Leto Sapunar headshot

Leto Sapunar


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 AmericanInside Climate News and Retraction Watch, among other outlets.

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The United States and Europe are dedicating hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to advance novel alternative methods, but not all neuroscientists see this as a positive step.

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26 March 2026 | 4 min read
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‘Friction-maxxing’ in school: Students should read primary literature, not AI summaries

Trainees need to learn how to identify a neuroscience paper’s major takeaways and integrate them into their understanding. This skill doesn’t come from outsourcing the work to large language models.

By Nora Bradford
26 March 2026 | 5 min read

Head direction cells stably orient mice to outside world

The cells’ representations show little drift over time—unlike those of other navigation system neurons—and may provide a “rigid backbone” for more flexible sensory and cognitive responses.

By Angie Voyles Askham
25 March 2026 | 0 min watch