First published in 1869, Nature is the world's leading multidisciplinary science journal. Nature publishes the finest peer-reviewed research that drives ground-breaking discovery, and is read by thought-leaders and decision-makers around the world.
National Science Foundation Halts Funding Indefinitely
National Science Foundation staff were told to freeze outgoing funding days after NSF leadership introduced a new policy that requires that grants be screened for “alignment with agency priorities”
Ancient DNA Reveals Phoenicians’ Surprising Ancestry
Phoenician civilization spread its culture and alphabet across the Mediterranean but not, evidently, its DNA
Trump Administration’s Science Cuts Come for NSF Funding
The National Science Foundation, which funds key science and engineering research, is the latest U.S. agency to be disrupted by Elon Musk’s DOGE
Plant Leaves Absorb Microplastics—And They End Up in Our Food
New evidence shows plant leaves absorb airborne microplastics, a previously overlooked route for the particles to enter crops that has implications for ecology and human health
Why Astronomers Are Not Sold on New Alien Life Claims
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope detected an intriguing compound in the atmosphere of the exoplanet K2-18 b, but scientists are divided about what the chemical means
Five Key Climate and Space Projects Are on Trump’s Chopping Block
Leaked budget documents indicate that key NASA and NOAA research projects, such as crucial climate research and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, are at risk of being defunded in 2026
The Science Fields and State Hit Hardest by Trump NIH Cuts, in 4 Charts
An analysis reveals which fields of science and U.S. states are being hit hardest by National Institutes of Health grant terminations
Data Centers Will Use Twice as Much Energy by 2030—Driven by AI
Data centers accounted for about 1.5 percent of global electricity consumption in 2024, an amount expected to double by 2030 because of AI use
Biggest Brain Map Ever Shows Mouse Neurons in Stunning Detail
Neuroscientists have created the largest and most detailed map of a mammal’s brain in a landmark achievement
Where AI Is Now: Smaller, Better, Cheaper Models
A state of the AI industry report shows that 2024 was a breakthrough year for small, sleek models to rival the behemoths
Scientists May Have Finally Found the Mysterious Animal Hosts of Mpox
A team of researchers traced the wild animal source of the mpox virus to the fire-footed rope squirrel
Obesity-Drug Pioneers and Large Hadron Collider Physicists Win $3-Million Breakthrough Prizes
Advances recognized by science’s most lucrative awards include high-energy physics experiments and groundbreaking weight-loss treatments
Scientists Identify a Brain Structure That Filters Consciousness
Our conscious awareness may be governed by a structure deep in the brain
This AI Speedrunner Taught Itself to Play Minecraft
The Dreamer AI system of Google's DeepMind reached the milestone of mastering Minecraft by ‘imagining’ the future impact of possible decisions
New Plan for Particle Physics Megaproject Leaves out Funding Details
A long-awaiting report from CERN explores the feasibility of building a supersized successor to the Large Hadron Collider
NIH Director Removes Four Main Scientists amid Massive Staff Purge
The Trump Administration has fired four leaders and thousands of employees at the National Institutes of Health in “one of the darkest days”
Does Intermittent Fasting Improve Health beyond Weight Loss?
Intermittent fasting has gained a following, in part because of tantalizing hints that it can boost cognition, fend off cancer and even slow aging
COVID Research Funding to Be Slashed, NIH Documents Show
Studies on COVID, climate change and South Africa are on the latest list of terminated grants by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, according to updated documents obtained by Nature
In a Sky Full of Satellites, Astronomers Find Creative Ways to Observe the Stars
Swarms of satellites launched by SpaceX and other companies are disrupting astronomical observations. Here's how scientists are coping
76 Ways Pregnancy and Giving Birth Change a Person's Body
Data from 300,000 births reveal how essential biological measurements are altered by carrying and delivering a baby
Who Will Build the Next Giant Particle Collider?
The European physics laboratory CERN is planning to build a mega collider by 2070. Critics say the plan could lead to ruin
Mini-Satellite Sends Encrypted Quantum Message a Record-Breaking Distance
Scientists in China have transmitted encrypted images a record 12,900 kilometers, paving the way for quantum messaging anywhere on Earth
How ‘Qudits’ Could Boost Quantum Computing
“Qudits,” the multi-dimensional cousins of qubits, could make quantum computers more efficient and less prone to error
We Make Memories as Babies—So Why Do We Forget Them?
MRI scans show that the brains of infants and toddlers can encode memories, even if we don’t remember them as adults