Jordana Cepelewicz
With Strategic Zaps to the Brain, Scientists Boost Memory
Stimulating part of the cortex as needed during learning tasks improves later recall. The finding reveals more about the brain’s memory network and points toward possible therapies.
Tissue Engineers Hack Life’s Code for 3-D Folded Shapes
Mechanical tension between tethered cells cues developing tissues to fold. Researchers can now program synthetic tissue to make coils, cubes and rippling plates.
With ‘Downsized’ DNA, Flowering Plants Took Over the World
Compact genomes and tiny cells gave flowering plants an edge over competing flora. This discovery hints at a broader evolutionary principle.
New Bird Species Arises From Hybrids, as Scientists Watch
The rapid, unorthodox emergence of a new finch in the Galápagos hints that speciation isn’t rare. New hybrid species may quietly appear and disappear without anyone noticing.
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.
Cell Atlases Reveal Biology’s Frontiers
New techniques expose unexpected diversity within seemingly uniform tissues.
Music for the Birth of the Universe
This composer takes inspiration from scientific cosmology and quantum mechanics.
