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For Embryo's Cells, Size Can Determine Fate
Modeling suggests that many embryonic cells commit to a developmental fate when they become too small to divide unevenly anymore.
The post For Embryo…
6 years, 1 month ago
Scientists Debate the Origin of Cell Types in the First Animals
Theories about how animals became multicellular are shifting as researchers find greater complexity in our single-celled ancestors.
The post Scientis…
6 years, 2 months ago
Wandering Space Rocks Help Solve Mysteries of Planet Formation
After an interstellar asteroid shot past the sun, scientists realized that there’s probably a lot of itinerant rocks out there.
The post Wandering Sp…
6 years, 2 months ago
Random Surfaces Hide an Intricate Order
Mathematicians have proved that a random process applied to a random surface will yield consistent patterns.
The post Random Surfaces Hide an Intrica…
6 years, 3 months ago
Where We See Shapes, AI Sees Textures
To researchers’ surprise, deep learning vision algorithms often fail at classifying images because they mostly take cues from textures, not shapes.
T…
6 years, 3 months ago
What’s in a Name? Taxonomy Problems Vex Biologists
Researchers struggle to incorporate ongoing evolutionary discoveries into an animal classification scheme older than Darwin.
The post What’s in a Nam…
6 years, 4 months ago
Bacterial Complexity Revises Ideas About ‘Which Came First?’
Contrary to popular belief, bacteria have organelles too. Scientists are now studying them for insights into how complex cells evolved.
The post Bact…
6 years, 4 months ago
Ancient DNA Yields Snapshots of Vanished Ecosystems
Surviving fragments of genetic material preserved in sediments allow scientists to see the full diversity of past life — even microbes.
The post Anci…
6 years, 5 months ago
Computer Scientists Expand the Frontier of Verifiable Knowledge
The universe of problems that a computer can check has grown. The researchers’ secret ingredient? Quantum entanglement.
The post Computer Scientists …
6 years, 5 months ago
The Hidden Heroines of Chaos
Two women programmers played a pivotal role in the birth of chaos theory. Their previously untold story illustrates the changing status of computatio…
6 years, 6 months ago