Month: February 2017

Enlarge / Fear is the mind killer (credit: LaLumiere Lab, University of Iowa)

Place cells in the hippocampus are known to encode memories associated with a specific location. However, the precise role that these cells play in location-based memory retrieval is somewhat unclear. A recent study published in Nature Neuroscience finds that these cells can be active even when a rat is near a location associated with a fear memory. This result shows that place cells may play a role in avoidance behavior without requiring that an animal be in the place it's trying to avoid.

In this study, the researchers used an IRB-approved fear-conditioning protocol in which rats were conditioned to be afraid of a specific part of a long linear cage. When they walked over to that area, they received a small electric shock. The researchers knew that the mice learned to be afraid of the shock zone of the cages because, when they were placed in the cages, they avoided the shock zone, but wandered freely in the other parts of the space.

After the rats were conditioned to be afraid of the shock zone, the researchers lesioned the part of the hippocampus (called the dorsal CA1) associated with this fear memory in some of the rats. These lesioned rats no longer showed fear of the shock zone, which demonstrated that the place-fear-linked memories were encoded in the neurons of this one specific brain region.

Enlarge / The Aurora lights in action. (credit: Terry Dunn)

I have to admit that I’m lagging behind with lighting technology at my house. As someone who hasn’t yet even finished replacing my incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs with LEDs, smart lighting and the concept of “lights as art” has never entered my mind. Of course, I divulged none of this when I accepted an offer to review the $200 Nanoleaf Aurora—a modern, WiFi-controlled, artsy LED-light set. And I’m glad I spent the time getting to know the system. As it turns out, you don’t have to be a cutting-edge smarthome guru to appreciate good connected lighting.

About the Aurora

Nanoleaf's Aurora system is built around a number of linked LED light panels. Each panel is an equilateral triangle measuring about 9-3/4” (250mm) per side, with a thickness of 5/16” (8mm). An outer lens does a super job of diffusing the light from the LED sources within. This results in each panel appearing as a single, homogenous, glowing light source. The system can produce more than 16 million different colors.

The Aurora "Smarter Kit" includes nine light panels, connectors, the controller unit, and a power supply. (credit: Terry Dunn)

Your initial options for creativity relate to how you join multiple panels together. Sockets molded into the midpoint of each side can accept panel connectors the size of postage stamps. These connectors bridge the panels electrically and mechanically, and you can bind the triangles in any orientation that you want. A straight line, pyramid, squiggle—you can snap the panels together in whatever shapes you want. The “Smarter Kit” that I reviewed provides nine triangles, but the included power supply can support up to 30. Additional panels can be purchased in packs of three for $60.