For biologists, a long-standing question has been why some animals live longer than others. This week a team have attempted to answer this, by measuring the rates that different animal species accumulate mutations. They show that longer-lived animals acquire mutations at a slower rate, which helps to explain why cancer risk does not scale with lifespan.
Research article: Cagan et al.
News and Views: Mutational clocks tick differently across species
A clinical trial suggests a change to the treatment of a pregnancy ailment, and astronomers identify the largest known structure produced by a single galaxy.
Research Highlight: Ambitious trial inspires a rethink on a common ailment of pregnancy
Research Highlight: Even among ‘giant’ galaxies this one is record-setting
Many European countries are dependent on Russian fossil fuels for energy production. Following Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, these countries are looking to wean themselves off these fuels, which could have short- and long-term impacts on emissions and food production.
Feature: What the war in Ukraine means for energy, climate and food
Editorial: The EU can simultaneously end dependence on Russia and meet climate goals
Editorial: The war in Ukraine is exposing gaps in the world’s food-systems research
Last week, a new estimate of the W boson’s mass caused much excitement among physicists. The result suggests that this particle is heavier than theory predicts, a finding that could be the first major breach in the standard model of particle physics. However, measuring W bosons is notoriously tricky, and further work will be needed to confirm the finding.
News: Particle’s surprise mass threatens to upend the standard model
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Ancient DNA debunks Rapa Nui ‘ecological suicide’ theory
The baseless stat that could be harming Indigenous conservation efforts
Long-sought 'nuclear clocks' are one tick closer
Audio long read: So you got a null result. Will anyone publish it?
Covert racism in AI chatbots, precise Stone Age engineering, and the science of paper cuts
Can ageing be stopped? A biologist explains
AI can't learn new things forever — an algorithm can fix that
The mystery of Stonehenge's central stone unearthed
ChatGPT has a language problem — but science can fix it
Where weird plants thrive: aridity spurs diversity of traits
How light-based computers could cut AI’s energy needs
Audio long read: Hope, despair and CRISPR — the race to save one woman’s life
Rapid sepsis test identifies bacteria that spark life-threatening infection
The plastic that biodegrades in your home compost
Breastfeeding should break down mothers' bones — here's why it doesn't
These frog 'saunas’ could help endangered species fight off a deadly fungus
Audio long read: How NASA astronauts are training to walk on the Moon in 2026
Why ‘open source’ AIs could be anything but, the derailment risks of long freight trains, and breeding better wheat
How do fish know where a sound comes from? Scientists have an answer
Hybrid working works: huge study reveals no drop in productivity
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