME

Many of us dream for a big house with all utilities and luxuries inbuilt, but if you are out of those few who don’t believe in live life king size types and just want an efficient way to live,nice architects have a solution for you.

Ecocapsules, designed by Bratislava-based Nice Architects, promise to let anyone live off the grid for up to a year.the tiny egg shaped ecocapsule could be the low energy home you’re looking for. 

Ecocapsule is a micro-shelter that packs an impressive sustainable punch—the ultra-portable house is powered by solar and wind energy, and also includes rainwater collection and filtration

Ecocapsule is being recommended as being the “green” housing solutions for future generations.

Each unit is equipped with solar panels, a retractable wind-turbine, and a design that captures rain water. Inside, you’ll find a built in kitchenette with running water, a flushing toilet, two large operable windows portable bed working /dining area storage space and hot shower.

Solar panels and a silent wind turbine charge a battery system that will power the “micro home” during times where there are less wind and solar activity . Its roof is decked with 600W solar cells and a built-in 750W wind turbine that store the energy they harness into a high-power battery. The structure's shape also allows its inhabitant to collect rainwater by placing containers around it. 

Rain water is collected via the system integrated into the structure’s surface, and a filtration system within the home offers clean drinking water
 Since it measures just 14.6 feet long by 7.4 feet wide by 8.4 feet tall, anyone who isn't into tiny houses  might feel more than a bit claustrophobic inside. This egg like structure can comfortably accommodate 2 people and the two power sources can generate enough energy for a whole year.

Each Ecocapsule weighs 1,500 kilograms and can fit inside a standard shipping container. The walls are well-insulated and there’s a connector so you can charge your electric car while you tow the capsule.

The Ecocapsule “is suitable for a wide range of applications,” write the designers, such as an “independent research station or a tourist lodge to an emergency housing or a humanitarian-action unit.

Very first question which arised in my mind 

        why is ecocapsule egg shape?

So here is the answer...

 According to the architects, the spherical shape help maximize rain collection. Also the micro home is easily transported and deployed in various areas, making it an extremely viable solution for addition to home, tourist units, research stations, or emergency shelter units.

Currently, only renderings and diagrams of the Ecocapsule are available; however, Nice Architects plans to unveil a prototype at the pioneers festival in vienna on May 28.

The company doesn't have a price for the Ecocapsule yet but I don’t think it would be cheap, By the looks of it, Nice Architects is willing to ship out the capsules overseas, so long as buyers are willing to pay the rather hefty shipping price (around $2,400 from Slovakia to New York). Once it arrives, the new owner can take the 3,300-pound micro home anywhere.

 

 

NEW ANTI AGING DRUG

HOW DO I CONFRONT aging?

With a terror or wonder..

Soon their will be no need of confronting aging, a new anti aging drug may be just 5 years away.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham believe that inhibiting the enzyme could hold the key to developing ways of preventing, or reversing, the adverse effects of aging.

Scientists identified the role of an enzyme in muscle wasting and associated age related problems say, “a new anti-ageing drug may be five years away”

The research is a significant step in understanding the role 

played by the enzyme 11beta-HSD1 in the degenerative effects

 of aging -including sarcopenia (age related muscle wasting). 

Researchers claim the anti-aging drug could be available to the general public within the next five years. The expression of 11beta-HSD1, responsible for activating the steroid hormone cortisol, was increased in the muscles of older females.
About 134 healthy volunteers, aged between 20-80, underwent physical and biochemical tests at a clinical research facility. The findings show that expression of 11beta-HSD1 in skeletal muscles is increased 2.72-fold in women over 60 years of age, compared to those aged between 20 and 40. In male participants, no difference was seen.

"As yet, we don't know why it appears to only occur in women, it is obviously an interesting area for further research. 
We are planning to look at whether hormones such as estrogens could be involved," Dr zaki hasan smith, from the University of Birmingham, said. The researchers wanted to investigate novel ways of increasing healthy life span -the years in which people can maintain active lifestyles without the debilitating impact of muscle wasting.
"Looking at this particular enzyme seemed like an intriguing way forward. We knew how it works in relation to Cushing's Syndrome, which is characterised by similar symptoms, and thought it would be worthwhile applying what we knew to the aging population," said Hassan-Smith.
this research would surely be a boom in market after few years but what I personaly feel is old age or aging simply mean that you have lived longer.

Many people say they don’t want to be old because they think that getting old automatically means you age. This is simply not true.

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” - Abraham Lincoln

EXCESSIVE SALT : DELAYS PUBERTY

Our body needs a small amount of sodium to work properly, but too much sodium is bad for our health. Excess sodium can increase our blood pressure and your risk for a heart disease and stroke.

 Researchers from the University of Wyoming in the U.S did a  new study that claims that intake of excessive salt can

delay puberty, leading to a number of problems. In addition to behavioral issues and stress, delay in puberty may also result in infertility and its associated problems.

