Rethinking Herd Immunity
The global rise of “vaccine hesitancy” is changing the landscape of disease transmission
Stories by Nature magazine
As CBD Skyrockets in Popularity, Scientists Scramble to Understand How It’s Metabolized
Everything from bacon consumption to kidney function can skew cannabidiol dosing
Stem Cells 2 Go
Japan has turned regenerative medicine into a regulatory free-for-all. Patients across the world could pay the price
A sharper view of the world’s oceans
Models of the behaviour of the oceans with higher spatial resolution could lead to more accurate climate predictions.
Beneath the ice
To predict how much climate change will raise sea level, researchers are studying ice shelves, where vast expanses of ice meet the ocean.
What the Protests and Violence in Chile Mean for Science
As universities shut down, researchers are demonstrating—and meeting with lawmakers to figure out if science can help solve socioeconomic inequality
How Big Is the Proton? Particle-Size Puzzle Leaps Closer to Resolution
Precise measurement affirms that the particle’s radius is smaller than physicists once thought
AI Beats Top Human Players at Strategy Game StarCraft II
DeepMind’s AlphaStar beat all but the very best humans at the fast-paced sci-fi video game
Second Ever Interstellar Comet Contains Alien Water
Scientists have spotted signs of water as the object 2I/Borisov streaks toward the sun
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
Russian “CRISPR Baby” Scientist Has Started Editing Genes in Human Eggs with the Goal of Altering Deaf Gene
Denis Rebrikov says that he does not plan to implant gene-edited embryos until he gets regulatory approval
Beyond Quantum Supremacy: The Hunt for Useful Quantum Computers
Researchers search for ways to put today’s small noisy quantum systems to work
Why U.S. Officials Investigating Mysterious Vaping Deaths Are Focusing on Flavorings
As lung injuries among e-cigarette users mount amid a youth vaping epidemic, the impact of new restrictions remains unclear
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
The Quest to Unlock the Secrets of the Baby Universe
Radio astronomers look to hydrogen for insights into the universe’s first billion years
Prominent German Neuroscientist Committed Misconduct in “Brain Reading” Research
A German funding agency imposes strict sanctions on Niels Birbaumer, whose studies, it says, contained incomplete data—but Birbaumer stands by his work
The Road to Fusion
The construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the world’s largest nuclear fusion experiment, is now 60 percent complete
Cancer Cells Have “Unsettling” Ability to Hijack the Brain’s Nerves
The startling discovery could open up avenues for treating some aggressive tumors
C-Section Babies Are Missing Key Microbes
A U.K. study provides the best evidence yet that the way infants are born can alter their microbiome—but the health effects are unclear
