Briefing

Court ruling allows interim nuclear waste storage in Texas, but the U.S. still has no long-term plan for its 90,000 metric tons of spent fuel.

Tech CEOs and politicians alike are preparing for the day that superintelligent AI takes over, whilst failing to deal with the issues in front of them – from copyright to autonomous killing machines

Knee osteoarthritis is often treated via non-drug therapies, and now we have an idea of which ones work best

Nature, Published online: 18 June 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01710-y

Ecological modelling reveals that the range of habitats humans occupied in Africa increased before our species established a lasting presence outside the continent.

Nature, Published online: 18 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09062-3

A colour sensor array based on multilayer monolithically stacked lead halide perovskite thin-film photodetectors achieves higher quantum efficiency and superior colour accuracy compared to conventional filter-based image sensors.

Nature, Published online: 18 June 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01883-6

Models estimating the levels of flight-directing staff need a rethink.

Nature, Published online: 18 June 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01885-4

Research ships rarely brave the Greenland Sea in winter. Early this year, scientists ventured into the ice-covered waters to capture crucial data about the planet’s future.

Imagine diagnosing Parkinson s disease not with pricey scans or subjective checklists, but with a simple ear swab. Scientists in China have developed a promising early screening method that detects Parkinson s from subtle changes in the scent of ear wax yes, really. By analyzing specific volatile compounds in ear wax and feeding that data into an AI-powered olfactory system, they achieved 94% accuracy in identifying who had the disease. If expanded successfully, this low-cost, non-invasive technique could transform early detection and treatment of this debilitating neurological disorder.

Astronomers have produced the most detailed map yet of the Sculptor Galaxy, revealing hundreds of previously unseen celestial features in stunning color and resolution. By combining over 50 hours of observations using the European Southern Observatory s Very Large Telescope, scientists captured a full-spectrum portrait that unravels the galaxy s stellar makeup in thousands of colors. This revolutionary technique offers an unprecedented look at the age, composition, and motion of stars and gas across the galaxy s vast 65,000-light-year span. Among the highlights are 500 newly identified planetary nebulae, glowing remnants of dying stars, which help pinpoint the galaxy s distance and open new windows into galactic evolution.

A breakthrough study has uncovered that the Southern Ocean’s power to pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere fluctuates dramatically depending on winter sea ice. When sea ice lingers longer into winter, the ocean absorbs up to 20% more CO2, thanks to a protective effect that blocks turbulent winds from stirring up deeper, carbon-loaded waters. This subtle seasonal shield plays a vital role in buffering our planet against climate change. But here s the twist: winter data from the Southern Ocean is notoriously scarce due to its brutal conditions, meaning we might be missing a key piece of Earth s climate puzzle.