 This study  was presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Dublin. As the salt content of Western diets continues to increase these findings could have significant consequences for the reproductive health of future generations.

Researchers from University of Wyoming, USA led by Ms Dori Pitynski are investigating the effect of varying levels of dietary salt on the onset of puberty in rats. They found that rats fed a high salt diet (equivalent to 3 or 4 times the recommended daily allowance for humans) had a significant delay in reaching puberty compared to those fed a normal (low) salt diet. Interestingly, rats that had salt completely excluded from their diet also had delayed puberty.

Ms Pitynski and colleagues concluded that salt intake is necessary for onset of puberty but that excesses can affect reproductive health. Late onset of puberty can lead to behavioural problems, stress and reduced fertility.  Late onset of puberty can lead to behavioural problems, stress and reduced fertility

There have been a lot of studies that have shown the effects of dietary fats on puberty at various levels, but no one has previously looked at the effects of salt in terms of puberty and reproductive health. Ms. Pitynski said that Our work shows that high levels of fat and salt have opposite effects on

 

   reproductive health.” The high fat diets ended up accelerating the onset of puberty, but when rats are fed the excessive salt diets even with the high fat diet combined, there was still a delay in the onset of puberty. This study for the first time showing that salt content in diets are more important and valuable in terms of puberty and reproductive health than fat content in diets.

 According to recent guidelines issued by the World Health Organization revealed that people consume far more sodium in the form of salt than the actual requirement of 5 grams a day for adults. Sodium is found in much higher amounts in processed foods, such as bacon, bread and processed meat as well as in condiments such as soy sauce and stock cubes; which are becoming more prevalent in the Western diet. “Current salt-loading in Western populations has the potential to drastically affect reproductive health, and warrants further attention” said Ms Pitynski.

What is processed food? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans define the term "processed food" includes "any raw agricultural commodity [product] that has been subject to processing, such as canning, cooking, freezing, dehydration, or milling."¹ Processing certain foods can make them last longer by killing organisms in the food or slowing their growth.

Ms. Pitynski said that more research is needed and more people need to be paying attention to the amount of salt that they are consuming on a daily basis. It is even more important for parents to control how much salt their children are getting on a daily basis, since the delay of puberty in their child can have significant negative impacts later in life in terms of having children.

Sodium Reduction Is actually Challenging

Types of food matter: More than 40% of the sodium we eat each day comes from just 10 types of food ranging from the number 1 source—breads and rolls—to snack foods, which are 10th on the list.

Sources of food matter: About 65% of sodium comes from food bought at retail stores, where you can look for lower sodium choices. About 25% comes from foods made in restaurants, where it can be difficult to see how much sodium is in your meal.

Brands of food matter: Different brands of the same foods may have different sodium levels. For example, sodium in chicken noodle soup can vary by as much as 840 mg per serving.

Recent guidelines from WHO state that populations around the world are consuming much more salt than is physiologically necessary.

But with this study it is now clear how a mismanaged dose of sodium ruin your health. so from today itself keep a check on your as well as your childs, intake of salts.

CIGARETTE BUTT : AN ENERGY PACKAGE

Rate of harmful effects of human activity on the biophysical environment is increasing day by day and in this difficult time scientist are working hard to get a solution to a growing environmental problem.

Scientists have successfully converted used cigarette butts 

into a high performing material that could be integrated into 

computers, handheld devices, electric 

 vehicles and wind 

turbines to store energy.

 In their study researchers have shown that cigarette filters 

can be transformed into a high performing carbon-based material using a simple one step process, which simultaneously offers a green solution for meeting the energy demands of society.

It may someday be used to coat the electrodes of supercapacitors: electrochemical components that can store extremely large amounts of electrical energy.

Professor Jongheop Yi of Seoul National University said that Numerous countries are developing strict regulations to avoid the trillions of toxic and non-biodegradable used cigarette filters that are disposed of into the environment each year and their method would be one addition to those.

Carbon is the most common material found in supercapacitors due to its low cost, high surface area, high electrical conductivity and long term stability.

Scientists around the world are working to improve the characteristics of supercapacitors - such as their energy density, power density and cycle stability - while trying to reduce production costs.
In their study, Yi and colleagues demonstrated that the cellulose acetate fibres found in most cigarette filters could be transformed into a carbon-based material using a simple, one-step burning technique called pyrolysis.

We can get a quick review on pyrolysis?

Pyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures in the absence of oxygen (or any halogen). It involves the simultaneous change of chemical composition and physical phase, and is irreversible.

The resulting material after the pyrolysis of cellulose acetate 

fibres of cigarette contained a number of tiny pores, 

increasing its performance as a supercapacitive material.

"A high performing supercapacitor material should have a 

large surface area, which can be achieved by incorporating a 

large number of small pores into the material," said Yi.

