Science
Top UK scientist says research visa restrictions endanger economy
Prof Sir Paul Nurse says the UK is "shooting itself in the foot" with its visa system for researchers.
These are a few of my favourite sounds: Books in brief
Nature, Published online: 05 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03996-4Andrew Robinson reviews five of the best science picks.
Hepatitis B vaccine guidance set to be rolled back for US babies: what the science says
Nature, Published online: 05 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03937-1A panel of US vaccine advisers voted to rescind a recommendation that all newborns should receive a hepatitis B vaccine at birth.
The Indian Ocean disaster is a climate tragedy â and needs more attention
Nature, Published online: 05 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03973-xA region unused to tropical cyclones has had three in a week. The world needs to ask why this happened, not look away.
AI is saving time and money in research â but at what cost?
Nature, Published online: 05 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03936-2Artificial intelligence tools are boosting researchersâ productivity, but some worry about the effect of a growing reliance on them.
Science
Male human heads found in a 'skull pit' in an ancient Chinese city hint at sex-specific sacrifice rituals
A genetic study of 80 skulls found at a Stone Age city in China has revealed that the sacrificed people were mostly men, in contrast to previous assumptions.
NASA Selects 2 Instruments for Artemis IV Lunar Surface Science
NASA has selected two science instruments designed for astronauts to deploy on the surface of the Moon during the Artemis IV mission to the lunar south polar region. The instruments will improve our knowledge of the lunar environment to support NASAâs further exploration of the Moon and beyond to Ma
Science
Geminids 2025: The year's best meteor shower is coming, with a second shower hot on its tail
The Geminid meteor shower has begun. The Geminids peak overnight on Dec. 13 and 14, when up to 150 "shooting stars" per hour will rain down on Earth in a moonless night sky.
NASAâs Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Completed
Two technicians look up at NASAâs Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope after its inner and outer segments were connected at the agencyâs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland on Nov. 25, 2025. This marked the end of Romanâs construction. After final testing, the telescope will move to the
NASA Sets Coverage for Astronaut Jonny Kim, Crewmates Return
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, is preparing to depart the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft and return to Earth. Kim, Ryzhikov, and Zubritsky will undock from the stationâs Prichal module at 8:41 p.m. ES
Science
Volcanic eruption may have triggered Europe's deadly Black Death plague
A volcanic eruption may have set off a chain reaction that led to Europe's deadliest pandemic.
Science
Preventing infections in older people is hit and miss, says Englandâs chief medic
Chris Whitty contrasts systematic approach in children and calls for more research into managing infections in elderlyThe medical profession must do more to prevent and manage infections in elderly people as the current methods are âhit and missâ, the chief medical officer for England has said.Writi
NASA-JAXA XRISM Finds Elemental Bounty in Supernova Remnant
For the first time, scientists have made a clear X-ray detection of chlorine and potassium in the wreckage of a star using data from the Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) spacecraft. The Resolve instrument aboard XRISM, pronounced âcrism,â discovered these elements in a supern
Science
NASA Completes Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Construction
NASAâs next big eye on the cosmos is now fully assembled. On Nov. 25, technicians joined the inner and outer portions of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in the largest clean room at the agencyâs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. âCompleting the Roman observatory brings us to
Astronomers find a planet orbiting at a wild angle no one can explain
A network of powerful ground-based telescopes captured rare starspot-crossing events on TOI-3884b, revealing cooler patches on the starâs surface and rapid changes tied to its rotation. By combining multicolor transit observations with months of high-cadence brightness monitoring, researchers nailed
3.3 billion-year-old crystals reveal a shockingly active early Earth
Fresh evidence suggests early Earth wasnât locked under a rigid stagnant lid but was already experiencing intense subduction. Ancient melt inclusions and advanced simulations point to continents forming far earlier than expected. The findings overturn long-held assumptions about the planetâs infancy
Simple nutrient mix delivers surprising autism breakthrough in mice
A low-dose mix of zinc, serine, and branched-chain amino acids boosted neural function and social behavior in autism mouse models. The combination restored more typical synaptic protein patterns and reduced excessive amygdala activity. Individual supplements had no effect, showing that the nutrients
Science
Earthquake of 3.3 magnitude rattles Lancashire and Lake District
Residents report homes shaking from quake with epicentre near the village of Silverdale in LancashireResidents were shaken by what felt like an âunderground explosionâ after Englandâs strongest earthquake in two years affected towns and villages across Lancashire and Cumbria.A 3.3-magnitude earthqua
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âOne bite and he was hookedâ: from Kenya to Nepal, how parents are battling ultra-processed foods
Five families around the world share their struggles to keep their children away from UPFsParents and young people: share your concerns about ultra-processed foods (UPFs)The scourge of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is global. While their consumption is particularly high in the west, forming more than
âIncredibleâ carved canoe dates back to first settlement of islands near New Zealand
Fibers found on waka in Chatham Islands roughly align in age with earliest known human arrival