Nature

The first galaxies coalesced more than 12 billion years ago. Small and fairly short-lived, they helped to bring light and energy to a vast, dark sea of neutral atoms in a process known as reionization. Now, researchers have identified a clutch of galaxies relatively near Earth that could serve as good proxies for the study

On Tuesday, the footage was uploaded on Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Facebook page, where it has already gotten more than 33 million views. The snake’s award-winning performance stunned and terrified many. (Photo : Kaushal Tank) The Footage A black snake, like a cobra, crawls around in the mud at the start of the

NEWS 29 October 2021 Curbing fossil fuels and a look inside cells — the week in infographics Nature highlights three key infographics from the week in science and research. Share on Twitter Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Facebook Share via E-Mail Share via E-Mail An end to fossil fuels? Some 20,000 people

People with the paradoxical condition called sleep misperception are convinced that they’ve been awake even when their brain activity shows that they were sound asleep. New results suggest that the mismatch stems from brain activity resembling that recorded during wakefulness — but occurring as people sleep1. Access options Access through your institution Change institution Buy

During the first week of November, meteorologists are keeping an eye on the possibility of a pattern shift that would bring the coldest air of the season to sections of the central and eastern United States. In addition, the combination of approaching cold air and storm formation may get the first flurries or possibly substantial snow

Expectations sway perceptions of pain: people who take a pill that they think is a painkiller often report relief, even if the pill was just a sugar tablet. Scientists have long known about this ‘placebo effect’ and its inverse, the nocebo effect, which heightens pain if a person anticipates that something will hurt. But the

When Europeans first reached the Falkland Islands in 1690, they found a fox-like animal now called the warrah. Less than 200 years later, it had been hunted to extinction. But how did it get there in the first place? There has been little evidence that humans lived on the islands, which lie east of southernmost

According to the UN Environment Programme research, almost 200 nations have vowed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst effects of the climate catastrophe, but there is still a big gap between what has been promised and what experts think is required. (Photo : Getty Images) With only a few days until leaders

NEWS 29 October 2021 The search for people who never get COVID An international team of researchers want to find people who are genetically resistant to SARS-CoV-2, in the hope of developing new drugs and treatments. Smriti Mallapaty Smriti Mallapaty View author publications You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar Share

When it comes to climate change, the United Nations climate talks are the biggest show in town. After the Covid-19 epidemic forced the 2020 discussions to be postponed, governments convened two years ago to debate the global response to climate change. (Photo : Wikimedia Commons) The next round of negotiations will occur in Glasgow, Scotland,

NEWS 29 October 2021 Scientists’ fears of racial bias surge amid US crackdown on China ties Poll shows that researchers of Chinese descent worry about surveillance by the US government and have stepped back from collaborations in China. Nidhi Subbaraman Nidhi Subbaraman View author publications You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google

The once severely soon extinct animal, North Atlantic right humpbacks have reached their lowest current population in over 20 years, according to experts. The wildlife has been declining sharply beginning roughly in the year 2011 and researchers believe people are mostly the responsible of this occurrence. According to the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, the humpback

NEWS 28 October 2021 UK research funding to grow slower than hoped Budget includes Horizon Europe funding, but worries about access linger. Holly Else Holly Else View author publications You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar Share on Twitter Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Facebook Share via E-Mail

NATURE PODCAST 27 October 2021 Genomics unwraps mystery of the Tarim mummies The unexpected origins of a 4,000-year-old people, protecting your ‘digital presence’ and what to expect from COP26. Nick Petrić Howe & Shamini Bundell Nick Petrić Howe View author publications You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar Shamini Bundell View

Local authorities blamed the cyclonic storm for at least one death on Monday, prompting flooding and landslides. And it’s possible that the worst is yet to come. (Photo : Getty Images) Flash Flooding  For days, a powerful storm system known as a “medicane” has wreaked havoc across southern Italy, and AccuWeather meteorologists believe the worst

Move over, early bloomers: baby bats might be the most precocious younglings of the animal kingdom. Researchers have found that, from day zero, newborn Egyptian fruit bats can use the built-in sonar that allows the creatures to navigate in total darkness1. Access options Access through your institution Change institution Buy or subscribe Subscribe to Journal

Europe’s manufacturers appear to have stepped up to the plate to compete for the most successful electric vehicle brand on home turf. Let’s take a look at which brands have had the most success in Europe. (Photo : Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) 3rd Quarter Report (Photo : Photo by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via

