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Issue 337: Cancer cells are like climbers navigating a rugged mountain range - they shift their footing and change course based on what is needed to survive and ultimately thrive. One source of this adaptability stems from cancer cell metabolic plasticity: a remarkable ability to mix and match energy-producing strategies and fuel sources such as glucose, fats, and amino acids. What governs these choices? It is a dynamic interplay between genetic circuits and internal biochemical pathways. As a result, cancer cells can traverse a landscape of possibilities, rolling from one 'valley' of stability to another - much like marbles drifting between dips in a hilly terrain, a concept echoed in the Waddington landscape of developmental biology. To stop cancer in its tracks, we must understand - and disrupt - not just where these cells are now, but where they are poised to go next. This art was generated with help from Sarah Groves and ChatGPT.