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For the fans resurfacing from their trance-like state of binging all nine episodes of Stranger Things 2 in 24 hours, let’s examine the lingering questions. And if you haven't finished the season yet, save this for later: major spoilers ahead! Netflix has already renewed the show for a third season, and creators Matt and Ross Duffer are hoping for a fourth. Good thing, too, because while the final episode of Season 2 wasn't quite a cliffhanger, it left a lot of loose ends. The Shadow MonsterEleven may have closed the gate, but the monster in the Upside Down has not been defeated by the end of 'Stranger Things 2.' Netflix Keep up with this story and more by subscribing now We now know there are many Demogorgons—renamed "Demo-dogs" by Dustin. These creatures share a hive-mind controlled by the Shadow Monster, the spider-like creature fans had been speculating about since the season 2 trailer. In the final episode, when Eleven—now called Jane—closes the gate to the Upside Down, it causes the Demo-dogs on the other side to shrivel up as if dead. The question is, are they really dead? The final shot of the season reminds us that the Upside Down still exists, as the Shadow Monster looms ominously over Hawkins Middle School, perhaps looking for its next victim. It can't be too happy with Jane right now. Eleven/JaneHopper officially adopts Eleven (now Jane) at the end of 'Stranger Things 2.' Netflix In the last episode, Hopper officially becomes Jane's dad, thanks to adoption papers illegally obtained by Dr. Owens, the former head of the Hawkins National Laboratory. Owens has said that Jane must remain in hiding for another year, for reasons that remain unclear. We got the full story on Jane’s mother—whose brain was scrambled at the lab after she learned the truth about her daughter—but we’ve yet to know the identity of her biological father. The fan theory, that he is, in fact, Hopper, is still in play. We also know that at least 10 other Hawkins parents have had children kidnapped. One of those kids is Jane’s “sister,” Kali, who has the power to make people see things that aren’t real (meaning, perhaps, that any information we’ve learned so far could be an illusion). That leaves nine children unaccounted for. Here’s hoping Jane brings back that leather biker look, perhaps to lead an army of super children. As for Hopper, is it possible that Kali's powers have made him believe that he had a daughter who died of cancer? Just sayin’... Dr. BrennerWe haven't seen the last of Dr. Brenner, aka "Papa." Netflix The Hawkins lab is shut down, much to the delight of the conspiracy theorist befriended by Jonathan and Nancy. But the town still doesn't know what really went on there; most think Barb was killed by a toxic leak. (Yes, finally #JusticeForBarb.) Season 2 introduced a group of anarchist kids determined to murder employees of the lab, and we haven't seen the last of them. Ray, the Hawkins worker Kali terrorizes, confessed that Season 1’s Dr. Brenner (aka "Papa") is still alive, and likely up to no good. Mike and WillMike and Will are finally reunited. Netflix The Shadow Monster that possessed Will in season 2 (kid can’t catch a break) was seemingly scared off in the Exorcist-style scene in the ninth and final episode. Will seems to be back to normal, if nervous and quiet—but he was always like that (see notable blush when he accepts a dance from an unnamed girl at the Snow Ball). But tension could be brewing for Will in Season 3. Mike, who finally got a kiss from Jane, is ready to explore the joys of teenage "love." We've never seen Will interact with Jane outside of the Upside Down world, and his friendship with Mike anchored Season 2. Three is traditionally a crowd. Lucas and MaxLucas (far left) and Max (far right) are becoming more than friends. Netflix We leave 13-year-olds Lucas and Max on the verge of awkward preteen dating. Lucas seems happy enough, but that fight between Max and her stepbrother, Billy, revealed an alarmingly violent streak—similar to that of her abusive step-father. That can’t be good. DustinDustin (left) didn't manage to find love in 'Stranger Things 2.' Netflix Dustin is the only one of the friends who doesn’t get to dance at the Snow Ball, aside from the pity offer from Nancy. Maybe he’ll find a little romance in season 3 with a new character; on the other hand, after being sprayed with Demo-dog spit in the Upside Down, he could start displaying Will-like symptoms. And what of his candy-loving, Demo-dog pet? Surely we haven’t seen the last of him. Jonathan, Nancy and SteveThose were Team Jonathan and Nancy won't be disappointed in 'Stranger Things 2.' Netflix Jonathan and Nancy are together, vindicating #TeamJonathan shippers everywhere. But after getting officially dumped, Steve is clearly still into Nancy, so more love triangle potential! JoyceWill Joyce finally get a romantic arc with Hopper? Netflix With Bob (Sean Astin) dead and out of the way, season 3 might finally introduce the Hopper and Joyce romance we’ve been hoping for. The frantic way she ran to rescue him from the Upside Down sure didn't look platonic. So far, no date has been announced for Stranger Things season 3, but stay tuned. |
