Archivo: Nature News
Largest bacterium ever found is surprisingly complex
‘Microorganism’ is a misnomer when it comes to centimetre-long Thiomargarita magnifica.
How months-long COVID infections could seed dangerous new variants
Tracking SARS-CoV-2 evolution during persistent cases provides insight into the origins of Omicron and other global variants. What can scientists do with this knowledge?
Mega-map of Milky Way adds depth to stars’ motions
The European Gaia mission’s ever-improving catalogue has become astronomers’ standard reference for the Galaxy.
One tree or two? Genes confirm Iban traditional knowledge in Borneo
Words in the languages of the Iban and Dusun people are the tip-off that a tree given a single scientific name is actually two species.
NASA’s Perseverance rover begins key search for life on Mars
Rolling up an ancient river delta in Jezero Crater, the rover starts crucial rock sampling.
Guardians of the brain: how a special immune system protects our grey matter
The nervous and immune systems are tightly intertwined. Deciphering their chatter might help address many brain disorders and diseases.
‘Mind blowing’ ancient settlements uncovered in the Amazon
The urban centres are the first to be discovered in the region, challenging archaeological dogma.
Monkeypox goes global: why scientists are on alert
Scientists are trying to understand why the virus, a less lethal relative of smallpox, has cropped up in so many populations around the world.
Ancient DNA maps ‘dawn of farming’
Huge collection of genomes charts how hunter-gatherers turned into some of the world’s first farmers in Turkey.
The $93-billion plan to put astronauts back on the Moon
The world’s most powerful rocket will make a trip around the Moon in 2022 — a step towards landing people there in 2025, and part of the US Artemis programme.