Sometimes, the most significant scientific discoveries happen by accident. Scientists have long known that whole-genome duplication (WGD) -- the process by which organisms copy all their genetic material -- plays an important role in evolution. But understanding just how WGD arises, persists, and drives adaptation has remained poorly understood. In an unexpected turn, scientists at Georgia Tech not only uncovered how WGD occurs, but also how it stays stable over thousands of generations of evolu...