The Secret Lives of Brains, Microbes, and Galaxies

In 2017, light emissions as wide as four full moons were discovered in the sky. These immense, yet very difficult-to-observe emissions were highlighted thanks to ultra-sensitive telescopes and new data analysis techniques. They are different from what we usually observe in the sky and therefore correspond to a new astrophysical object: the pulsar halo. The latter appears to be numerous in our galaxy, thus challenging our understanding of the Milky Way. How were these emissions detected after decades of fruitless observations? And what have we discovered about this mysterious new cosmic object?

Imagine your brain having its own personal translator! We created a system where epilepsy patients can chat with an AI that is decoding their brain activity in real-time. In clinical settings, electrophysiological data is continuously recorded, yet there remains a disconnect between these objective measurements and subjective experiences reported by patients. Our AI engages patients in conversation when it detects abnormal brain activity to create real-time connections between neurological patterns and daily life—ultimately empowering them to take a more active role in managing their epilepsy.

It is predicted that over 200,000 species of yeast exist in the world, but only 2% have been described. Even fewer yeasts are capable of fermentation, the process of turning sugar into alcohol and other flavors in fermented foods like beer, wine, bread, and kombucha. This is the story of our search for local, wild yeast. One of which, first discovered on a dogwood tree in Philadelphia, is now used around the world for sour beer production.

This is a story of the strange history of tissue engineering--growing parts of ourselves; just how far back it really goes, why awareness of science history and its stories is so crucial, and what any of this has to do with dogs eating noses.