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In Natural Networks, Strength in Loops
In the complex architecture that ferries fluids in plants and brains, scientists are finding a model of resilience.
On the Microbial Frontier, Cooperation Thrives
Population expansion may be a major driver in the evolution of cooperation, with implications for new antibiotics, cancer treatments and perhaps even human behavior.
In Pursuit of Quantum Biology With Birgitta Whaley
An interview with the Berkeley chemist K. Birgitta Whaley on the promise and challenge of translating quantum biology into practical quantum devices.
As Machines Get Smarter, Evidence They Learn Like Us
Studies show that computer models called "neural networks" behave strikingly similar to actual brains when performing certain tasks, suggesting the two may learn in the same way.
The Surprising Origins of Life’s Complexity
Scientists are exploring how organisms can evolve elaborate structures without Darwinian selection.
Tiny Genomes May Offer Clues to First Plants and Animals
Symbiotic bacteria that dwell within insect cells are intricately intertwined with their hosts, prompting scientists to question when these bacteria stop being bona fide organisms and become part of the cell.
A New Approach to Building the Tree of Life
More genetic data is available than ever before to help build evolutionary trees, but scientists are finding that different genes even in the same organism can tell conflicting stories.
Biologists Home In on Turing Patterns
New research has prompted a resurgence of interest in the patterning mechanisms Alan Turing proposed 60 years ago.
Hunger Game: Is Honesty Between Animals Always the Best Policy?
Game theorists have developed a new model of communication among animals. It suggests evolution will produce a situation in which members of a species are honest most of the time, but not always.