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Simulated lunar exploration in an Arizona volcanic field this month helped astronauts to prepare for doing geology in harsh conditions at the lunar south pole. Nature joined mission control.
Analysis of 70 years of snowfall in the Northern Hemisphere reveals that snow buffers the effect of varying precipitation levels on streamflow. The link highlights the need to rethink water-resource management as snow levels decline.
Therapies that treat while diagnosing — theranostics — can extend length of survival and improve the quality of life for some people with advance-stage cancer.
Time spent outdoors is the best defence against rising rates of short-sightedness, but scientists are searching for other ways to reverse the troubling trend.
Primates have rich social lives orchestrated by brain circuits that are still poorly understood, partly because they have not been studied under naturalistic conditions. New wireless technology for recording neuronal activity in freely moving monkeys enabled insights into how neurons track natural social interactions, including reciprocity and social support towards a partner.
People with autism, intellectual disabilities or both are three times more likely than the general population to develop Parkinson’s-like symptoms as they age. Plus, a study seems to cast doubt on the theory that sleep cleanses the brain and what to do when funding runs out.
The genomes of all eight living species of baobab tree (Adansonia sp.) reveal the group’s origin and diversification history. Ecological analyses were incorporated to characterize the baobabs’ past population dynamics and were used to propose protection measures for these iconic species, including the reassessment of their conservation status and the close monitoring of several of Madagascar’s baobab species.
Innovative solutions are needed to decrease greenhouse-gas emissions. Field trials show that supplementing farm soil with a bacterium that consumes the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide can substantially lower harmful emissions.
Uptake of ammonium ions by marine microorganisms called archaea is a key first step in the conversion of ammonium to nitrogen found in ecosystems. Structural evidence reveals how archaea capture ammonium in an efficient way.
Although natural-killer-cell therapies are safer than T-cell therapies and offer other advantages, they require upgrades to overcome their limited lifespan and susceptibility to immunosuppression.