In a year when the science news in Japan is still dominated by Fukushima, there have also been plenty of inspirational stories. For this final column of 2013, I have picked a few of my favorites.
The first was quite extraordinary. Scientists at the National Institute of Genetics in Shizuoka found a way to watch thoughts moving through a brain. The fact that it was the brain of a fish makes it no less amazing. Okay, slightly less amazing. But still: A thought was physically seen!
Koichi Kawakami and colleagues genetically modified zebrafish so they produced a green fluorescent protein in their cells, but only if calcium levels reach a certain concentration. This happens in the brain when neurons fire, so by watching very young fish — whose bodies are transparent — they were literally able to see neural activity as it happened in the brain.