The third reference cited in the News story ‘Risks of flu work underrated’ (Nature 511, 13–14; 2014) was incorrect. It should have read: Herfst, S. et al. Science 336, 1534–1541 (2012). In the Editorial ‘Biosafety in the balance’ (Nature 510, 443; 2014), a typographical error meant that the wrong year was given for the 11 September attacks — they happened in 2001. And the News Feature ‘Close collaborators’ (Nature 510, 458–460; 2014) accidentally described IBM’s research site in San Jose, California, as the headquarters.