Leto Sapunar is a freelance science journalist covering physics, space, climate and science accountability since 2020. He has been writing for Popular Science since early 2021, and his work can also be found in Scientific American, Inside Climate News and Retraction Watch, among other outlets.
Leto Sapunar
From this contributor
Pinning hope to ketamine
Doctors can prescribe it, but evidence that ketamine eases autism traits is still preliminary.
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Shifting neural code powers speech comprehension
Dynamic coding helps explain how the brain processes multiple features of speech—from the smallest units of sounds to full sentences—simultaneously.
Shifting neural code powers speech comprehension
Dynamic coding helps explain how the brain processes multiple features of speech—from the smallest units of sounds to full sentences—simultaneously.
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Claudia López Lloreda
5 March 2026 | 5 min read
Astrocytes orchestrate oxytocin’s social effects in mice
The cells amplify oxytocin—and may be responsible for sex differences in social behavior, two preprints find.
Astrocytes orchestrate oxytocin’s social effects in mice
The cells amplify oxytocin—and may be responsible for sex differences in social behavior, two preprints find.
By
Holly Barker
4 March 2026 | 5 min read
Neuro’s ark: Spying on the secret sensory world of ticks
Carola Städele, a self-proclaimed “tick magnet,” studies the arachnids’ sensory neurobiology—in other words, how these tiny parasites zero in on their next meal.
Neuro’s ark: Spying on the secret sensory world of ticks
Carola Städele, a self-proclaimed “tick magnet,” studies the arachnids’ sensory neurobiology—in other words, how these tiny parasites zero in on their next meal.
By
Calli McMurray
3 March 2026 | 6 min read