Have you got a favourite track? Well, it’s time to turn it up and enjoy the beat with a warm cup of coffee. Everyday pleasures like listening to music or sipping a cup of coffee can elevate brain activity, improving cognitive performance including in tasks demanding concentration and memory, according to a recent study. A group of researchers looked at a new NYU Tandon School of Engineering study involving MindWatch a brain-monitoring technology. MindWatch is an algorithm that analyses a person’s brain activity from data which is collected from a wearable device which can monitor electrodermal activity (EDA). EDA is a measure of electrical changes in the skin triggered by emotional stress, often associated with sweat responses. In the study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, participants were made to wear these skin-monitoring wristbands as well as brain-monitoring headbands to complete a range of cognitive tests. The tests were conducted while the participants listened to music, drank their coffee and smelled perfumes reflecting their individual preferences. These tests were completed again without any of those stimulants. Researchers found that both music and coffee significantly influenced participants’ brain arousal, and put them in a “state of mind” that could “modulate their performance in the working memory tasks they were performing,” the NYU press release says. The wearable device found that the stimulates specifically triggered increased “beta band” brain wave activity which is linked to peak cognitive performance. Perfumes also had a slight positive effect, suggesting to researchers that there is a need for further investigation. “The pandemic has impacted the mental well-being of many people across the globe and now more than ever, there is a need to seamlessly monitor the negative impact of everyday stressors on one’s cognitive function,” says Rose Faghih, an associate professor of biomedical engineering who developed MindWatch in six years. “Right now MindWatch is still under development, but our eventual goal is that it will contribute to technology that could allow any person to monitor his or her own brain cognitive arousal in real-time, detecting moments of acute stress or cognitive disengagement, for example. “At those times, MindWatch could ‘nudge’ a person towards simple and safe interventions — perhaps listening to music — so they could get themselves into a brain state in which they feel better and perform job or school tasks more successfully, professor Faghih added. The specific tests used in this study involved a working memory task, called the n-back test which involves presenting a sequence of stimuli to the participants, in this case, images or sounds. It was shown one by one, and people were asked to indicate whether the current stimulus matched the one presented "n" items back in the sequence. This study employed a 1-back test — the participant responded "yes" when the current stimulus is the same as the one presented one item back — and a more challenging 3-back test, asking the same for three items back. Three types of music were also tested out, there was energetic and relaxing music familiar to the participants, as well as novel AI-generated music that reflected the subject’s tastes. Results showed that familiar, energetic music led to the best performance, followed by AI-generated music tailored to the participant’s taste. Coffee and perfume had lesser but still noticeable positive impacts. The MindWatch team wish to conduct further experiments to confirm the tool’s reliability and understand the broader effectiveness of various interventions on brain activity. Researchers have noted that while specific interventions might generally boost brain performance, individual results may vary. The study is published in the journal Nature. Read More ‘The Puss in Boots Effect:’ Women use infant-directed speech when addressing dogs with larger eyes Study reveals one thing to focus on if you want to live to 100 Extreme heat may speed up cognitive decline for people from poorer neighbourhoods Quick, moist and flavourful: Jurgen Krauss’s marble cake Mother whose hot flushes led to leukaemia diagnosis says ‘don’t ignore’ symptoms What happens at a sexual health check-up?

Joining a list of musicians including John Lydon, Ed Sheeran and Nick Cave who have slammed the tech, Brian May has said he finds the use of AI in music “massively scary” as he believes it possesses the power to cause “evil”.

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LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 11, 2023--

Burberry has launched a project designed to mix British luxury with everyday life – and it’ll all start with their take on the most important meal of the day. The heritage fashion house has announced a new initiative, Burberry Streets, which will see the brand take a more prominent place within a selection of cities. Through experiences, installations and events across cities such as London, Seoul and Shanghai, Burberry will showcase signature elements of the brand, such as the seasonal check pattern in knight blue, rose print, and the newly redefined Equestrian Knight Design. In London, the Burberry Streets takeover will begin with the brand having a major presence in Norman’s Cafe, a restaurant in Archway that serves all-day breakfast food, as well as sandwiches. As part of London Fashion Week, which runs from 15 to 19 September, a travelling Norman’s food truck will make appearances on The Strand and Duke of York Square. The food establishment shared news of the collaboration with a post on social media on Monday (11 September). Alongside an image of a meal of two fried eggs and chunky chips, on a plate branded with the Burberry logo in blue, the straightforward caption reads: “2 eggs & chips. @burberry will be taking over Norman’s cafe for London fashion week, Wednesday to Sunday.” In response, fans of both the brand and the restaurant voiced their approval for the impending linkup. “Name a more iconic duo I’ll wait!” reads one supportive comment, while another Instagram user deemed it “the Great British pairing”. Outside of the collaboration with Norman’s Cafe, Burberry Streets will incorporate symbols of the house in multiple locations across the capital. Flags featuring the new rose print will fly above Bond Street and Piccadilly’s screens will be lit up with videos from the Winter 2023 campaign. The Equestrian Knight will take to the streets in the form of chalk stencils on paths and in parks, while black cabs will be wrapped in Daniel Lee’s English rose print. Burberry Streets will land in Seoul and Shanghai in October. Lee’s first collection for the brand, Winter 2023, is available now. In a statement, Rod Manley, the Chief Marketing Officer of Burberry, shared the company’s anticipation for the designer’s work to reach buyers. “We are so excited to see Daniel’s first collection arriving in-store and online,” he said. “With our redesigned website, new brand signifiers across product and branding and the launch of our global Burberry Streets initiative here in our home market, we're looking forward to sharing the new Burberry world with our clients.” Read More How Burberry evolved from humble raincoat maker to luxury fashion giant Kate Middleton re-wears Alexander McQueen suit to watch England beat Argentina in Rugby World Cup Kanye West’s ‘wife’ Bianca Censori uses pillow to cover nearly nude outfit in latest Italy controversy Secondhand September: The best places to buy pre-loved fashion online How Burberry evolved from humble raincoat maker to luxury fashion giant Kate Middleton re-wears Alexander McQueen suit to watch Rugby World Cup

INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 11, 2023--

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 11, 2023--

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