Biology

New experimental results simultaneously advance and challenge the theory that the brain’s network of neurons balances on the knife-edge between two phases.

Immunologists confirm an old hunch: T-cells identify what belongs in the body by timing how long they can bind to it.

Viruses and other parasites may sync with their host’s biological clock — or reset it — to gain an advantage.

Surviving fragments of genetic material preserved in sediments allow scientists to see the full diversity of past life — even microbes.

Some viruses can replicate without infecting any one cell with all their genes.

For more than six decades, the influential biologist Edward O. Wilson has drawn connections between evolution, ecology and behavior, often sparking controversies inside and outside of science.

Skyrocketing animal diversity a half-billion years ago was linked to spikes and dips in marine oxygen levels, according to a detailed geological study.

Your expectations shape and quicken your perceptions. A new model that explains how that happens also suggests it’s time to update theories about sensory perception and decision making.

New work raises the estimated diversity of viruses in the seas more than twelvefold and lays the groundwork for a better understanding of their impact on global nutrient cycles.