micry holds incredible promise, perhaps in so assiduously copying the physical design of systems we are missing the point: Form is transient in Nature, cast to meet shifting needs in a given niche. Determining the rules by which biology struck upon these ingenious solutions in the first place will spark the true revolution.
Kelly Clancy studied physics at MIT, then worked as an itinerant astronomer for several years before serving with the Peace Corps in Turkmenistan. She is currently a National Science Foundation fellow studying neuroscience at UC Berkeley.
1. Smith, S., et al Dendritic spikes enhance stimulus selectivity in cortical neurons in vivo. Nature 503, 115-120 (2013).