The journey to the center of our cells, whether your smartphone might be able to one day detect cancer, and more.

Vivian Le's reads

The journey to the center of our cells. Our knowledge of cells, which are the fundamental units of life for all living beings, has progressed by leaps and bounds since Antoni van Leeuwenhoek first saw them in the mid-1600s, but true understanding of all their parts and how they function remains elusive. Writing for the New Yorker, James Somers describes how biologists are integrating new technology, such as cyro-electron microscopy and virtual reality, to dive deeper into living cells than ever before.

Is the future of healthy eating in AI? Currently, apps such as DayTwo and ZOE use microbiome and other biological data, as well as machine-learning algorithms, to develop personalized food plans for help users control their blood sugar. In the future, developers say they hope to use future AI-based apps to target other aspects of metabolic health, such as obesity and heart disease. Writing for the New York Times, Sandeep Ravindran explains the growing field of personalized nutrition and why it's "important to sort through the hype" before committing to an app.

Alyssa Nystrom's reads

Your coworkers might be 'Zillow addicts.' With dozens of popular TV shows centered around house hunting and home renovations, America's longtime obsession with real estate was further intensified during the pandemic by the effects of a "bonkers" housing market. Writing for the Wall Street Journal, Callum Borchers explains what is driving the rise in "Zillow addicts" who often find themselves browsing real estate listings during the workday.

Will your smartphone be able to detect cancer someday? We currently have electronic devices that can see, hear, and sense our touch—and technology that has a sense of smell could be next. Writing for Vox, Noam Hassenfeld details how scientist are trying to engineer a robot nose that can detect diseases similar to the way a dog's nose can.