Too quiet to hear a whisper

Article Abstract:

A new model shows that there is no threshold or potential barrier for noise to be able to improve a dynamic system's sensitivity to weak signals and consequently, to transfer information reliably. Sergey Bezrukov and Igor Vodyanoy demonstrated this theory in their model of a theoretical device which spits out a random spike train with a constant input, which depends exponentially on an external input. The spike rate changes as the input varies in time. A key feature of the model is that the spike train is affected by a weak signal even without external noise. It is thus shown that stochastic resonance can occur in a broad class of systems.

Noise, Noise (Sound), Resonance, Resonance (Physics)

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Noise-enhanced tactile sensation

Article Abstract:

Stochastic resonance type effects on physiological systems enhance human sensory perception in which a particular level of noise enables the individual to detect a subthreshold tactile stimulus. In a series of psychophysiological experiments, input noise serves as a negative masker for subthreshold tactile stimuli and increases the detectability of weak signals. These results suggest that a noise-based technique can improve tactile sensation in humans, especially when incorporated into the design of haptic interfaces for telerobotics and virtual environments.

Electronics, Biology, Touch, Electronics in biology

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First-passage times in complex scale-invariant media

Article Abstract:

A study explains a newly developed general theory that helps in calculation of first-passage times (FPTs) in complex scale-invariant media. The analysis reveals that the mean FPT highly depends on the volume of the confining domain, as well as the source-target distance.

Monte Carlo method, Monte Carlo methods, Asymptotic expansions

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