As a result of the pandemic, workers around the world have become accustomed to meeting colleagues online. To find out if this switch from face-to-face meetings came at a cost to creativity, a team compared the number of ideas generated by workers collaborating either online, or in-person. They showed that people meeting virtually produced fewer creative ideas than those working face-to-face, and suggest that when it comes to idea generation maybe it’s time to turn the camera off.
Research article: Brucks & Levav
News and Views: Virtual collaboration hinders idea generation
Video: Why video calls are bad for brainstorming
Fragments from an ancient pyramid suggest earliest known use of a Maya calendar, and how sweet snacks could damage rare iguanas’ metabolism.
Research Highlight: Deer symbol hints at early adoption of Maya calendar
Research Highlight: Tourists’ sweet treats threaten rare iguanas’ health
Researchers looking at the skin cells of zebrafish have discovered a new type of cell division, which doesn’t require DNA replication. DNA is usually essential for healthy cells, but the researchers think this puzzling finding may be a temporary measure to help the fish produce skin more rapidly during growth spurts.
Research article: Chan et al.
News and Views: Stretched skin cells divide without DNA replication
Video: A new kind of cell division
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, how laser-equipped submarines could help analyse gelatinous animals’ anatomy, and a push for a flagship mission to Uranus.
The New Yorker: Shedding Light on Untouchable Sea Creatures
Nature: Next stop, Uranus? Icy planet tops priority list for next big NASA mission
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8 August 2018: Fox aggression, microbiota and geoengineering
02 August 2018: Zebra finch colour perception, terraforming Mars, and attributing extreme weather
26 July 2018: Conservation, automata, and pet DNA tests
19 July 2018: DNA scaffolds, climate-altering microbes, and a robot chemist
12 July 2018: Rats, reefs, and career streaks
05 July 2018: A DNA computer, the koala genome, and the invisibility of LGBTQ+ researchers
Backchat June 2018: Lab health, email briefings, and CRISPR
27 June 2018: Air pollution, sick plants, and stress
21 June 2018: Pancreatic cancer, silica cages, and AI bias
14 June 2018: Baobab tree death, zebrafish stem cells, and ice in Antarctica
07 June 2018: Magnetic animal migration, cold enzymes, and mouse memory
31 May 2018: Boosting diversity in physics, and life after an asteroid impact
24 May 2018: Climate costs, cleverer cab journeys, and peering through matter with muons
17 May 2018: Probing the proton, research misconduct, and making sense of mystery genes
10 May 2018: AI neuroscience, liquid crystals, and depression in academia
03 May 2018: Building early embryos, the fear response in mice, and ancient rhino remains
26 April 2018: Mini brains, and an updated enzyme image
Backchat April 2018: Sexual harassment, social media, and celebrity scientists
19 April 2018: Synchronised shrimp, supernova science, and spring books.
12 April 2018: The power of remote sensing, and watching a neutron star glitch
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