Energy
Nuclear Fusion Lab Achieves ‘Ignition’: What Does It Mean?
Fusion researchers at the U.S. National Ignition Facility created a reaction that made more energy than they put in
Stories by Jeff Tollefson
Climate Change
Carbon Emissions Hit a New Record High
Fresh data released at the COP27 climate summit show global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are soaring despite an energy crisis
Climate Change
What Scientists Are Watching at the COP27 Climate Summit
At the COP27 climate summit, countries will grapple with how to pay for loss and damage from global warming and how to bolster pledges to cut emissions
Policy
Two Scientists Will Replace U.S. Science Adviser Eric Lander
Celebrated sociologist Alondra Nelson and genome leader Francis Collins will temporarily split Lander’s duties
Climate Change
‘COP26 Hasn’t Solved the Problem’: Scientists React to U.N. Climate Deal
The Glasgow Climate Pact is a step forward, researchers say, but efforts to decarbonize are not enough to limit global temperature rises to two degrees Celsius
Climate Change
COP26 Climate Pledges: What Scientists Think So Far
Nations have promised to end deforestation, curb methane emissions and stop public investment in coal power. Researchers warn that the real work of COP26 is yet to come
Climate Change
Top Climate Scientists Are Skeptical That Nations Will Rein in Global Warming
A Nature survey reveals that many authors of the latest IPCC climate science report are anxious about the future and expect to see catastrophic changes in their lifetime
Climate Change
Earth Is Warmer Than It’s Been in 125,000 Years
A landmark assessment from the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change says greenhouse gases are unequivocally driving extreme weather, but nations can still prevent the worst impacts...
Climate Change
New Climate Report Will Detail Grim Future of Hotter, Extreme Weather and Rising Seas
The first assessment from the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change in eight years will sound the alarm on soaring temperatures and other effects of unchecked carbon pollution
Public Health
The Race to Curb the Spread of COVID Vaccine Disinformation
Researchers are applying strategies honed during the 2020 US presidential election to track anti-vax propaganda
Policy
Meet Biden’s Science Team
As the U.S. president announces his advisers and agency heads, Nature’s guide tracks the appointees who matter most to science
Policy
Scientists Relieved as Joe Biden Wins Tight U.S. Presidential Election
The new president has the opportunity to reverse four years of anti-science policies—but he has a hard road ahead as he inherits a nation divided
Policy
What a Joe Biden Presidency Would Mean For Science
The coronavirus pandemic, climate change and space exploration are among the issues that Biden will influence if he wins the upcoming U.S. election
Policy
NASA Soars and Others Plummet in Trump’s Budget Proposal
U.S. research sees deep cuts in the president’s request for 2021. But Congress has resisted similar reductions in the past
Climate Change
Massive California Power Outage Triggers Chaos in Science Labs
Researchers without access to backup power scramble to save invaluable specimens and expensive reagents
EARTH
The World’s Oceans Are Losing Power to Stall Climate Change
A new U.N. report predicts more powerful storms, increased risk of flooding and dwindling fisheries if greenhouse-gas output doesn’t fall
Policy
Scientists Are Concerned over U.S. Environmental Agency’s Plan to Limit Animal Research
Critics say the shift away from using animals in safety tests will hamper chemical research and regulations
Policy
Populist President Sparks Unprecedented Crisis for Brazilian Science
Tensions are rising as Jair Bolsonaro’s administration questions the work of government scientists and institutes debilitating cuts to research funding
Energy
Trump Administration Relaxes Emissions Limits on Power Plants
A new rule for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allows states to set their own limits on carbon-emission levels
EARTH
Humans Are Driving One Million Species to Extinction
Landmark UN-backed report finds that agriculture is one of the biggest threats to Earth’s ecosystems
