Biotech
Brain-Spine Interface Allows Paralyzed Man to Walk Using His Thoughts
A device provides a connection between the brain and spinal cord, allowing thought to control movement
Stories by Nature magazine
Politics
The U.S. Debt-Ceiling Crisis Could Harm Science for Years to Come
Investments in research and development are likely to drop—even if the worst-case scenario is avoided
Robotics
Soft ‘Electronic Skin’ Mimics Our Sense of Touch
A flexible, conductive membrane that can pass sensory information to the brain and muscles is a step towards artificial skin
Planetary Science
JWST Spots Biggest Water Plume Yet Spewing from a Moon of Saturn
The huge watery cloud spurting from Enceladus could carry the ingredients for life farther into space than previously known
Pollution
Concrete Made with Shredded Diapers Is Just as Strong and Saves Landfill Space
Used diapers can replace up to 40 percent of the sand that is typically used in making concrete, lowering costs and keeping more trash out of landfills
Space Exploration
China’s Mysterious Space Plane Returns to Earth
Specialists speculate that a Chinese spacecraft that spent nine months in Earth’s orbit might be similar to a U.S. space plane, and it could have research or military uses...
Neurology
How One Man’s Rare Alzheimer’s Mutation Delayed the Onset of Disease
Genetic resilience found in a person predisposed to early-onset dementia could potentially lead to new treatments
Toxicology
World’s Deadliest Mushroom May Now Have an Antidote
A CRISPR gene-editing technique might have finally cracked the mystery of how death cap mushrooms kill and revealed a possible antidote
Animals
Lab-Grown Monkey Embryos Reveal in 3-D How Organs Begin
At 25 days old, these specimens could be the oldest primate embryos ever grown outside the womb
Genetic Engineering
First U.K. Children Are Born Using DNA from Three ‘Parents’
The U.K.’s fertility regulator reveals that at least one child has been born using mitochondrial replacement therapy, but the procedure’s effectiveness remains to be seen...
Pharmaceuticals
Birth Control Pill Gets Strong Endorsement for Over-the-Counter Access
U.S. Food and Drug advisers show unanimous support to approve the use of the birth control medication Opill without a prescription
Quantum Physics
Physicists Create Long-Sought Topological Quantum States
Exotic particles called nonabelions could fix quantum computers’ error problem
Public Health
World COVID Emergency Status Is Over, but Dangerous Threat Remains
The World Health Organization has declared that COVID is no longer a “public health emergency of international concern” but cautions that it is still an ongoing health issue
Neurology
Another New Alzheimer’s Drug: What Promising Trial Results Mean for Treatment
Findings suggest that the amyloid-targeting drug candidate slows cognitive decline in some people, but questions remain over its potential side effects
Biotech
Proteins Never Seen in Nature Are Designed Using AI to Address Biomedical and Industrial Problems Unsolved by Evolution
Bioengineers are drawing on rapidly evolving machine-learning tools, deep reservoirs of data and the firepower of a program called AlphaFold2 to pursue more sophisticated de novo protein designs...
Energy
This Pioneering Nuclear Fusion Lab Is Gearing Up to Break More Records
Here’s what’s next after the U.S. National Ignition Facility’s breakthrough on nuclear fusion last year
Automobiles
The EPA Wants Two Thirds of U.S. Car Sales to Be Electric by 2032
The Environmental Protection Agency has released draft regulations that set the stage for a huge transition to electric vehicles
Plants
Stressed Plants ‘Cry’—and Some Animals Can Probably Hear Them
Microphones capture ultrasonic crackles from plants that are water-deprived or injured
Electronics
Could Grinding Up Lithium Batteries Help Recycle Them?
Researchers recovered lithium from batteries on a small scale by using mechanical force
Planetary Science
JWST Sees No Atmosphere on ‘Earthlike’ TRAPPIST-1 Exoplanet
TRAPPIST-1b is probably an airless rock, but the same may not be true for its six Earth-sized siblings
