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Meet the New Math, Unlike the Old Math
The latest effort to overhaul math and science education offers a fundamental rethinking of the basic structure of knowledge. But will it be given time to work?
Watching Evolution Happen in Two Lifetimes
The biologists Rosemary and Peter Grant have spent four decades on a tiny island in the Galápagos. Their discoveries reveal how new animal species can emerge in just a few generations.
The Strange Case of Typhoid Mary
The infamous case of Typhoid Mary underscores the importance of tolerance in understanding disease.
A New Way to Predict Infection’s Toll
Scientists have developed new ways to forecast who will bounce back from disease by studying not just the way the immune system fights infections, but how the body repairs itself.
A New Step in Re-Creating First Life on Earth
An RNA molecule that can make copies of a variety of RNAs adds new support to the RNA-world theory.
The Neuroscience Behind Bad Decisions
Irrationality may be a consequence of the brain’s ravenous energy needs.
Jammed Cells Expose the Physics of Cancer
The subtle mechanics of densely packed cells may help explain why some cancerous tumors stay put while others break off and spread through the body.
How to Grow a New Model Organism
To develop new model organisms, scientists will have to find species that are easy to grow in the lab.
Biologists Search for New Model Organisms
The bulk of biological research is centered on a handful of species. Are we missing a huge chunk of interesting biology?