Rachel Crowell

Contributing Writer

Latest Articles

Ninth Dedekind Number Found by Two Independent Groups

August 1, 2023

The numbers count a variety of seemingly unrelated mathematical structures.

Q&A

She Tracks the DNA of Elusive Species That Hide in Harsh Places

April 17, 2023

On Mount Everest and in the Peruvian Andes, Tracie Seimon uses DNA to study how species and ecosystems respond to climate change, pathogens and other influences.

Q&A

An Applied Mathematician With an Unexpected Toolbox

March 1, 2023

Lek-Heng Lim uses tools from algebra, geometry and topology to answer questions in machine learning.

Q&A

A Mathematician Dancing Between Algebra and Geometry

November 22, 2022

Wei Ho, the first director of the Women and Mathematics program at the Institute for Advanced Study, combines algebra and geometry in her work on an ancient class of curves.

Father-Son Team Solves Geometry Problem With Infinite Folds

April 4, 2022

The result could help researchers answer a larger question about flattening objects from the fourth dimension to the third dimension.

Q&A

When a Gene Illness Discovery Means Breaking Bad News

December 14, 2021

When scientists discover genes linked to dangerous illnesses in their samples, how should they convey that news to the study participants? The geneticist Cristen Willer had to tackle that challenge.

Researchers Read the Sugary ‘Language’ on Cell Surfaces

May 3, 2021

Glycans, the complex sugars that stud cellular surfaces, are like a language that life uses to mediate vital interactions. Researchers are learning how to read their meaning.

Q&A

A Computer Scientist Who Tackles Inequality Through Algorithms

April 1, 2021

Rediet Abebe uses the tools of theoretical computer science to understand pressing social problems — and try to fix them.

Q&A

Searching Symbols for the Rules of Change

November 17, 2020

Bryna Kra searches for the patterns in sequences of numbers that explain how complicated dynamical systems evolve over time.

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