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Biology

How much gossip is needed to foster social cooperation?
One person whispers in the ear of another.

(Image: iStock/AndreyPopov)

How much gossip is needed to foster social cooperation?

Researchers Mari Kawakatsu, Taylor A. Kessinger, and Joshua B. Plotkin in Penn’s Department of Biology developed a model incorporating two forms of gossip to study indirect reciprocity.
A deep dive with Anna Kalandadze
Wearing her swim cap and goggles, Anna Kalandadze sits in the pool with her head above water.

Image: Eric Sucar

A deep dive with Anna Kalandadze

The fourth-year distance swimmer discusses swimming 11,000 yards a day, competing at the NCAA Championships, learning to dive from watching Michael Phelps, her interest in coral reef restoration, and getting circled by a shark.
Bringing cognitive science in action to young minds
Penn Upward Bound student observes birds.

A Penn Upward Bound high school student observed brown-headed cowbird behavior at the Penn Smart Aviary.

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Bringing cognitive science in action to young minds

Penn Upward Bound high school students from West Philadelphia got a tour of the Penn Smart Aviary, GRASP Lab, and the Penn Vet Working Dog Center during a visit to Pennovation Works.
Structural elements of archaea
Photo of Yellowstone hotspring.

Archaea, a unique domain of life, were discovered in the 1970s in extreme environments such as hot springs and salty lakes, with notable early studies conducted in locations like Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Initially considered unusual bacteria, their distinct genetics and biochemistry led to their recognition as a separate domain, emphasizing microbial diversity and evolutionary complexity.

(Image: iStock / rmbarricarte)

Structural elements of archaea

Researchers shed light on archea, a single cell microorganism, to discover how proteins determine what shape a cell will take and how that form may function.