Skip to main content

Minds Must Unite

Recently, in the halls of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) in Berkeley, Calif., a revelation was taking shape.

Written byDavid Donoho
| 6 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
6:00

Video Extra: Visit our homepage for a video of Harvard Medical School's R. Clay Reid demonstrating the microscale organization of visual nerve cells in the living animal brain

The Hum and the GenomeAs genome sequence data accumulates exponentially, the infrastructure that handles it all also needs to break new ground(Stuart Blackman)

Making Biological Computing SmarterTools for thought in the age of biological knowledge(Nina Fedoroff, Steve Racunas and Jeff Shrager)

David L. Donoho (left) is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor at Stanford University. David Mumford (center) is a professor of applied mathematics at Brown University. Both are members of the National Academy of Sciences. Bruno Olshausen (right) is an associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and a member of the Center for Neuroscience at the University of California, Davis. He is also a principal investigator at the Redwood Neuroscience Institute in Menlo Park, Calif.

...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member?
Add The Scientist as a preferred source on Google

Add The Scientist as a preferred Google source to see more of our trusted coverage.

Meet the Author

Published In

Related articles background image
The Scientist Digest cover September 2026
September 2026

Multiplex Microscopy Becomes Easier with Encoded Antibodies

A new system that enables researchers to uniquely tag monoclonal antibodies for use in microscopy could help simplify complex imaging studies.

View this Issue
Essential Genes Are Dominantly Activated by Single Transcription Factors

Essential Genes Are Dominantly Activated by Single Transcription Factors

EpiCypher Logo
Rethinking ALS Biomarkers: From Discovery to Clinical Impact

Rethinking ALS Biomarkers: From Discovery to Clinical Impact

Alamar Biosciences logo
Engineering CAR-Neutrophils In Vivo to Target Glioblastoma

Engineering CAR-Neutrophils In Vivo to Target Glioblastoma

Miltenyi
Best Practices for qPCR Assay Design and Optimization

Best Practices for qPCR Assay Design and Optimization

Bio-Rad

Products

Closeup image of a multi channel pipette dispensing pink liquid into a 96-well plate.

The ASSIST PLUS pipetting robot for affordable workflow automation

Integra Logo
Single cells in suspension

Rapidly isolate primary cells and make uniform single-cell suspensions with Corning® Cell Strainers

Corning logo
Abstract image representing cell membranes linked together.

CellBrite® Steady Membrane Stain: Cell surface staining built for real-time imaging

Biotium
sino biological logo

Monod Bio Licenses AI-designed Protein Technologies to SignalChem Biotech for Custom Discovery Assays