Wednesday briefing: Water ice on the Moon detected by Indian spacecraft

Hello Nature readers,

Today we explore the conflict infecting a global biodiversity panel, discover direct evidence of water ice on the Moon and gaze at science’s favourite worm.

Superconductor claim ignites physics debate

A scientific debate played out in a particularly public forum after physicists claimed they had discovered a high-temperature superconductor. The thrill of the potentially explosive breakthrough sparked an example of how social media is creating new places for scientific discussion and cross-pollination. “All these researchers who normally do not discuss on a single platform have come together and discussed this,” says physicist Pratap Raychaudhuri. “I think the self-correcting mechanism of science — the ruthless scrutiny of the community — has worked extremely well.”

Nature | 5 min read

Reference: arXiv preprint

Trump takes aim at clean-air laws

The US Environmental Protection Agency has revealed its long-promised plan to relax federal limits on greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants. The proposal would give states leeway to set their own emissions-reduction goals. The proposed rules would replace former president Barack Obama’s flagship Clean Power Plan, which sought to cut emissions from the power sector to 32% below 2005 levels by 2030. President Donald Trump’s proposal will face stiff opposition from scientists, environmentalists and many progressive states.

Nature | 3 min read

Steve the skyglow baffles astronomers

Ribbons of purple and white light in the Canadian night sky — previously thought to be an aurora — are an entirely new celestial phenomenon. Scientists looked at data from a US environmental satellite that happened to be passing over when amateur astronomers were photographing the skyglow. Photographer Chris Ratzlaff dubbed the glow ‘Steve’, in reference to a film in which animated animals give the name to a mysterious garden hedge.

Motherboard | 3 min read

Reference: Geophysical Research Letters paper

Ice on the Moon seen by Indian spacecraft

Data from India's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, which explored the Moon a decade ago, reveals “direct and definitive evidence” of water ice deposits on the surface of the Moon. Permanently shadowed craters at the poles remain at a chilly –163 ℃, creating an environment where deposits of water ice can accumulate and stay stable for long periods. The ice might have come from water-rich comets or asteroids — or it could have been sitting there for up to 3 billion years, when the Moon is thought to have rotated on its current axis.

Scientific American | 6 min read

Reference: PNAS paper

FEATURES & OPINION

The battle for the soul of biodiversity

A rift in the scientific community is threatening a crucial assessment of the world’s disappearing plant and animal life. A conflict infecting the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) pits north against south and science against humanities. The heart of the question: should you put a price on a species? Some groups say that focusing on the economic benefits of biodiversity, and the contribution of ecosystems to human well-being, pushes a Western perspective on an issue that deeply affects non-Western people. Others say that the language of money is the one that people in power understand. At stake is a planet on the edge of an extinction crisis.

Nature | 11 min read

Why become a research technician

A technician position can offer a satisfying career as a key member of a laboratory, or can be a solid stepping stone to a PhD, a medical degree or other job opportunities. Nature explores how to get your foot in the door and rise through the ranks.

Nature | 8 min read

A visual homage to the paragon of lab animals

Nobel-prizewinning biologist Sydney Brenner called the worm C. elegans “nature’s gift to science.” Photos by graduate student Eugene Lee allow you to peer down the microscope and appreciate their beauty. To predict their behaviour, “I actually try to imagine myself as a worm,” says Lee. “We do it all the time in lab.”

STAT | 5 min read

I welcome your C. elegans anecdotes, the name you would give a mysterious glow in the sky, or any other feedback at briefing@nature.com.

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Flora Graham, senior editor, Nature Briefing