Your body knows what you did last night. We all know that our brain is a repository for memories — but what if the rest of your body can store memories too? A recent study from New York University has shown just that, with scientists finding that cells from other parts of the body — like the kidneys and nerve tissue — also show memory-like behavior.

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Memory’s domain is expanding: Traditionally, learning and memory have been tied strictly to neurons and brain activity. But scientists from the study decided to investigate whether non-brain cells could show similar memory characteristics. They took a classic idea from neuroscience called the “spaced learning effect” — the concept that spacing out information is better for memory than cramming it all at once — and applied it to these cells.

How did it go? After giving kidney and nerve cells certain chemical signals spaced out over time, the cells “turned on” a gene that brain cells use for memory more strongly than when chemical signals were prolonged — mirroring the behavior of the brain.

Why is it important? If our body’s cells are keeping track of certain patterns, it could influence everything from how our pancreas handles meal patterns to how cancer cells respond to treatments. Lead researcher Nikolay Kukushkin explains that understanding this could one day help improve learning techniques and even develop new ways to tackle memory-related health issues.

But it goes beyond data storage: Organ donation recipients have been documented as experiencing changes in personality, food preferences, and fears that align with those of their donors, even when they aren’t aware of those attributes. One woman reported an aversion to meat after receiving a heart from someone who was vegetarian. A 47-year-old man who received the heart of a 14-year-old gymnast found himself developing symptoms of the donor’s eating disorder. A nine-year-old boy who lived by a lake suddenly developed an unexplained phobia of bodies of water, finding out later that his donor drowned in a pool.

The impact of the Trump administration will reach beyond the political landscape, experts warn the tech industry. Big Tech has been no stranger to US courtrooms over the last eight years, with many of the biggest players facing antitrust, monopoly, copyright, and child safety lawsuits amid rising skepticism. But now, The Verge claims, future legislation will rely on whether or not Big Tech CEOs are willing to kiss the ring.

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With both the US Supreme Court and Congress skewing Republican, right-wing policies have higher chances to see the light of day — more so if they appeal to Trump’s sensibilities. “Enforcement [of legislation] could be idiosyncratic based on president-elect Donald Trump’s view of the companies or industries involved,” said senior litigation analyst Jennifer Rie. Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich corroborated, writing in a press release that tech legislation will be decided according to the “‘Trump Welfare Standard’: is this company nice to Trump?”

Tech CEOs have wasted no time bending the knee in anticipation of a Republican victory. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who was once on Trump’s chopping block, has found himself in the president-elect’s favor after calling his post-assassination attempt fist pump “one of the most badass things [he’s] ever seen,” and championing right-wing content moderation. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos also reportedly blocked the Bezos-owned Washington Post from publishing an endorsement of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. And it’s no secret that Tesla CEO, X owner, and right-wing internet troll Elon Musk has buddied up with the Republican with promises of a federal position.

What do we expect to see? Unchecked AI practices. Trump has set his sights on President Joe Biden’s executive order to create testing standards and guardrails to regulate harmful applications of the technology. Experts hope that future VP JD Vance wil offset preferential treatment in antitrust cases, basing that faith in Vance’s previous praise of FTC Chair Lina Khan. While ongoing legal cases against Big Tech aren’t expected to be thrown out, the Trump administration may offer more lenient resolutions.

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