Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 23 October 2026 · From issue 56

Local growth laws determine global shape of molluscan shells

A math model shows one repeated growth rule can produce nearly all mollusk shell shapes.

Huan Liu, Kaushik Bhattacharya.

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Also in issue 56 15 papers

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A fast computer program can read gas clouds in quasar light almost as well as slow older methods, in simulations.
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In mice, one brain region learns both sound and sight cues equally, but skill transfer only goes one way.
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In Arctic seafloor mud, ocean-made carbon held far more pollution than land-made carbon.
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A flexible fiber sensor measured blood sodium and potassium in real time inside rabbits.
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Crocodile relatives kept the same warm climate preference for 245 million years instead of adapting.
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Picking the higher paying team option is easy by age 10, but picking the safer option improves with age.
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In the lab, zirconium molecules held quantum information for up to 87 milliseconds.
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No ancient cosmic ripple signal was found, but the search still ruled out many early universe theories.
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Watching nature videos, human brains track actions more than who is in them or where.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

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