Coronavirus Lockdowns Have Changed the Way Earth Moves
A reduction in seismic noise because of changes in human activity is a boon for geoscientists
Stories by Elizabeth Gibney
Destination Neptune! Rare Chance to Reach Ice Giants Excites Scientists
A planetary alignment provides a window to visit Uranus and Neptune—but time is tight
European Space Windfall Will Fast-Track Science Missions
Europe’s space agency is set to receive 45% more money than in the previous three-year budget
The Quantum Goldrush
The science is immature and a multi-purpose quantum computer doesn’t yet exist. But that isn’t stopping investors pouring cash into quantum start-ups
Google Publishes Landmark Quantum Supremacy Claim
The company says that its quantum computer is the first to perform a calculation that would be practically impossible for a classical machine
Astronomers Are Closer to Cracking the Mystery of Fast Radio Bursts
Canadian telescope finds eight more repeating blasts—energetic events from deep in the cosmos
Discrimination Drives LGBT+ Scientists to Think About Quitting
Despite progress, many physical scientists from sexual and gender minorities experience exclusion or harassment at work, finds UK survey
China Reveals Scientific Experiments for Next Space Station
Projects will probe topics including DNA mutation, fire behavior and the birth of stars
China Plans Mission to Earth’s Pet Asteroid
Spacecraft will return samples to Earth and be open to researchers around the world
First Private Moon Lander Heralds New Lunar Space Race
An Israeli firm is sending a privately built craft to the moon—and leading a fresh era of exploration
Inside the Plans for Chinese Mega-Collider That Will Dwarf the LHC
Physicist Wang Yifang, the mastermind behind the project, gives Nature an update on the ambitious project
What the Nobels Are—and Aren’t—Doing to Encourage Diversity
The prize-awarding academies are making changes to their secretive nomination processes to tackle bias, but some say the measures don’t go far enough
Japanese Mission Becomes First to Land Rovers on Asteroid
Twin probes from Hayabusa2 mission have sent back their first pictures from Ryugu’s surface
Thousands of Exotic "Topological" Materials Discovered through Sweeping Search
Haul thrills physicists, who previously knew of just a few hundred of these peculiar materials
Muons: The Little-Known Particles Helping to Probe the Impenetrable
The ubiquitous particles are helping to map the innards of pyramids and volcanoes, and spot missing nuclear waste
Muons: The Little-Known Particles Helping to Probe the Impenetrable
The ubiquitous particles are helping to map the innards of pyramids and volcanoes, and spot missing nuclear waste
Universe’s Coolest Lab Set to Open Quantum World
NASA’s Cold Atom Laboratory will allow physicists to play with quantum phenomena like never before
Universe’s First Moments Mimicked with Ultracool Atoms
Physicists see the hallmarks of cosmic expansion in a ring of cold atoms
Surprise Graphene Discovery Could Unlock Secrets of Superconductivity
Physicists make misaligned sheets of the carbon material conduct electricity without resistance
Physicists Plan Antimatter's First Outing--in a Van
Researchers intend to transport the elusive material between labs and use it to study the strange behavior of rare radioactive nuclei
