Experiments with mice have revealed the neuroscience of why dogs shake their wet fur.Credit: Nat NT/Getty When a dog shakes water off its fur, the action is not just a random flurry of movements — nor a deliberate effort to drench anyone standing nearby. This instinctive reflex is shared by many furry mammals including mice,…

Through the Eyes of Bubby Upton and Through the Lens of Cutting-Edge Science Edited Press Release Fairfield, CA Oct 25, 2024 – “Horses and the Science of Harmony,” produced by UK equine performance specialist Dr. Sue Dyson and US-based Kathryn Lauritzen of Padma Video is available free to watch online on YouTube and Smart TV…

Many women live with endometriosis but scientists say research into the condition is underfunded.Credit: GARO/PHANIE/Science Photo Library Pain-sensing nerves and immune cells work together to wreak havoc in endometriosis, a painful condition that affects an estimated 190 million women and girls of reproductive age. But a study in mice suggests a way to harness that…

Moving on: Donald Trump’s re-election poses challenges for science.Credit: Loren Elliott/Getty When Donald Trump was first elected to the US presidency in 2016, Nature advised scientists to constructively engage with Trump. We said that the incoming president’s contrary approach to evidence, among other things, had no place in modern society. We added that the science…

What do the brain map of the fruit fly, the location of exoplanet WASP-77 A b, the identification of antibiotic resistance in the bacterium Escherichia coli and crop security of the cassava plant (Manihot esculenta) in Uganda have in common? They are all the subjects of breakthroughs made possible by citizen scientists. Members of the…

Abstract RNAs represent a class of programmable biomolecules capable of performing diverse biological functions. Recent studies have developed accurate RNA three-dimensional structure prediction methods, which may enable new RNAs to be designed in a structure-guided manner. Here, we develop a structure-to-sequence deep learning platform for the de novo generative design of RNA aptamers. We show…

An anti-vaccination protester in New York City. Researchers are aiming to improve public trust in science by discussing uncertainty in their communications.Credit: Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket/Getty “Twenty seconds, professor, and no long words.” This is what a BBC producer once told Ian Fells, a chemical engineer at Newcastle University, UK, shortly before Fells was due to…

Carl Laflamme knew what protein he wanted to study, but not where to find it. It is encoded by a gene called C9ORF72, which is mutated in some people with the devastating neurological condition motor neuron disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. And Laflamme wanted to understand its role in the disease. When he…

Hello Nature readers, would you like to get this Briefing in your inbox free every day? Sign up here. Soon-to-be US president Donald Trump (left) and his vice-president, J.D. Vance, at an election night watch party.Credit: Evan Vucci/AP Photo/Alamy ‘We need to be ready for a new world’ Owing to Donald Trump’s anti-science rhetoric and…

Soon-to-be US president Donald Trump (left) and his vice-president, J.D. Vance, at an election night watch party.Credit: Evan Vucci/AP Photo/Alamy Scientists around the world expressed disappointment and alarm as Republican Donald Trump won the final votes needed to secure the US presidency in the early hours of 6 November. Owing to Trump’s anti-science rhetoric and…