NATURE INDEX 27 October 2021 The high burden of infectious disease Human and economic costs highlight the need for fresh approaches in research. Catherine Armitage 0 Catherine Armitage Catherine Armitage is chief editor of Nature Index. View author publications You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar Share on Twitter Share on

NEWS ROUND-UP 27 October 2021 COVID reinfections, asteroid mission and tuskless elephants The latest science news, in brief. Share on Twitter Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Facebook Share via E-Mail Share via E-Mail Download PDF The Lucy spacecraft, shown here in an artist’s rendering, will fly by six Trojan asteroids near Jupiter.Credit:

Scientists are currently trying to confirm a record-breaking temblor. If they succeed, it would fundamentally alter how geologists see earthquakes. (Photo : Getty Images) World’s Deepest Earthquake  A great number of earthquakes occur within a few hundred miles of the Earth’s surface. Scientists were perplexed six years ago when the globe was shocked by deep-seated

In coastal cities around the world, artificial coastal infrastructure is likely to swallow up significant proportions of the remaining unspoilt coastal areas in the next 25 years, modelling shows1. Access options Access through your institution Change institution Buy or subscribe Subscribe to Journal Get full journal access for 1 year 199,00 € only 3,90 €

In 2020, greenhouse gas concentrations hit a record and the world is “far off track” in limiting increasing temperatures, according to the United Nations, which warned on Monday in a sheer reminder of the task facing UN climate discussion in Scotland. Despite a short drop in emissions during COVID-19 lockdowns, carbon dioxide levels rose to

INNOVATIONS IN 26 October 2021 Gene Therapy Is Coming of Age Various approaches are approved for treating blood cancers and a few rare disorders—they may soon become standard care. Lauren Gravitz 0 Lauren Gravitz Contributing Editor View author publications You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar Share on Twitter Share on

Download PDF Theoretical-physics concepts can be hard for anyone to visualize. As a person with albinism, a genetic condition that impairs vision, I face particular challenges. In this picture, taken in June at my former office at University College London, I’m sitting in front of a blackboard filled with mathematical equations describing quantum states. I

For the first time in the United States, the Animal Legal Defense Fund announced that the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio has recognized animals as legal people. (Photo : Getty Images) The Lawsuit The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed an application for the plaintiffs in legal action against the Colombian

As Earth’s climate changes, the hottest days in the tropics will warm more than average days, thanks to the tropical atmosphere being drier than usual on hot days1. Access options Access through your institution Change institution Buy or subscribe Subscribe to Journal Get full journal access for 1 year 199,00 € only 3,90 € per

A fireball brightened the Midwest skies in the early morning hours of October 20. People began to speculate about what the strange light may have been almost immediately. Perhaps it was a meteor or a stray from the Orionid shower this month? According to experts, it may possibly be a Russian spy satellite that had failed to

CORRESPONDENCE 25 October 2021 Brazil’s scientists face 90% budget cut Alicia J. Kowaltowski 0 Alicia J. Kowaltowski University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. View author publications You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar Share on Twitter Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Facebook Share via E-Mail Share via

NEWS 22 October 2021 Ancient DNA points to origins of modern domestic horses Genetic analysis shows that the ancestors of all modern horses lived in the Western Eurasian steppes more than 4,000 years ago. Tosin Thompson Tosin Thompson View author publications You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar Share on Twitter

The USGS continues to keep a close eye on volcanoes around the US, with four now at elevated Orange / Watch due to activity noticed at the four of them. The Great Sitkin, Pavlof, Semisopochnoi, and Kilauea are the four volcanoes showing signs of unrest. Except for Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, which remains Yellow / Advisory,

NEWS 22 October 2021 Scientists reel as Brazilian government backtracks on research funds President Jair Bolsonaro has approved a bill funnelling cash away from science and towards other areas of government, stranding research proposals and dashing hopes. Meghie Rodrigues Meghie Rodrigues View author publications You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar

Even after a fire has been put out, the destruction isn’t necessarily over. Aside from any cleanup and rebuilding that may be required due to the fire, a lack of vegetation following a fire might present other issues. (Photo : Getty Images) Wreaking Havoc Wildfires may wreak havoc on homes, businesses, and the environment, but

Download PDF They always take me early morning, shiptime, when the alien mindlink is strongest. I slump down as the prison guards strap me into the mindlink cradle. Arms, legs, chest, waist, neck; everything. They lock the back of my prisoner’s harness to the cradle, tightening it until I can’t move an inch. Same as

