NATURE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Lost Science’ – The fragile reality of US research today.

Ancient pottery reveals early evidence of mathematical thinking

Symmetrical arrangements of botanical motifs indicate a grasp of spatial division long before the advent of formal written numbers.

HPV vaccine could help to protect the unvaccinated against cervical cancer

A drop in precancerous growths in women who hadn’t received the jab suggests the existence of a ‘herd effect’ against the virus.

Climate trends influence transatlantic flight times

Better understanding of multi-year global weather cycles could help airlines to reduce fuel consumption and cost.

Gifted dogs learn new words by overhearing humans

Particularly talented canines have sociolinguistic skills akin to those of young toddlers.

NATURE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Little Red Dots’ – Enigmatic objects in the distant Universe could be young black holes in a cocoon of gas…

Putting immune cells into ‘night mode’ reduces heart-attack damage

Drugs that limit the activity of cells called neutrophils could make heart attacks less severe without compromising the immune system.

Ancient ‘snowball’ Earth had frigidly briny seas

Ocean temperatures well below freezing in Earth’s deep-past glacial phases imply some very salty waters.

Disappearing ‘planet’ reveals a solar system’s turbulent times

What was originally thought to be a planet orbiting the Fomalhaut star was probably just the fallout of a wild collision.

Getting to the (square) root of stock-market swings

A huge data set has confirmed a long-theorized relationship between the size of stock trades and the impact on prices.

NATURE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Branch Management’ – How the need to minimize surface area governs growth of 3D physical networks.

Oddly cool super-hot planet has an atmosphere it shouldn’t

It’s a mystery why TOI-561 b’s blanket of gases hasn’t boiled off.

Hot spot: plants use infrared signals to say they’re ready to reproduce

Some cycads warm up their reproductive organs to attract specially equipped pollinating beetles in the dark.

How the Romans built their empire of concrete

A unique archaeological site at Pompeii, Italy, reveals the secrets of peculiarly durable Roman building materials.

NATURE MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Regional Outlook’…Local expertise reveals detailed status of biodiversity in sub-Saharan Africa.

Science in 2050: the future breakthroughs that will shape our world — and beyond

Nuclear fusion. People on Mars. Artificial general intelligence. These are just some of the advances that could come by the mid-century mark.

China leads research in 90% of crucial technologies — a dramatic shift this century

The United States tops the remaining areas in an assessment of 74 technologies.

Quantum computing ‘KPIs’ could distinguish true breakthroughs from spurious claims

Researchers are devising ways to make new machines face off, without the hype.

Giant 3D map shows almost every building in the world

A database of 2.75 billion buildings could help scientists to monitor urban planning, climate change, disaster risks and even corruption.