“Any water droplet can dance. All it needs is the right dance floor.” These words changed my life. I’ve always appreciated the beauty of a cleverly crafted haiku or an impassioned sonnet, but my first foray into the New York Times science section …

Picture this: at the end of a long day, you sit with a friend and talk. Your friend notices that you seem anxious and asks how you are feeling, and you describe your frustration with an upcoming project deadline. Your friend consoles you …