A numerical perspective on Nature.

Brief Communications are peer-reviewed contributions to Nature aimed at the broadest possible readership. They are short reports of topical findings that contain a simple, striking message. One example is the presentation, by Timothy Dixon and colleagues on page 587, of a new subsidence map for New Orleans. It gives clues to why the levees failed during Hurricane Katrina. And on page 588, Daniel Lathrop and co-workers explain a technique for imaging the vortex lines in superfluid helium and directly observing their interactions.

The section also includes Brief Communications Arising. These online-only exchanges add exceptionally interesting or important comments and clarifications to Nature papers. This week sees a debate about the role of methane in the Early Jurassic climate (see http://www.nature.com/bca).

24 Brief Communications have been published in Nature so far this year (plus ten Brief Communications Arising).

136 authors have contributed to research published in Brief Communications so far this year.

73% of this year's Brief Communications report findings from biological sciences.

506 submissions were made to Brief Communications this year (and 107 were made to Brief Communications Arising).