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The Oldest Mini-Brains Have Lifelike Young Cells
“Organoid” brain tissue models grown in a lab for two years can help scientists study a critical period of development just before and after birth.
Jason Morgan Recalls Discovering Earth’s Tectonic Plates
Jason Morgan developed the theory of plate tectonics in 1967 while working among a critical mass of talented geophysicists at Princeton University.
For Astronomers, Neutron Star Merger Could Eclipse Eclipse
Even as the solar eclipse was mesmerizing millions, astronomers were training their space- and land-based telescopes on a far more violent astrophysical event.
Interspecies Hybrids Play a Vital Role in Evolution
Hybrids, once treated as biological misfits, play a vital role in the evolution of many animal species. Now conservationists are trying to reconcile that truth with policies.
A Physicist Who Models ISIS and the Alt-Right
The rise of new extremist groups has served as both an impetus and test-case for Neil Johnson’s models of terrorism and insurgency.
Mathematicians Tame Rogue Waves, Lighting Up Future of LEDs
The mathematician Svitlana Mayboroda and collaborators have figured out how to predict the behavior of electrons — a mathematical discovery that could have immediate practical effects.
Janet Conrad, Seeker of Neutrinos and Other Curiosities
The physicist and curios collector hopes to reveal the hidden structure lurking in the subatomic world.
Symmetry, Algebra and the Monster
To begin to understand what mathematicians and physicists see in the abstract structures of symmetries, let’s start with a familiar shape.
Beating the Odds for Lucky Mutations
If DNA repair makes useful mutations more likely, it could accelerate cells’ adaptations to harsh environments.