Rahul Rao is a freelance science writer, graduate of New York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program, and “Doctor Who” fan.

Rahul Rao
From this contributor
Web app tracks pupil size in people, mice
The app relies on artificial intelligence and could help researchers standardize studies of pupil differences in autistic people and in mouse models of autism.
New library catalogs the human gut microbiome
Researchers put hundreds of gut bacteria strains through their paces to chart the compounds each creates — and to help others explore the flora's potential contribution to autism.
New unified toolbox traces, analyzes neurons
‘SNT’ helps researchers sift through microscope images to reconstruct and analyze neurons and their connections.
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This paper changed my life: Dan Goodman on a paper that reignited the field of spiking neural networks
Friedemann Zenke’s 2019 paper, and its related coding tutorial SpyTorch, made it possible to apply modern machine learning to spiking neural networks. The innovation reinvigorated the field.

This paper changed my life: Dan Goodman on a paper that reignited the field of spiking neural networks
Friedemann Zenke’s 2019 paper, and its related coding tutorial SpyTorch, made it possible to apply modern machine learning to spiking neural networks. The innovation reinvigorated the field.
Autism and anxiety insights; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 15 September.

Autism and anxiety insights; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 15 September.
First nerve-net connectome shows how evolutionarily ancient nervous system coordinates movement
The map of a comb jelly’s aboral nerve net, which helps the animal orient and position itself within the water column, reveals a unique system for sensing the world and coordinating movement.
First nerve-net connectome shows how evolutionarily ancient nervous system coordinates movement
The map of a comb jelly’s aboral nerve net, which helps the animal orient and position itself within the water column, reveals a unique system for sensing the world and coordinating movement.