Briefing

Scientists have decoded the sea spider’s genome for the first time, revealing how its strangely shaped body—with organs in its legs and barely any abdomen—may be tied to a missing gene. The detailed DNA map shows this ancient creature evolved differently from its spider and scorpion cousins, lacking genome duplications seen in those species. With new gene activity data, researchers now have a powerful tool to explore how sea spiders grow, regenerate, and evolved into some of the oddest arthropods on Earth.

Researchers have developed an ultra-thin drumhead-like membrane that lets sound signals, or phonons, travel through it with astonishingly low loss, better than even electronic circuits. These near-lossless vibrations open the door to new ways of transferring information in systems like quantum computers or ultra-sensitive biological sensors.

Adults who walked more than 100 minutes per day were less likely to have chronic low back pain than those who walked fewer than 78 minutes per day.

The remains of extinct Homo erectus dredged from the seabed off Java, along with thousands of animal fossils, are revealing a long-lost ecosystem.

The skull of a 5-year-old girl who lived 140,000 years ago has similarities with modern Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, suggesting her parents might have belonged to different species

Computers can help ensure that mathematical proofs are correct, but translating traditional maths into a machine-readable format is an arduous task. Now, the latest generation of artificial intelligence models is taking on the job, and could change the face of maths research

Drugs and explosive chemicals are difficult to detect, but a device more sensitive than a dog’s nose can pick up their traces in seconds

Nature, Published online: 07 July 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02072-1

Risto Taipale works on the maintenance of a research station that provides publicly accessible data on climate change.

Nature, Published online: 07 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09333-z

Efficient perovskite/silicon tandem with asymmetric self-assembly molecule

Nature, Published online: 07 July 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02151-3

The Indigenous beliefs underpinning soil chemist Amanda Black’s approach could deliver a more inclusive research culture, she says.