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Sophie Fessl

Sophie Fessl

Sophie Fessl is a neuroscientist turned science writer. She received her BA in Biological Sciences from Oxford University, and a PhD in Developmental Neurobiology from King’s College London. After Sophie spent 4 years studying the development of fruit flies, she decided to switch to science writing.

An illustration of the coronavirus in front of a strand of DNA

Can We Protect Against Coronavirus by Rewriting Our Genomes?

Genome recoding could offer new modes of virus resistance, but the technology raises serious ethical concerns.
Brain organoid

Is It Ethical to Grow a Brain in a Petri Dish?

Brain organoids could be the key to understanding brain diseases, which is why we should think carefully about how far we are prepared to take them.
Buzz Aldrin and the U.S. Flag on the Moon

Should the Moon Landing Site Be a National Historic Landmark?

Some archaeologists argue it’s essential to preserve the history of lunar exploration. But would it represent a claim of U.S. sovereignty over the moon?
Composite image of Dmitri Mendeleev, a periodic table, and the Milky Way galaxy

How Far Does the Periodic Table Go?

Efforts to fill the periodic table raise questions of special relativity that “strike at the very heart of chemistry as a discipline.”
Axolotl

The Race to Save the Axolotl

When an axolotl loses a limb, it regrows, and nary a scar remains. But this incredible creature is on the brink of extinction.
Close-up of a mans legs doing cross-country skiing in the Alps.

A Brief History of Skis

Researchers tested various ski designs dating back 4,000 years to understand how human movement on snow has evolved.