Robin Ann Smith

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.

Yet another reason why you should sleep on it before making an important decision. Duke Today, Sept. 22, 2024. Science proves, once again, that we are easily deceived by first impressions. Picked up by Earth.com, WPTF-AM, KTLA-TV, HealthMyLive and Neuroscience News.

Crop diseases, spoilage can hurt the foot supply. Could plant prebiotics help? Duke Today, Sept. 13, 2024. Research points to a potential new ally in the fight against plant pathogens that cost hundreds of billions of dollars per year in lost food production.

In flood-prone parts of North Carolina, climate adaptation meets the data gap. Duke Today, August 28, 2024. Flooding plagues this tiny North Carolina town. But to become more resilient, first they need better data.

Student wealth and poverty across Durham Public Schools, mapped. Duke Research Blog, August 20, 2024. New maps of Durham show the Bull City as a patchwork of red, white and pink. But what looks like a haphazardly assembled quilt is actually a picture of the socioeconomic realities facing Durham’s 32,000-plus public school students.

A camera trap for the invisible. Duke Research blog, July 29, 2024. Duke physicist Ashutosh Kotwal is using AI and image recognition to help in the hunt for dark matter.

Black Americans develop mental resilience to discrimination early. Duke Today, July 11, 2024. By the time they reach adulthood, Blacks in the U.S. may have coping skills that their white counterparts lack.

Building a prototype of the cosmos. Duke Today, July 8, 2024. Supercomputers offer a sneak peek at what we’ll be able to see through the next US-funded telescopes.

Zen and the art of dissecting fly brains. Duke Research blog, June 26, 2024. From tiny flies, Duke researchers are finding new clues to how the brain sets up its circuitry.

Parents underestimate the privacy risks kids face in virtual reality. Duke Today, May 16, 2024. Parents aren’t that worried about their kids’ privacy in the metaverse. Here’s why that’s a problem.

Keto diet boosts lifesaving antifungal drug in mice. Duke Today, May 8, 2024. In many parts of the world, people with life-threatening fungal infections have only one treatment option: a drug that only works for some patients. Now, animal tests suggest a simple change in diet could make this essential antifungal more effective.

Data privacy in the post-Roe era. Duke Today, May 7, 2024. Many women still concerned about privacy on period trackers, but few take action.

Laser imaging could offer early detection for at-risk artwork. Duke Today, April 29, 2024. A bright yellow pigment favored a century ago by Impressionists such as Matisse and Van Gogh is losing its luster. Researchers at Duke University have developed a laser imaging technique that can detect the first tiny signs of the pigment’s breakdown before they’re visible to the eye. The work could help art conservators take earlier steps to make the color last.

Nanoscale movies shed light on one barrier to a clean energy future. Duke Today, April 10, 2024. Advocates of hydrogen power say it could help wean us off fossil fuels, but a key ingredient tends to break down. New research could help explain why, & extend the lifetime of devices that turn hydrogen green.

To get a fuller picture of a forest, sometimes research requires a team effort. Duke Research Blog, April 1, 2024.