HSE Researchers Caused People to Behave Less Rationally by Suppressing Activity in Specific Parts of the Brain
Researchers at the HSE Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience have shown experimentally that magnetic stimulation of the prefrontal cortex of the brain causes test subjects to act less rationally, changing how they assess possible outcomes at the moment they make risky decisions. The scientists believe that the discovery will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that give rise to gaming addiction. The results of the study were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
‘In the Last 20 Years, Computer Modelling Has Become an Important Part of Cognitive Science’
As part of its Digital Professors programme, HSE University invites international lecturers to work with students remotely. One of the participants of the programme is Dr Ivan Ivanchei, Research Assistant of the Department of Experimental Psychology at Ghent University (Belgium). He conducted an elective course at HSE University entitled ‘Introduction to Computer Modeling of Cognitive Processes.’
Russian Chemists Improve Seawater Desalination Membrane
A team of researchers of the HSE Faculty of Chemistry Joint Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Materials Science with the RAS Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry have designed a novel type of hybrid ion-exchange membrane. Such membranes can be used to produce drinking water from seawater, which is particularly relevant for areas with access to the sea and a shortage of drinking water. The study is published in Desalination.