"A combination of different pore sizes ensures that the material has high power densities, which is an essential property in a supercapacitor," said Yi.

Once fabricated, the carbon-based material was attached to an electrode and tested in a three-electrode system to see how well the material could adsorb electrolyte ions (charge) and then release them (discharge).

The material stored more electrical energy than commercially available carbon, graphene and carbon nanotubes.

 This shows that the  material outperforms commercially available carbon, graphene and carbon nanotubes.

So once the method is implemented it would prove to be a great help in reducing environmental issues and will also be a boom to our electronics world.

ARE YOU READY FOR A FUNERAL SIMULATOR !!

The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.

So here is a chance to experience your cremation with the help of death simulator.

But the question is, are you really interested in seeing you getting cremated? 

n if it is a yes, then there is something which you really want to know.

Two Chinese philanthropists have created a “death simulator” allowing willing participants to experience cremation.

The Samadhi Game, located in a corner of the Window of the World amusement park in Shenzhen, opened in September 2014 and for roughly £26 simulates players’ deaths by placing them in a coffin and then transporting them to the incinerator.

"Samadhi -- 4D Experience of Death," is a morbid "escape room" game that uses dramatic special effects to bring players close to what its creators imagine is an experience of death.

Losers get cremated -- or are at least made to lie on a conveyor belt that transports them through a fake funeral home incinerator to simulate death rites.

The faux cremator will use hot air and light projections to create what the organizers call "an authentic experience of burning."

After "cremation," participants are transferred to a soft, round, womb-like capsule, signifying their "rebirth."

And the winner?

As in life, he explains, "everyone will die eventually, no matter what they've survived."

"He'll also have to die of course," says the game's fatalistic co-founder Ding Rui.Once inside, players are then blasted by hot air (up to 40C) and light to create a false experience of cremation.

Founders Huange Weiping and Ding Rui of Shanghai 

explain, users are then ‘born again’ inside a giant, simulated

 uterus – to fit in with Chinese ideas about rebirth.

When the “burning” is over, volunteers see a womb projected on the ceiling and must crawl until they reach a large, white padded area – supposedly representing a womb – where they are “reborn”.

Ding and his partner Huang Wei-ping went to great lengths 

researching their game, investigating the cremation process 

that typically awaits 50% chinese people after death

Much of the start-up costs were covered by Jue.so, China’s version of kickstarter, with more than $65,000 raised. Similar operations have successfully opened in South Korea and Taiwan.

                                                                                                 

Apple Watch vs Android Wear

Each wearable platform has its own strengths and weaknesses. Obviously, if you're already deeply invested into the iPhone ecosystem, the Apple Watch is the way to go. And if you're an Android user, Android Wear makes sense. Neither is compatible with one another (although there's a rumor that Google is working on an Android Wear app for iOS). With the new Android Wear 5.1.1 Wear update rolling out to smartwatches, it’s clear the Apple Watch will have some catching up to do to reach feature parity with Android Wear's year head start.

1. Custom watch faces

Android Wear lets developers create and sell their own custom watch faces.

From the very start, Google's allowed anyone to design and sell their own custom watch faces for Android Wear smartwatches. The Apple Watch, on the other hand, only has 11 watch faces, though they can be customized with "complications," little widget-like bits in each corner. With Apple rejecting apps that display only the time, it's unlikely the company will allow third parties to design and sell digital watch faces without its official blessing. That's a real disappointment if you're really into customizations.

2. Always-on apps (soon)

To see the time on a smartwatch, you often have to raise your arm up in an exaggerated motion. This is fine if you're walking down the street, but just plain irritating when you're sitting down or want to glance at the time while you're typing. Many Android Wear watches, including the LG G Watch R, include a feature called "always-on," which switches the smartwatch into a low-power state. In always-on mode, the watch face is stripped of almost all color, and some details (like a second hand) are pared down, in effort to conserve battery life while remaining on. Android Wear 5.1.1 extends "always-on" to apps. Maps, for example, will get the same black-and-white treatment when you're not actively looking at them. However, the apps require an update to support the feature, so there aren't many with always-on baked in yet, so if you don't see any, be patient; they're coming.

3. Works over any Wi-Fi network

The biggest knock on smartwatches, besides battery life, is that they're smartphone companions and need to be tethered via Bluetooth in order to work. Leave your smartphone at your desk and walk away or go for a run without your glass slab and your smartwatch stops getting notifications. The Apple Watch still works over Wi-Fi if your iPhone is out of Bluetooth range, but the two must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network to work. With the new Android Wear update, your smartwatch can still get alerts and notifications over Wi-Fi, even when your phone isn't within range. Unlike the Apple Watch, Android Wear watches running the latest version can connect to any Wi-Fi network (assuming you have access, of course), meaning your phone could be at home and your watch connected to Wi-Fi at work and you'll still get notifications. (You'll still need your smartphone to pair and activate an Android Wear smartwatch, so it's not quite phone-free... yet.)

