Consciousness
If AI Becomes Conscious, Here’s How We Can Tell
A checklist derived from six neuroscience-based theories of consciousness could help assess whether an artificial intelligence system achieves this state
Stories by Nature magazine
Biotech
How Gene-Edited Insects Are Providing Food, Fuel and Waste Disposal
Companies are recruiting black soldier flies and mealworms as a protein source in animal feed, fertilizer, biofuels and even as ingredients for burgers and shakes
Neuroscience
Brain-Reading Devices Allow Paralyzed People to Talk Using Their Thoughts
Two studies report considerable improvements in technologies designed to help people with facial paralysis to communicate
Neuroscience
Scientists Tried to Re-create an Entire Human Brain in a Computer. What Happened?
The Human Brain Project wraps up in September after a decade. It had notable achievements and a troubled past
Epidemiology
Why a Highly Mutated Coronavirus Variant Has Scientists on Alert
Research is under way to determine whether the mutation-laden lineage BA.2.86 is nothing to worry about — or has the potential to spread globally
Climate Change
Disappearing Glaciers Expose Vast New Ecosystems That Need Protection
New habitats that are emerging as mountain glaciers melt away represent huge ecological shifts and present new challenges for conservation
Public Health
Getting Closer to Eliminating the Wild Poliovirus
Global efforts to eradicate the poliovirus were recently described as unsuccessful—yet Afghanistan and Pakistan are now on the verge of eliminating it
Archaeology
Ötzi the Iceman Gets a New Look from Genetic Analysis
Improved DNA analysis has updated thinking on the skin color, ancestry, and more of the alpine mummy known as Ötzi the Iceman
Astronomy
Arecibo Observatory Shuts Down Its Science
Although Arecibo Observatory is slated to become an education center, astronomers hope research might one day return to the site
Natural Disasters
Wildfires Are Becoming Increasingly Devastating in Hawaii
More traditional land use and better data dissemination could help to prevent future tragedies
Pharmaceuticals
Weight-Loss Drug Also Protects against Heart Disease. What Happens Next?
Clinical-trial data suggest that semaglutide, sold under the name Wegovy, slashed risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular incidents in a trial
Space Exploration
Russia Launches First Moon Mission after Half-Century Hiatus
The Luna 25 spacecraft will attempt to land at the lunar south pole for the first time in a hunt for valuable water ice
Animals
‘Virgin Birth’ Engineered into Female Animals for First Time
Scientists altered the genomes of female fruit flies, allowing them to reproduce without any contribution from a male
Mental Health
Does Barbie Affect Body Image? What the Science Shows
A clinical health psychologist talks about Barbie’s influence on how women and girls view their body
Materials Science
Controversial Physicist Faces Mounting Accusations of Scientific Misconduct
Allegations of data fabrication have sparked the retraction of multiple papers from Ranga Dias, a researcher who claimed discovery of a room-temperature superconductor
Microbiology
Cells Organize Themselves into ‘Neighborhoods’ That Could Shape Treatment
“Cell atlases” offer an unprecedented look at how kidney cells become diseased and how fetal cells invade and remodel the placenta’s blood vessels
Medicine
Alzheimer’s Drug Donanemab Helps Most When Taken Early in Disease
An Alzheimer’s drug that attacks the protein amyloid does not work as well in people with more advanced disease
Pharmaceuticals
FDA Approves the First Birth-Control Pill for Over-the-Counter Access
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of the oral contraceptive Opill without a prescription, increasing access to birth control at drug stores and online retailers
Pharmaceuticals
Beyond Ozempic: New Obesity Drugs Could Be Cheaper and Even More Effective
Hormone mimics offer advantages even beyond those of the potent weight-loss shots on the market now
Anthropology
Early Human Ancestors Ate Each Other for Food, Fossil Leg Bone Suggests
A fossilized hominin leg shows gashes that were probably made by stone tools
