Back to school: forward to the future.

Back to the future or forward to the past?

Pulling Back to Move Forward

Animal cells can change shape and move by using actin polymerization to drive plasma membrane protrusion. Giannone and coworkers (this issue of Cell) describe how cells periodically pull back on these protrusions in order to sense and respond to the rigidity of their environment.

Back to School

school for Team PrISUm. The team was busy as the fall semester began, attending 7 outreach events in the first month of being back in Ames. For the first time in team history, the team was invited to the Des Moines Concours d’Elegance and Mini Maker Faire, both major events that were huge successes. Phaeton was featured as a Star Car in the Concours d’Elegance, putting it with the likes of a 19...

Zambia : Back to the future ?

Back to the Evolutionary Future

Many books on evolution focus on the distant past or the present. Very few authors addressing a lay audience present what evolutionary changes may look like in the future. Coker has done so in this popular science book intended for a general audience. Basing the text on his similarly named course given at Elon University, the author provides a fascinating account of diverse aspects of evolution...