I make a living convincing editors to let me write about stuff I think is cool or thought-provoking. The subjects I’ve covered, limited only by my editors’ skepticism, include dinosaur track-based detective work, creationist biology classes in Galapagos schools, and the connections between suffering and selflessness.
Elizabeth Svoboda
From this contributor
Mapping the futures of autistic children
Researchers can roughly project what autistic children's lives will look like years down the road. But how good is their crystal ball — and what are its benefits?
Ben Barres: A transgender scientist shares his story
Ben Barres agonized over whether to come out as male or commit suicide. In a posthumous memoir, he makes clear that coming out was the right choice.
Ben Barres: A transgender scientist shares his story
By
Elizabeth Svoboda, Undark
14 November 2018 | 6 min read
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Null and Noteworthy: Neurons tracking sequences don’t fire in order
Instead, neurons encode the position of sequential items in working memory based on when they fire during ongoing brain wave oscillations—a finding that challenges a long-standing theory.
Null and Noteworthy: Neurons tracking sequences don’t fire in order
Instead, neurons encode the position of sequential items in working memory based on when they fire during ongoing brain wave oscillations—a finding that challenges a long-standing theory.
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How to teach this paper: ‘Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes are induced by activated microglia,’ by Liddelow et al. (2017)
Shane Liddelow and his collaborators identified the factors that transform astrocytes from their helpful to harmful form. Their work is a great choice if you want to teach students about glial cell types, cell culture, gene expression or protein measurement.
How to teach this paper: ‘Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes are induced by activated microglia,’ by Liddelow et al. (2017)
Shane Liddelow and his collaborators identified the factors that transform astrocytes from their helpful to harmful form. Their work is a great choice if you want to teach students about glial cell types, cell culture, gene expression or protein measurement.
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Ashley Juavinett
30 June 2025 | 10 min read
Astrocytes sense neuromodulators to orchestrate neuronal activity and shape behavior
Astrocytes serve as crucial mediators of neuromodulatory processes previously attributed to direct communication between neurons, four new studies show.
Astrocytes sense neuromodulators to orchestrate neuronal activity and shape behavior
Astrocytes serve as crucial mediators of neuromodulatory processes previously attributed to direct communication between neurons, four new studies show.
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Claudia López Lloreda
27 June 2025 | 9 min listen