One of the most remarkable things about the human brain is that it changes. A lot. This ability to reinvent oneself, to take shape, to strengthen some ties and let others go, fascinates Andrea Gomez. A molecular and cellular biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, Gomez spends her time trying to understand how the … Read more
TV stars and terrorists may seem to have little in common. But after watching YouTube videos by members of a violent terrorist organization, Yotam Ophir realized that the two groups used similar tactics to connect with distant audiences. The terrorists dressed casually, looked into the camera when they spoke, and recounted their pasts in a … Read more
The word “bionic” conjures up sci-fi visions of humans grown to superhuman levels. It is true that engineering advances such as better motors and batteries, along with modern computing, mean that the necessary mechanical and electronic systems are no longer a barrier to advanced prostheses. But the field has struggled to integrate these powerful machines … Read more
Clostridioides difficile is an extremely nasty intestinal bug, with few effective treatments and no approved vaccines. But the same technology that enabled the first COVID-19 vaccines has shown early promise in mouse experiments against the deadly infection, which kills 30,000 people in the United States each year. An mRNA vaccine designed to target C. difficile … Read more