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Human and Neanderthal brains were roughly the same size.Credit: Adapted from Alamy
A genetic boost for modern human brains
Researchers have pinpointed a fateful genetic mutation that might have contributed to a cognitive advantage for modern humans over Neanderthals. Tests in the laboratory suggest that a single change in the gene TKTL1 ultimately causes the brain to develop more neurons. The Neanderthal version of TKTL1 still exists in some modern humans, although it’s very rare and it’s unknown whether it causes any disease or cognitive differences.
What’s up with the Artemis Moon launch
NASA’s ambitious Space Launch System (SLS) and its accompanying capsule — a mission known as Artemis I — remain on the pad after two cancelled launch attempts on 29 August and 3 September. There were leaks in the fuel lines that feed liquid hydrogen to the rocket (hydrogen is a lightweight and powerful fuel, but finicky and prone to leaks). The clock is ticking: if the SLS can’t be fixed on the pad quickly, it will have to be slowly rolled back into the garage to have its batteries changed. And the launch can take place only on certain dates to ensure that Artemis I, destined for a weeks-long test flight around the Moon, goes where it's meant to.
Read more: The $93-billion plan to put astronauts back on the Moon (Nature | 12 min read)
Features & opinion
How we boosted female faculty numbers
In 2016, the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Melbourne, Australia, undertook an affirmative-action strategy to recruit more women as faculty members. The approach was highly successful in attracting outstanding applicants, write three leaders at the university. “The calibre was so high that five appointments were made — two more than originally advertised,” they write. “Many of the successful applicants reported that they would not have applied had recruitment been open to both men and women.” But the move was not without controversy. The authors share lessons from the experience — including the importance of creating a culture in which female recruits can succeed.
Futures: A light in the garden
A time cop plays a hidden part of an artistic masterpiece in the latest short story for Nature’s Futures series.
Podcast: World’s oldest amputation
A skeleton with an amputated foot discovered in Borneo has been dated to 31,000 years ago, suggesting that complex surgery might be much older than previously thought. The person survived for years after the procedure, which researchers say shows that the ‘surgeon’ probably had detailed knowledge of anatomy and access to antiseptic compounds.
Nature Podcast | 22 min listen
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