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  • Cutting-edge X-ray sources have enabled the structural dynamics of proteins to be tracked during biochemical processes, but the findings have been questioned. Two experts discuss the implications of a study that digs into this issue.

    • Richard Neutze
    • R. J. Dwayne Miller
    News & Views Forum
  • The analysis of DNA sequences sheds light on microbial biology, but it is difficult to assess the function of genes that have little or no similarity to characterized genes. Here, scientists discuss this challenge from genomic and microbial perspectives.

    • Jakob Wirbel
    • Ami S. Bhatt
    • Alexander J. Probst
    News & Views Forum
  • A transistor made from atomically thin materials mimics the way in which connections between neurons are strengthened by activity. Two perspectives reveal why physicists and neuroscientists share equal enthusiasm for this feat of engineering.

    • Frank H. L. Koppens
    • James B. Aimone
    • Frances S. Chance
    News & Views Forum
  • In a huge collaborative effort, millions of cells in the mouse brain have been mapped in detail. Two scientists examine the resulting wealth of insights into gene regulation in brain cells, neuronal connections and how our own brains evolved.

    • Maria Antonietta Tosches
    • Heather J. Lee
    News & Views Forum
  • A pangenome is a collection of DNA sequences that reveals genetic variation between individuals. Four scientists discuss the generation of a human pangenome, and what insights can be gained from it.

    • Arya Massarat
    • Melissa Gymrek
    • Hákon Jónsson
    News & Views Forum
  • Innovative use of medieval musings about the Moon has revealed that volcanic eruptions coincided with abrupt, global-scale cooling events. The approach is exciting from the perspective of climate scientists and historians alike.

    • Andrea Seim
    • Eduardo Zorita
    • Anne Lawrence-Mathers
    News & Views Forum
  • Proteins have been developed that emit flashes of light in response to influxes of calcium ions into cells on millisecond timescales. Two sets of scientists discuss the legacy and future of these proteins.

    • Michael B. Ryan
    • Anne K. Churchland
    • Casey Baker
    News & Views Forum
  • An unprecedented glimpse of a distant planet reveals clues about how it might have formed. Scientists explain why it’s a win for atmospheric chemistry, and celebrate the technology that made it possible.

    • Julia V. Seidel
    • Louise D. Nielsen
    • Subhajit Sarkar
    News & Views Forum
  • COVID-19 broadened the use of pulse oximeters for rapid blood-oxygen readings, but it also highlighted the fact that skin pigmentation alters measurements. Two groups of researchers analyse this issue, and its effects on people with dark skin.

    • Matthew D. Keller
    • Brandon Harrison-Smith
    • Mohammed Shahriar Arefin
    News & Views Forum
  • A higher number of damaging variations in certain genes is associated with an increased likelihood that a man will be childless. A geneticist and an anthropologist discuss what can — and can’t — be learnt from this finding.

    • Loic Yengo
    • Heidi Colleran
    News & Views Forum
  • A quantum device uses ultracold atoms to sense gravitational changes that can detect a tunnel under a city street. Here, scientists discuss the advance from the viewpoints of quantum sensing and geophysics.

    • Nicola Poli
    • Roman Pašteka
    • Pavol Zahorec
    News & Views Forum
  • Research has uncovered factors that underlie the weight gain associated with cessation of smoking. Here, scientists consider the implications of this finding from the perspectives of gut biology and of smoking.

    • Matthew P. Spindler
    • Jeremiah J. Faith
    • Paul J. Kenny
    News & Views Forum
  • An atlas of the cell types found in the motor cortex of the brain has been built using various types of data. Two neuroscientists explain the technological feats involved in the project, as well as the utility of the resource for future research.

    • Johan Winnubst
    • Silvia Arber
    News & Views Forum
  • Does time spent using digital technology and social media have an adverse effect on mental health, especially that of adolescents? Here, two scientists discuss the question, and how digital devices might be used to improve well-being.

    • Jonathan Haidt
    • Nick Allen
    News & Views Forum
  • Researchers and policymakers rely on computer simulations called integrated assessment models to determine the best strategies for tackling climate change. Here, scientists present opposing views on the suitability of these simulations.

    • Kevin Anderson
    • Jessica Jewell
    News & Views Forum
  • Engineering approaches allow biological structures and behaviours to be reconstituted in vitro. A biologist and a physicist discuss the potential and limitations of this bottom-up philosophy in providing insights into complex biological processes.

    • Matthew Good
    • Xavier Trepat
    News & Views Forum
  • Adult tissues must maintain themselves and regenerate after damage. But are these crucial functions mediated by dedicated populations of stem cells, or do differentiated cells adopt stem-cell-like properties according to an organ’s needs? Here, two scientists present evidence from both sides of the debate.

    • Pura Muñoz-Cánoves
    • Meritxell Huch
    News & Views Forum
  • A study finds that meeting climate-change mitigation targets will lead to a substantial reduction in economic damages. Here, economists present opposing views on the approach used by studies such as this one.

    • Wolfram Schlenker
    • Maximilian Auffhammer
    News & Views Forum
  • Wolbachia bacteria infect insects and can cause mating incompatibilities, an outcome that is used to fight insect-transmitted disease. The proposed genes responsible illuminate this process and the disease-control mechanisms. See Letter p.243

    • William Sullivan
    • Scott L. O'Neill
    News & Views Forum