4. Hand-drawn Emoji

The Apple Watch has 3D-animated emoji — something many users have called creepy — and a sketch messaging feature. The latter lets you send a quick doodle to another person with an Apple Watch. The recipient can then watch the doodle animate itself. On Android 5.1.1, your chicken-scratch emoji are automatically converted into proper emoticons. Google's drawing-to-emoji conversion is pretty spot on, too. It recognized everything from my terrible bicycle to my cat-that-looks-nothing-like-a-cat doodles.

5. Wrist-gesture controls

Android Wear 5.1.1's new wrist gestures on the LG Watch Urbane. Operating a smartwatch is a two-handed affair. You typically need to flick the arm that it's on to turn on the display and then use your other hand to tap and swipe it. It's annoying when you can't use your other hand. For example, when you're cooking and have chicken fat lathered all over your fingers, the last thing you want to do is touch your precious wearable. In Android Wear 5.1.1, you can browse through Google Now cards with wrist gestures; Flick your wrist up fast and then slow back down to scroll down through notifications, and flick your wrist up slowly and then back down fast to scroll up.

6. Pattern lock screen

Android has always been one step ahead of iOS in terms of lock screen security. While you can set a simple number passcode on the Apple Watch, Android Wear 5.1.1 does it one better with Android's familiar pattern lock screen. To be fair though, both security options work similarly: The lock screen feature kicks in only when it detects you've taken it off your wrist.

SCIENCE BEHIND DIET PLANS AND ITS FAILURE !!

There is no sincere love than the love of food.

ARE YOU ON A DIET PLAN AND CAN'T RESIST EATING ??

 In this world there are many people who are trying hard to deprive them from this feeling

We struggle with eating healthily, obesity and access to good nutrition for everyone but we have a great opportunity to get on the right side of the battle by beginning to think differently about the way that we eat and the way that we approach food.

But if you cant seem to stop munching on yummicious cakes chocolates or any other lip smacking dishes then stop blaming yourself it’s just the way you evolved

Researchers have found that a set of neurons is responsible for the unpleasant feelings associated with hunger that make snacking irresistible.

Scientists at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus said the AGRP neurons in the hypothalamus make sense from an evolutionary point of view

From an evolutionary point of view, the feeling makes perfect sense – it would have caused us to put effort into searching for food at a time when it was not readily available. Not all our searches would have proved successful, so weight gain would have been unlikely. For the first time ever, we are faced with the difficult situation of having to ignore our natural inclinations if we want to stay slim. 

"We suspect that these neurons are a very old motivational system to force an animal to satisfy its physiological needs. Part of the motivation for seeking food is to shut these neurons off," explained Scott Sternson, one of the lead researchers involved.

In an environment where food is readily available, their difficult-to-ignore signal may seem like an annoyance but for earlier humans or animals in the wild, pursuing food or water can mean venturing into a risky environment, which might require some encouragement, researchers said. 

AGRP neurons do not directly drive an animal to eat, but rather teach an animal to respond to sensory cues that signal the presence of food. 

AGRP neurons are known to be clearly involved in feeding behaviours: When the body lacks energy, AGRP neurons become active, and when AGRP neurons are active, animals eat. 

Postdoctoral researcher Nicholas Betley and graduate student Zhen Fang Huang Cao in a series of behavioural experiments offered well-fed mice two flavoured gels - one strawberry and the other orange. Neither gel contained any nutrients, but the hungry mice sampled them both.

Then the scientists' manipulated the hunger signals in the animals' brains by switching AGRP neurons on while they consumed one of the two flavours. In subsequent tests, the animals avoided the flavour associated with the false hunger signal.

In a reverse experiment, the scientists switched AGRP neurons off while hungry animals consumed a particular flavour. The animals developed a preference for the flavour choice that led to silencing of AGRP neurons, suggesting they were motivated to turn off the cells' unpleasant signal.

In further experiments, the scientists found that mice also learn to seek out places in their environment where AGRP neurons had been silenced and avoid places where those cells were active.

Next, postdoctoral researcher Shengjin Xu used a tiny, mobile microscope to peer inside the brains of hungry mice and monitor the activity of AGRP neurons. As expected, the cells were active until the mice found food. 

What was surprising, Sternson said, is that mice did not actually have to eat to quiet the neurons. Instead, the cells ceased activity as soon as an animal saw food - or even a signal that predicted food. And their activity remained low while the animal was eating. 

That wouldn't make sense if the job of AGRP neurons was to make food taste better or if they directly controlled the individual actions that go into eating, which were two possibilities, said Scott Sternson, group leader at Janelia

So it is not you but the hunger sensitive cells in your brain which are making your “going slim” task difficult.