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In this illustration of the experimental set-up, two rubidium atoms are suspended in a vacuum chamber and illuminated by the faintest of lights. The result is recorded with a highly sensitive camera depicted as a screen. (Courtesy of Wolfgang Ketterle, Vitaly Fedoseev, Hanzhen Lin, Yu-Kun Lu, Yoo Kyung Lee, and Jiahao Lyu)
Researchers have fine-tuned one of the most iconic experiments in physics — the double-slit experiment — using two single atoms as the slits. A photon fired at the atoms is scattered in a version of the familiar pattern that has graced a thousand physics textbooks: ripples of interference in some conditions (in this case, when the atoms were trapped in well-defined positions) or no interference (when they were not). The experiment once again shows how light behaves as both a particle and a wave, while negating some of the concerns about experimental ‘noise’ that worried Albert Einstein. “I think this is a beautiful experiment and a testament to how far our experimental control has come,” says physicist Thomas Hird. “This probably far surpasses what Einstein could have imagined possible.”
Reference: Physical Review Letters paper
Paralvinella hessleri — a worm that lives around hydrothermal vents on the floor of the Pacific Ocean — uses a unique chemical trick to withstand the toxic arsenic and sulfide compounds in its environment. The worm accumulates arsenic in its skin cells, which reacts with sulfide to form clumps of the biomineral orpiment. Orpiment is still toxic, but much less so than either of its precursors alone, so the worm can tolerate it. The reaction also has an aesthetic effect — orpiment is bright yellow, which gives P. hessleri a sunny hue that’s unique in its dark environment.
Reference: PLOS Biology paper
Wild bees selectively visit flowers with pollen that suits their nutritional needs. Ecologists who studied eight species of wild bumblebees over eight years found that bees fell into two dietary niches: one that preferred protein-light pollen that’s high in carbohydrates and fat; and one that opted for high-protein, low-carb meals. On an individual level, they found that bees also change their pollen of choice as their colonies grow.
Reference: Proceedings of the Royal Society B paper
Features & opinion
A claim by US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr that “an environmental toxin” is responsible for autism has worried many researchers and autism groups, who say it seems to ignore what’s already known about the condition. Decades of research suggests that genetics plays a huge part, although parental age, infections during pregnancy and a string of other environmental factors have also been linked to autism. “There will never be a sound-bite answer to what causes autism,” says psychologist Helen Tager-Flusberg. Meanwhile, the increasing prevalence of autism is predominantly caused by an increase in diagnoses rather than a true rise in underlying traits.
Across all forms of life, the move from being single-celled to multicellular seems to have happened dozens of times — for animals, though, the jump was one-and-done. The unique cocktail of environmental and genetic factors that helped animal ancestors make that jump still eludes our understanding. To investigate, researchers are focussing on unicellular organisms that ‘dabble’ in multicellularity, occasionally forming colonies of many cells. By studying these organisms as they flit between the two states, scientists are hoping to illuminate how multicellularity stuck in animals — and what sparked the single successful event that gave rise to the animal kingdom.
Beyond its value to the public, what’s in it for you when it comes to engaging in public-facing science communication? Neuroscientist Nicole Rust turns to a theory of decisionmaking, called reinforcement learning, to provide an answer. Extended accounts of reinforcement learning say that we make decisions not just for external rewards but also because of intrinsic motivations, such as curiosity. Ultimately, this approach can actually give you a leg-up over your exclusively externally reward-driven counterparts: reframing a topic to make it more accessible can also help you “generate different and more profound ideas”, argues Rust. And it can be joyful. “It replenishes my awe and wonder,” she says.
Nature Reviews Neuroscience | 8 min read
Image of the week
Using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, researchers have snapped the sharpest-ever images of the Sun’s corona during a powerful solar flare. The images, taken in August 2024, reveal the smallest coronal loops — arches of plasma that follow the lines of the Sun’s magnetic field — we’ve ever been able to observe. Mapping the Sun’s atmosphere at such high resolution could enable physicists to better model solar weather events that can interfere with communications technology. (Space.com | 5 min read)
Reference: The Astrophysical Journal Letters paper (NSF/NSO/AURA)
Today I’m tipping my hat to PhD student Jeremy Lockwood, who has just discovered a new species of dinosaur — after retiring from a long career as a family doctor. “I don’t play golf and I don’t like gardening much,” explained Lockwood in a 2022 interview. And he says his medical training has helped him spot things about fossils that others might miss. “I’ve found quite nasty fractures in some bones, and possibly tumours.”
While I ponder how newsletter-writing might contribute to my post-retirement success (or whether to just take up golf), why not send me your feedback on this edition? Your e-mails are always welcome at [email protected].
Thanks for reading,
Flora Graham, senior editor, Nature Briefing
With contributions by Jacob Smith
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