The Best of nature
20+ most popular nature articles, as voted by our community.
Research, News, and Commentary from Nature, the international journal of science. For daily science news, get Nature Briefing: http://go.nature.com/naturebriefing
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The ‘breakthrough’ obesity drugs that have stunned researchers
A class of drugs that quash hunger have shown striking results in trials and in practice. But can they help all people with obesity — and conquer weight stigma?
Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations
Long COVID is an often debilitating illness of severe symptoms that can develop during or following COVID-19. In this Review, Davis, McCorkell, Vogel and Topol explore our knowledge of long COVID and highlight key findings, including potential mechanisms, the overlap with other conditions and potential treatments. They also discuss challenges and recommendations for long COVID research and care.
10 startling images of nature in crisis — and the struggle to save it
A visual tour of unfolding threats and desperate attempts to reverse species' declines.
‘Disruptive’ science has declined — and no one knows why
The proportion of publications that send a field in a new direction has plummeted over the last half-century.
Papers and patents are becoming less disruptive over time
A decline in disruptive science and technology over time is reported, representing a substantive shift in science and technology, which is attributed in part to the reliance on a narrower set of…
nature on Biology
Robust evidence of declines in insect abundance and biodiversity
Long-term standardized monitoring reveals the scale of biodiversity losses.
Parasitic infection increases risk-taking in a social, intermediate host carnivore
Wolf behavioural, spatial, and serological data over 26 years show that wolf territory overlap with areas of high cougar density is a significant predictor of T. gondii infection. Further, infection…
nature on Brain
How gut microbes could drive brain disorders
Scientists are starting to work out how the gut microbiome can affect brain health. That might lead to better and easier treatments for brain diseases.
Electrical stimulation helps paralysed people walk again — and now we know why
Detailed gene-activity map could pave way for more precise treatments for many more people with spinal-cord injuries.
nature on Cancer
Cancer: The Ras renaissance
Thirty years of pursuit have failed to yield a drug to take on one of the deadliest families of cancer-causing proteins. Now some researchers are taking another shot.
nature on Health
What humanity should eat to stay healthy and save the planet
What we eat needs to be nutritious and sustainable. Researchers are trying to figure out what that looks like around the world.
«“which sea foods can we choose that are healthy for the ecosystem as well as healthy in the diet”»
How stress can cause a fever
A neuronal pathway that governs stress-induced hyperthermia.
nature on Medicine
How ecstasy and psilocybin are shaking up psychiatry
Regulators will soon grapple with how to safely administer powerful psychedelics for treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
AI in health and medicine
AI has the potential to reshape medicine and make healthcare more accurate, efficient and accessible; this Review discusses recent progress, opportunities and challenges toward achieving this goal.
nature on Nature
First monkey–human embryos reignite debate over hybrid animals
The chimaeras lived up to 19 days — but some scientists question the need for such research.
«Japan lifted its ban on experiments with animal embryos containing human cells in 2019 and began funding such work that year.»
The best science images of 2022
An almighty eruption, the cosmos remastered, swirling cells and more.
nature on PhD
‘I don’t want this kind of life’: graduate students question career options
As interest in academia fades, scholars in PhD and master’s programmes are dubious about the value of their degree in advancing their professional lives, finds Nature survey.
Twenty things I wish I’d known when I started my PhD
Recent PhD graduate Lucy A. Taylor shares the advice she and her colleagues wish they had received.
nature on Racism
‘It’s a constant hum’: a planetary geologist calls out racism in academia
Martha Gilmore has faced not only accusations of theft and lying, but also quiet isolation and the pain of watching racism bear down on others.
nature on Science
Adding is favoured over subtracting in problem solving
People tend to solve problems by adding features.
«Moreover, people could assume that existing features are there for a reason, and so looking for additions would be more effective.»
How philosophy is making me a better scientist
Rasha Shraim’s education helped her to think more deeply about ethics, logic and other big questions.
«Philosophy has expanded my critical and creative thinking. Philosophical arguments often lead to imaginative edge cases and a dive into hypotheticals, which I frequently find creatively stimulating.»
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Tips from neuroscience to keep you focused on hard tasks
Understanding cognitive control can help your working life, says David Badre.
«returning to a hard task in this way comes with a ‘restart’ cost»
The hidden links between mental disorders
Psychiatrists have a dizzying array of diagnoses and not enough treatments. Hunting for the hidden biology underlying mental disorders could help.
Can lab-grown brains become conscious?
A handful of experiments are raising questions about whether clumps of cells and disembodied brains could be sentient, and how scientists would know if they were.
Face masks: what the data say
The science supports that face coverings save lives, and yet the debate trundles on. How much evidence is enough?
The race for coronavirus vaccines: a graphical guide
Eight ways in which scientists hope to provide immunity to SARS-CoV-2 .
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