Animals
‘Mind Control’ Parasite Makes Wolves Effective Pack Leaders
The parasite Toxoplasma gondii can change the behavior of infected wolves in ways that make them more likely to be pack leaders
Stories by Nature magazine
Mathematics
How Many Yottabytes in a Quettabyte? Extreme Numbers Get New Names
Prolific generation of data drove the need for prefixes that denote 1027 and 1030
Renewable Energy
How the Hydrogen Revolution Can Help Save the Planet—And How It Can’t
Many researchers see a huge role for hydrogen in decarbonizing economies
Climate Change
How Will Men’s World Cup Soccer Players Cope with Qatar Heat?
The question of how to preserve athletic performance amid extreme heat, including at the World Cup in Qatar, is pressing as climate change bites
Computing
The Leap Second’s Time Is Up: World Votes to Stop Pausing Clocks
How, and whether, to keep atomic time in sync with Earth’s rotation is still up for debate
Astronomy
NASA Really, Really Won’t Rename JWST despite Community Pushback
An investigation by agency historian finds no evidence explicitly linking former director James Webb with anti-LGBT+ actions
Neurology
This Is How an Alzheimer’s Gene Ravages the Brain
Study in cells and mice suggests that the variant APOE4 affects the all-important insulation around nerve cells
Climate Change
Egypt ’s Climate Scientists Hope for ‘Actions, Not Just Words’ at COP27
Four Egyptian researchers spoke about how they’re contributing to the fight against climate change as their country hosts the COP27 global climate summit
Sociology
The World Population Just Hit 8 Billion, and Here’s How It Will Continue to Grow
A United Nations model predicts a slower rate of population growth than was previously estimated
Mathematics
Mathematician Who Solved Prime Number Riddle Claims New Breakthrough
After shocking the mathematics community with a major result in 2013, Yitang Zhang now says he has solved an analogue of the celebrated Riemann hypothesis
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
Cancer
In First, Scientists Use CRISPR for Personalized Cancer Treatment
The “most complicated therapy ever” tailors bespoke, genome-edited immune cells to attack tumors
Evolution
Chances of Finding COVID-Causing Virus Ancestor ‘Almost Nil,’ Virologists Say
A genome analysis finds SARS-CoV-2 and bat coronaviruses shared an ancestor just a few years ago, but extensive recombination has muddied the picture
Animals
Watch Octopuses Throw Things at Each Other
Cephalopods living unusually close together have been filmed throwing shells, algae and silt—sometimes at another octopus
Policy
Internet and Extremism Experts Predict More Hate Speech and Conspiracy Theories on Musk’s Twitter
Under Elon Musk’s leadership, extremists could flock back to Twitter under the guise of “free speech,” and researchers are gearing up to study their impact
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
Space Exploration
China’s Space Station Is Almost Complete—How Will Scientists Use It?
China’s Tiangong orbital outpost will host more than 1,000 experiments, some of which will augment results from the International Space Station
Climate Change
The Middle East Is Going Green while Supplying Oil to Others
Middle Eastern governments are ramping up their green ambitions ahead of the COP27 climate summit but show few signs of reining in fossil-fuel exports
Planetary Science
Dying NASA Spacecraft Records Epic ‘Marsquakes’
As the InSight lander reports the largest-ever meteorite strikes on Mars, scientists wish it a fond farewell
Public Health
Which COVID Studies Pose a Biohazard?
Controversy surrounding a study that involved modifying SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, has prompted researchers to call for better guidance from funders
