Science Weekly Exercise and brain function, hedgehog hearing, and can AI change our minds? – podcast
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Mar 12, 2026 They discuss a trial linking intense exercise to spikes in BDNF and possible brain-imaging changes. They explore hedgehog hearing at ultrasonic frequencies and implications for conservation. They examine experiments showing biased AI autocomplete can subtly shift people’s attitudes.
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Fitness Amplifies Acute BDNF Release
- Exercise increases acute BDNF release more in fitter people after short intense bouts.
- UCL found sedentary participants who got fitter over 12 weeks produced larger BDNF spikes during 15-minute intense exercise tests.
Improved Fitness Without Immediate Cognitive Gains
- The study saw no improvement on cognitive tests or higher resting BDNF after the 12-week program.
- Brain imaging hinted at beneficial prefrontal cortex activity despite null cognitive-task results, making findings tentative.
Hedgehog Hearing Revealed by CT Scans and Brain Tests
- Researchers CT-scanned an injured hedgehog and modeled its ear, then measured auditory brainstem responses in 20 rehabilitated hedgehogs.
- They found hearing from ~4 kHz up to at least 85 kHz with peak sensitivity around 40 kHz.