All Systems Go for Second-Ever Mission to Enter Mercury's Orbit
European and Japanese double probe, BepiColombo, will take seven years to reach the solar system’s innermost planet
Stories by Nature magazine
Revolutionary Microscopy Technique Nets Most Lucrative Prize in Science
The Breakthrough awards, each worth U.S. $3 million, honor advances in the life sciences, physics and mathematics
Giant Leap for Gene-Based Testing Estimates Risk of Heart Disease, Breast Cancer and Others
This new approach to predictive medicine takes genomics research by storm, but still generates controversy
Hubble Telescope Stops Collecting Data after Mechanical Fault
A malfunctioning gyroscope has temporarily hobbled the aging space observatory
Limiting Warming to 1.5° Celsius Will Require Drastic Action, IPCC Says
Humanity has a limited window to avoid the more dire effects of climate change, according to a new climate report
Economists Who Changed Thinking on Climate Change Win Nobel Prize
The ideas of William Nordhaus and Paul Romer have shaped today's policies on greenhouse gas emissions
Science and the Supreme Court: Cases to Watch in 2018
The death penalty, uranium mining and the endangered dusky gopher frog are among the topics that justices will consider this year
Japan Set to Allow Gene Editing in Human Embryos
Draft guidelines permit gene-editing tools for research into early human development, but would discourage manipulation of embryos for reproduction
CERN Suspends Italian Physicist Over Remarks Seen as Sexist
The University of Pisa and the European Research Council also said that they are opening investigations into Alessandro Strumia’s conduct
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
Discovery of Galileo's Long-Lost Letter Shows He Edited His Heretical Ideas to Fool the Inquisition
Document shows he lied about his alterations
Reimagining of Schrödinger's Cat Breaks Quantum Mechanics—and Stumps Physicists
In a multi-“cat” experiment the textbook interpretation of quantum theory seems to lead to contradictory pictures of reality, physicists claim
South Africa Pushes Science to Improve Daily Life
Sweeping policy changes aim to refocus research efforts on poverty, unemployment, drought and other national problems
The Quest to Conquer Earth's Space Junk Problem
Zombie satellites, rocket shards and collision debris are creating major traffic risks in orbits around the planet. Researchers are working to reduce the threats posed by more than 20,000 objects in space
CERN's Pioneering Mini-Accelerator Passes First Test
Physicists achieve powerful acceleration by "surfing" electrons on proton waves over short distances
U.S. Is Woefully Unprepared for Nuclear Strike
Its health system lacks the capacity to respond to attacks that use high-powered modern weapons
Asteroid Ryugu Poses Landing Risks for Japanese Mission
Mission planners have chosen the first landing sites on boulder-strewn body for Hayabusa 2 and its rovers to touch down
The Battle for the Soul of Biodiversity
An ideological clash may undermine a crucial assessment of the world’s disappearing plant and animal life
World's First Wind-Mapping Satellite Set to Launch
Data from the long-awaited Aeolus mission will address a major gap in the global forecasting system