A new metric assesses the progress of AI models.Credit: Adapted from Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto/Getty Today’s artificial intelligence (AI) systems can’t beat humans on long tasks, but they’re improving at a rapid pace and could close the gap sooner than many anticipated, according to an analysis of leading models1. METR, a non-profit organization in Berkeley, California, created…

Download the Nature Podcast 19 March 2025 In this episode: 00:46 Microsatellite makes messaging secure A tiny satellite has enabled quantum-encrypted information to be sent between China and South Africa, the farthest distance yet achieved for quantum communication. Using a laser-based system, a team in the city of Hefei was able to beam a ‘secret…

Download the Nature Podcast 19 March 2025 In this episode: 00:46 Microsatellite makes messaging secure A tiny satellite has enabled quantum-encrypted information to be sent between China and South Africa, the farthest distance yet achieved for quantum communication. Using a laser-based system, a team in the city of Hefei was able to beam a ‘secret…

Abstract Light-matter interactions are frequently perceived as predominantly influenced by the electric field, with the magnetic component of light often overlooked. Nonetheless, the magnetic field plays a pivotal role in various optical processes, including chiral light-matter interactions, photon-avalanching, and forbidden photochemistry, underscoring the significance of manipulating magnetic processes in optical phenomena. Here, we explore the…

“How did she get to be such a good sprinter?” Another parent may ask you about your child. You might respond, laughing, “She didn’t get those genes from us!”  Another parent, about their own talented kid, might say, “I did cross-country in college, and my husband did sprinting in high school!”  In philosophy, theology, psychology,…

Controlling nature by bulldozing dirt and pouring concrete has long been the guiding vision of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For 250 years that ethos inspired both awe and disgust. “In my science training, the Army Corps destroyed everything. They’re the enemy,” says geomorphologist Julie Beagle, who spent much of her early career working…

Denver Museum of Nature and Science to begin second phase of East Wing Project in April Skip to content

A gripping title can entice more people to read — and cite — scholarly papers. Credit: Harold M. Lambert/Lambert/Getty From ‘Envy, inequality and fertility’ to ‘Market size, trade and productivity’, using catchy three-part phrases in the titles of research papers can boost their citations, suggests a study. The study used algorithms to examine more than…

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science on Friday announced it received the largest gift in its history and it plans to use the money on a “remarkable transformation.” The museum said it is launching a new East Wing Project thanks to a $20 million gift from the Sturm Family Foundation. “This project will rejuvenate…

Various plants, herbs, and substances are being called “nature’s Ozempic,” usually because of anecdotal evidence or small studies that show weight loss. For example, berberine, a compound found in barberry bushes, is the “natural Ozempic” of the moment because some small studies suggest it could help with weight loss. Green tea may also curb appetites,…