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Prairie voles are one of the few mammal species that mates for life. They are socially monogamous and form lifelong bonds with their partners, making nests and raising pups together and showing high levels of affection to one another. For this reason, scientists often use them to study monogamous behavior and social bonding. Now, a team of researchers from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, has found the precise neural circuits involved in the “pair bonding”—or falling in love—process. Effectively, the scientists were able to watch what was happening in the brains as two voles became life partners. Their study, published in the journal Nature, builds on previous research into the neurological basis for monogamy, potentially providing an insight into human disorders where forming social bonds is difficult, such as autism. Keep up with this story and more by subscribing now Corresponding author Robert Liu tells Newsweek: “Ultimately, everything we do is the result of some brain activity. Prairie voles don’t fall in love in the same way humans do, but they do form these pair bonds that are lifelong. In a funny kind of way we’re watching what the brain is doing as this is happening. We don’t think this is the only part of the brain involved. But we do think it’s a key part. We’re watching how the brain changes when the partner becomes attractive.” In the study, scientists monitored female prairie voles as they were introduced to a potential mate. They recorded their pre-bonding behavior and the level of activity in specific areas of the brain related to reward. By doing this, they were able to identify the circuits involved in prairie vole pair bonding. They also showed that the stronger the level of activity in these circuits, the faster the prairie voles started showing signs they had bonded. This included mating and huddling, where they snuggled up to one another. The researchers were also able to activate this circuit using optogenetics—using light to activate parts of the brain. By doing this, they were able to influence a female's’ partner preference. Prairie voles mate for life, making them ideal to study monogamy and social bonding behaviors. Todd Ahern “This is a brain area we think reflects how rewarding something is. By seeing how their social interactions increase the activity of the circuit, it’s actually telling us, how much will this animal find their soon-to-be partner attractive and want to huddle more quickly with them?” Liu says. “It was a surprise to us that there was such a nice correlation between the strength of the [brain] activity during these [pre-bonding] behaviors and how quickly they would start to huddle,” he adds. He says studying prairie voles will allow scientists to get a better insight into monogamy and social bonding: “Prairie voles are wonderful as a model system to do this. It’s not something we could do in humans because again we want to actually see what’s changing as the bond is formed. We’d have to have some sort of way to watch over time what’s going on. That would be really hard to do in humans.” Previously, scientists have shown activity in this region of the brain occurs when men and women are shown images of their partner: “But that’s after a bond has already formed,” Liu says. “What we’re doing with the prairie voles is to try to understand how that comes about by looking at the changes, in particular the circuits that can drive this part of the brain, the reward part of the brain, during the formation of the brain. “Ultimately, down the line what we’re learning here are about the processes that enable social bonds to be formed and what we hope is that this knowledge can tell us what might go wrong in individuals who have more difficulty with social function, for example in autism or schizophrenia.” Mohamed Kabbaj, professor of biomedical sciences and neurosciences at Florida State University, who was not involved in the study but also studies social bonding in prairie voles, tells Newsweek in an email: “While our knowledge of the molecular factors implicated in the formation of social attachment has increased in the past decades, it remains unknown how neuronal activity in the brain is involved in this process. “These observations [in this study] are of particular interest as they represent the first data on neuronal connectivity between two highly relevant brain structures during socio-sexual interactions, and thus represent the first piece of information on how neuronal activity within the brain is altered, in real-time, during the formation of a social bond.” The study is particularly significant, he says, because it provides the first evidence that social interactions cause changes to the neurological connections in the brain's reward circuit, and that this controls how social bonds are formed. Tags: InHand Networks - Global Leader in Industrial IoT, Global Leader in Industrial IoTn>, android-computer, iot, industrial-iot |