Abstractions blog

Transcription factors that act throughout the genome can arise from mashups of transposable elements inserted into established genes.

Originally devised as a rigorous means of counting holes, homology provides a scaffolding for mathematical ideas, allowing for a new way to analyze the shapes within data.

A new proposal would use quantum hard drives to combine the light of multiple telescopes, letting astronomers create incredibly high-resolution optical images.

An enigmatic connection between the forces of nature is allowing physicists to explore gravity’s quantum side.

A newfound hub of immune system activity at the back of the brain solves a century-old puzzle.

The thorny thought experiment has been turned into a real experiment — one that physicists use to probe the physics of information.

Some populations of neurons simultaneously process sensations and memories. New work shows how the brain rotates those representations to prevent interference.

A patchwork of genomic differences in the placenta may explain the organ’s “live fast, die young” strategy and its connections to cancer.

The new volcanic fissures are more otherworldly than they first appear.