BOOK REVIEW 22 October 2021 Lessons from history on climate and pandemics: Books in brief Andrew Robinson reviews five of the week’s best science picks. Andrew Robinson 0 Andrew Robinson Andrew Robinson’s many books include Lost Languages: The Enigma of the World’s Undeciphered Scripts and Einstein on the Run: How Britain Saved the World’s Greatest

Typically, human Internal organs grow and undergo changes during the course of life, although they hardly change completely. Things aren’t that straightforward for infant octopuses. (Photo : Getty Images) Kölliker’s Organs (KO)   Prior to their birth, embryonic octopuses grow hundreds of temporary, tiny structures referred to as Kölliker’s organs (KO) which conceal every visible part

NATURE PODCAST 22 October 2021 Viking presence in the Americas pinpointed by ancient solar storm A solar storm in the year 993 has allowed researchers to show that Vikings were in the Americas exactly 1000 years ago. Nick Petrić Howe Nick Petrić Howe View author publications You can also search for this author in PubMed

According to a recent study, marine heatwaves are responsible for significant economic losses and experts suggest worldwide action is needed. These actions are to mitigate the effects of severe warming events on ocean life. (Photo : Getty Images) Marine Heatwave Extreme weather events are becoming more prevalent due to climate change - and marine heatwaves are

Adding an artificial enzyme to bacteria1 allows them to carry out unnatural reactions that produce novel chemical compounds from sugars. Access options Access through your institution Change institution Buy or subscribe Subscribe to Journal Get full journal access for 1 year 199,00 € only 3,90 € per issue Subscribe Tax calculation will be finalised during

Nature Video 22 October 2021 Vikings were living in North America exactly a thousand years ago An animated tale of giant solar storms, ancient sagas and the latest radiocarbon dating technology. Shamini Bundell & Dan Fox Shamini Bundell View author publications You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar Dan Fox View

The spewing of lava from volcanoes on the Moon has become much more recent than scientists believed. But how it happened is difficult to understand. This conclusion was drawn from the analysis of a rock sample gathered on the moon and was delivered to earth by Chang’e-5 in late 2020. (Photo : Getty Images) First Moon

A quick bath in water helps to make a sheet of treated wood as pliable as paper, allowing it to take on complex forms that have much more strength than natural wood. Access options Access through your institution Change institution Buy or subscribe Subscribe to Journal Get full journal access for 1 year 199,00 €

Bunnings Warehouse is being urged to remove a popular poison variety off its shelves by Australia’s leading bird protection organization. BirdLife Australia has asked that the retailer cease selling certain rat and mouse poisons, saying they are harming native birds and fauna. (Photo : Wikimedia Commons) After a severe mouse epidemic hit eastern Australia in

NEWS 22 October 2021 Rhino puzzle and China’s COVID vaccines — the week in infographics Nature highlights three key infographics from the week in science and research. Share on Twitter Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Facebook Share via E-Mail Share via E-Mail China’s COVID vaccines China’s CoronaVac and Sinopharm vaccines account for

NEWS 22 October 2021 Climate change: Nature readers say their fears are growing Poll shows that 80% of respondents are more concerned in the run-up to the COP26 climate meeting than they were ahead of the Paris conference 6 years ago. Quirin Schiermeier Quirin Schiermeier View author publications You can also search for this author

The Arctic may no longer be the safe refuge for migrating animal species as it used to be. Climate change and habitat destruction have turned the annual migration of many species, including birds, butterflies, and ungulates, into an ecological trap. (Photo : Getty Images) Animal Migration Many animals are likely to starve, get hunted, or die

Immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 decline sharply within eight months of the second jab of the Pfizer–BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, but remain relatively stable after a single shot of the vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson.1. Access options Access through your institution Change institution Buy or subscribe Subscribe to Journal Get full journal access for 1

According to a new study, recycled lithium-ion batteries are as good as, if not better than, new lithium-ion batteries manufactured using newly mined materials. The research was carried out by Yan Wang, a mechanical engineering professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and a team of researchers from the US Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC). The research included

1. Ingstad, H. & Ingstad, A. S. The Viking Discovery of America: The Excavations of a Norse Settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland (Breakwater Books, 2000). 2. Wallace, B. L. in Contact, Continuity, and Collapse: the Norse Colonization of the North Atlantic (ed. Barrett, J.) 207–238 (Brepols, 2003). 3. Nydal, R. A critical review of