You have full access to this article via your institution.
Hello Nature readers, would you like to get this Briefing in your inbox free every day? Sign up here.
Thousands of paper documents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s meteorological archives are now being digitized.Credit: Derrick Muheki/INERA DRC
Crucial climate questions are spurring researchers to tap into vast repositories of handwritten weather records languishing in archives all over the world. For example, climate scientist Derrick Muheki spent two months scanning thousands of pages of weather logs in a remote weather station in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and his MeteoSaver machine-learning tool was able to transcribe 90% of the contents. The resulting data will provide crucial information about how conditions have changed over time in the world’s second largest rainforest. Another group is working to digitize thousands of logbooks from Danish ships from the 1800s covering the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.
Material deep inside Earth — thousands of kilometres down, near the planet’s core — has undergone a mysterious shift. Scientists spotted signs of the change in measurements of the planet’s gravity, recorded around 2007 by the US–German GRACE satellites. Researchers think that the movement could be linked to a type of mineral called a perovskite, in rocks near the bottom of Earth’s mantle, that changed its structural configuration in response to the crushing pressures deep inside the planet.
Reference: Geophysical Research Letters paper
A map of the mesh-like nervous system of a comb jelly — one of the oldest animals around, evolutionarily speaking — reveals how Mnemiopsis leidyi orients itself in the briny deep. The study shows how brain-mapping techniques can be used on “some of the weirder nervous systems”, says neurobiologist and biophysicist John Tuthill, who was the reviewing editor of the paper. “That’s a really effective way to kind of do comparative neuroscience.”
A new connectome suggests that similar neural circuits evolved in very different animals — comb jellies and marine segmented worms — to control the little hair-like cilia that they wave to orient themselves. It’s “a fascinating example of how neural circuits may convergently evolve to solve common sensorimotor challenges”, write the study’s authors. (Courtesy of Kei Jokura)
Features & opinion
By studying the vocalizations of primates, birds and whales, researchers have spotted features of animal communication once thought unique to human language. To probe deeper, some researchers are turning to artificial intelligence tools to explore whether we can infer meaning from such communications. Their research raises a tantalizing question: if we can decode the ‘language’ of animals, could we one day talk back? If it’s possible, there are ethical issues to iron out, such as the impact it could have on animals’ behaviour, say researchers.
In the past decade, the arrival of anti-amyloid therapies has provided hope for people diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. These drugs can slow the accumulation of amyloid-β in the brain — one of the hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer’s. But despite their promise, the drugs have been mired in controversy. They come with a considerable risk of serious side effects such as brain swelling and bleeding, and there’s still a question mark over whether their effect slows the cognitive decline associated with the disease.
This article is part of Innovations In Alzheimer’s Disease, an editorially independent supplement published in Scientific American and Nature produced with financial support from Eisai Inc.
The Breakthrough Starshot project launched with blinding scientific starpower: astronaut Mae Jemison and cosmologist Stephen Hawking were among the luminaries on stage for the announcement in 2016. Its goal was even more lofty: A US$100-million proof-of-concept for an interstellar trip to our neighbouring star system Alpha Centauri. Now, scientists say that the project has gone quiet and it’s not known how much of billionaire tech-investor Yuri Milner’s money materialized. Nevertheless, say participants, the dream lives on. “Breakthrough changed society’s conception of this kind of stuff as a legitimate area of scientific inquiry,” says roboticist Zachary Manchester, who was involved from the beginning.
Scientific American | 19 min read
Read more: The Starshot story reveals the risks of relying on wealthy patrons to progress science, argues David M. Ewalt, the editor in chief of Scientific American. (5 min read)
Today I’m delighted to hear that a museum has acquired a treasure trove of scientific items, including Rosalind Franklin’s original Photo 51, the X-ray diffraction image made in 1952 that launched our understanding of the structure of DNA. The collection has a jaw-dropping history involving a conman who posed as a neuroscientist, and years spent in obscurity in a vault overseen by high-profile geneticist J. Craig Venter.
While I plot a future pilgrimage to the Science History Institute in Philadelphia, why not send me your feedback on this newsletter? Your e-mails are always welcome at [email protected].
Thanks for reading,
Flora Graham, senior editor, Nature Briefing
With contributions by Jacob Smith
• Nature Briefing: Careers — insights, advice and award-winning journalism to help you optimize your working life
• Nature Briefing: Microbiology — the most abundant living entities on our planet — microorganisms — and the role they play in health, the environment and food systems
• Nature Briefing: Anthropocene — climate change, biodiversity, sustainability and geoengineering
• Nature Briefing: AI & Robotics — 100% written by humans, of course
• Nature Briefing: Cancer — a weekly newsletter written with cancer researchers in mind
• Nature Briefing: Translational Research — covers biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma
