Robin Ann Smith

A fanged frog long thought to be one species is revealing itself to be several. Michigan State University, March 3, 2026. They raise some tough questions for protecting biodiversity in the evolutionary “gray zone,” says MSU herpetologist Chan Kin Onn.

Meet the superhero farm robots in training. CALS News, Jan. 22, 2026. Get a first look at the robotic field hands that could help grow your next salad.

By changing their habits, many animals still hanging on in the face of warming. Michigan State University, Jan. 20, 2026. Researchers explore what makes some species better equipped to survive the climate crisis.

Get ready for your aging checkup. Duke Magazine, Fall 2025. Some people age earlier and faster than others. If they could figure out why, researchers reasoned, perhaps they could use that information to slow the process down. But first they needed a way to measure it.

Bat besties start to sound alike over time. Michigan State University, Nov. 30, 2025. What scientists are learning from the secret language of bat friendships. Picked up by Nautilus, A-Z Animals, The Wildlife Society and Yahoo News.

Michigan cherry farmers find a surprising food safety ally: falcons. Michigan State University, Nov. 27, 2025. By keeping hungry birds — and their droppings — off farmers’ fruit, kestrels could help in more ways than one. Picked up by Vox, Le Monde, Yahoo News, Earth.com, Nautilus, ZME Science, MLive, Inside Climate News, The Microbiologist and Popular Science. 

Folklore sheds light on ancient Indian savannas. Michigan State University, Nov. 25, 2025. Nearly 40% of the land on Earth is covered not by forests, or ice, but by vast expanses of open grasslands. Now, scientists are turning to an untapped source to uncover their history: centuries-old folklore. Picked up by Smithsonian Magazine, Yahoo News, Nautilus, The Debrief, Times of India and India Today.

Unlocking the untapped potential in heirloom corn. CALS News, Oct. 10, 2025. Researchers say a collection of rare maize varieties that were nearly lost to history could help protect the future of America’s biggest crop

Baby babble and the malleable brain. Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Sept. 3, 2025. Scientists are untangling the mystery of how babies learn to communicate – by studying the brains of monkeys who share the power of babble. Picked up by Earth.com.

Scientists can tell how fast you’re aging from a single brain scan. Duke Today, July 1, 2025. New aging clock can predict risk for dementia, other age-related diseases years before symptoms appear. Picked up by Nature, New York Post, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, National Geographic, New Atlas, Interesting Engineering, Tech Explorist, Aol.com and Yahoo News.

Brain scans reveal what happens in the mind when insight strikes. Duke Today, May 14, 2025. Research sheds light on how ‘aha!’ moments help you remember what you learn. Picked up by Quanta Magazine, Discover Magazine, Gizmodo, IFLScience, Earth.com and Popular Science.

How changes in lemur brains made some mean girls nice. Duke Research blog, April 21, 2025. Brain mapping suggests that oxytocin played a role; research could shed light on how hormones influence behavior in humans and other animals. Picked up by Earth.com.

‘Forever chemicals’ are everywhere. Most of their health effects are unknown. Duke Today, April 8, 2025. Duke researchers hope to learn which ones are more toxic, and for whom – using tiny worms.

College basketball can be hard to predict. That didn’t stop these student data whizzes from trying. Duke Research blog, April 8, 2025. First-ever Triangle Sports Analytics competition draws 15 teams from Duke, UNC and NC State.

How baby birds know when their song practice is paying off. Duke Today, March 25, 2025. Brain scientists are beginning to disentangle the molecular mechanisms underlying the intrinsic motivation to learn. Picked up by Discover Magazine and Earth.com.

Hibernating lemurs can turn back the clock on cellular aging. Eurekalert, March 11, 2025. Research on how these distantly related primates defy aging during torpor could point to new ways to promote healthier aging in humans. Picked up by Science Friday, Discover Magazine, Earth.com and Interesting Engineering.

In the heart of vanilla country, farmers on the climate frontlines struggle to adapt. Duke Today, March 10, 2025. Most vanilla comes from Madagascar. But in recent years, erratic weather is making farming there more difficult. Researchers are talking to farmers about the challenges to their livelihood and what they’re doing to cope.

Weighing in on a puzzling particle heavyweight. Duke Today, Feb. 16, 2025. Two experiments have come to wildly different results. Now what? A mass mystery gets a cross check. Picked up by the CERN Courier.

Yes, you’re being watched on the internet. Duke Today, Jan. 28, 2025. Experts weigh in on what’s at stake in the post-Roe era.

Being a ladies man comes at a price for alpha male baboons. Duke Today, Jan. 22, 2025. We aren’t the only ones who experience stress in the C-suite. As it turns out, top-ranking male baboons do too. But their stress comes from a surprising source. Picked up by Popular Science, ZME Science, Earth.com and BBC Wildlife.

How do kids figure out where they stand politically? Duke Today, Jan. 8, 2025. To trace the origins of our political leanings, a new study looks for clues from childhood.

Pups of powerful meerkat matriarchs pay a price for their mom’s status. Duke Today, Dec. 9, 2024. The hormones that fuel a queen’s power can be a double-edged sword for the health of her offspring. Picked up by Futurity and Earth.com.

To build better fiber optic cables, ask a clam. Duke Today, Dec. 2, 2024. Since the first fiber optic cables rolled out in the 1970s, they’ve become a major part of everything from medical devices to high-speed internet and cable TV. But as it turns out, one group of marine mollusks was way ahead of us. A new study reveals that clams called heart cockles have unique structures in their shells that act like fiber optic cables to convey specific wavelengths of light into the bivalves’ tissues. Picked up by New Atlas, Tech Explorist, Interesting Engineering, NPR, Newsweek, Science News, The Economist, WUNC, New Scientist, Spiegel, El Pais, Science News.

Planter of seeds. Duke Today, Nov. 12. 2024. Charlie Welch, who planted a forest in Madagascar, and oversaw Duke’s conservation work there for 35 years, retires.

Duke experts discuss the potential of AI to help prevent, detect and treat disease. Duke Research blog, Oct. 15, 2024. Imagine using AI to detect early changes in our health before we get sick, or design new ways to fight hard-to-treat diseases.These were just a few of the research themes discussed at the Duke Summit on AI for Health Innovation.