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Articles by Dan Fox
Why did ancient humans avoid this lush paradise
Stone and water governed early human settlement of the desert The Rub’ al Khali is the world’s largest sand sea, covering almost a third of the Arabian peninsula. The desert, whose name translates to The Empty Quarter, was once part of the lush savannah known as ‘Green Arabia’ – the periodic blooming of the region as ice age climatic shifts brought more rainfall. Evidence of ancient humans abounds in the regions around the desert, but an expedition into the interior has returned empty handed.
Was art key to ancient humans' success? The secrets of Hohle Fels cave
40,000-year-old bird carvings provide clues to how ice age humans flourished Two tiny bird figurines have been uncovered at Hohle Fels in Germany, carved out of ivory by ancient humans. This cave has produced some of the world's oldest figurative art, crafted around 40,000 years ago. Excavation leader Nicholas Conard talks us through the new finds and asks what pieces like these tell us about our ancient relatives and their success.
This supernova is too bright – now astronomers might know why
Supernovae are colossal explosions triggered as ancient stars come to the end of their lives. Scientists have done huge amounts of work to identify and understand these cosmic fireworks but, in the last 20 years or so, astronomers have spotted some supernovae that don’t make sense.
The surprising science of squeaky sneakers
It’s not just shoes that squeak when they slide over a hard surface. Bike brakes, rubber tyres, even some biomedical implants such as artificial hips have been known to squeal as soft and hard surfaces come into contact with each other. Read the paper: Squeaking at soft–rigid frictional interfaces So to better understand exactly what is causing these noises, a team of researchers have used high speed photography to capture a rubber block sliding across a hard acrylic sheet.
How earthquakes and lightning help explain squeaky sneakers
Download the Nature Podcast 25 February 2026 In this episode: 00:44 The science of squeaky shoes Research Article : Djellouli et al. Basketball sound effects via Bradley Kanaris/Getty. 09:05 Research Highlights Nature: Runaway black hole leaves a trail of stars Nature: Super-sticky feet help a robot to climb the walls 11:31 Evidence of hippocampal neurogenesis Research Article: Disouky et al.
This robot hand detaches and walks by itself
Human hands are incredibly dexterous tools — but they have their limits. They are asymmetric, they have only a single thumb and, fundamentally, they’re connected to our arms. Read the paper: A detachable crawling robotic hand But none of that poses a problem for this robot claw.
This shapeshifting polymer was inspired by octopus skin
Researchers have developed a material that can change colour and texture on command, inspired by the shape-shifting camouflage of some cephalapods. Read the paper: Soft photonic skins with dynamic texture and colour control The team use a beam of electrons to draw designs onto a polymer which is then exposed to water. When wet, the polymer swells and reveals the textures patterned into it with the electron beam.
The Nature Podcast highlights of 2025
Download the Nature Podcast 24 December 2025 In this episode: 00:40 What a trove of potato genomes reveals about the humble spud Researchers have created a ‘pangenome’ containing the genomes of multiple potato types, something they believe can help make it easier to breed and sequence new varieties.
These laser-cut discs turn into super precise parachutes
This is a new type of parachute designed using the principles of kirigami – the art of transforming paper into 3D designs with cuts and folds. It starts as a flat disc, then deploys into a spring-like 3D cone as air flows through it. Read the paper: Kirigami-inspired parachutes with programmable reconfiguration Instead of being buffeted by the wind, multiple slits allow the kirigami parachute to fall more accurately than conventional designs.
Why is autism really on the rise? What the science says
Autism is rising. Or at least that’s how it looks. But is it really increasing? And if so, why? Autism is on the rise: what’s really behind the increase? US president Donald Trump has claimed — controversially — that use of acetaminophen, or paracetamol, during pregnancy is linked to autism. But there’s already been decades of research on the condition. So, what does the science say?
Tiny flier could soar through the mesosphere powered only by light
Read the paper: Photophoretic flight of perforated structures in near-space conditions Researchers have used a phenomenon called thermal transpiration to create a solar powered flying device that could one day carry sensors and communication equipment high in the mesosphere. Because these devices can fly in any low-pressure environment, the team think that in future it could even be used to collect data in the thin atmosphere of Mars.
The real problems with America's health
Nature Video 06 August 2025 We dive into the data behind the United States' poor health. You have full access to this article via your institution. How to make America healthy: the real problems — and best fixes Robert F Kennedy Jr. wants to make America healthy again. But how unhealthy is the United States? We take a look at some of the key figures and see how the US compares to other countries when it comes to life expectancy, early deaths and chronic disease.
Three tips for talking to a vaccine sceptic
Doubts about vaccines are on the rise worldwide and this shift in public attitudes can leave many feeling disheartened. How to speak to a vaccine sceptic: research reveals what works So what should you say to someone who has doubts? Fortunately, a surge of research on vaccine hesitancy over the past decade is starting to offer some answers. So here are three tips for talking to people who are hesitant about vaccinations.
How quickly do humans mutate? Four generations help answer the question
Nature Video 08 May 2025 DNA sequencing of a family from children to great-grandparents reveals more mutations than previously seen. You have full access to this article via your institution. Human de novo mutation rates from a four-generation pedigree reference The DNA of each child that is born contains entirely new mutations, not found in either of their parents.
This is not the new colour that scientists have created
The colours we see are interpreted by our brains based on signals from different types of cells in our eyes. So what if you could activate those cells without any ‘real’ colour existing at all? Brand-new colour created by tricking human eyes with laser Scientists have used laser light to activate a specific type of cone cell in the retina and create the perception of a colour that falls way outside the spectrum of what humans can normally see.
An origami design for metamaterial robots
Modular chiral origami metamaterials Mechanical metamaterials are structures carefully designed to give rise to unique or unusual physical properties. Now a team has taken inspiration from origami to create a modular metamaterial system. These units couple twisting movement with compression or expansion, and by combining these modules in different ways the researchers behind this work have found applications across a range of fields, from lightweight dancing robots to mechanical computing.
Record-breaking neutrino detected by huge underwater telescope
Download the Nature Podcast 12 February 2025 In this episode: 00:45 An elusive, cosmic neutrino with a record-breaking energy An enormous array of detectors, deep under the Mediterranean Sea, has captured evidence of the highest-energy neutrino particle ever recorded, although researchers aren’t sure exactly where in the cosmos it originated. Calculations revealed this particle had over 30 times the energy of previously detected neutrinos.
‘Aqua tweezers’ manipulate particles with water waves
Scientists often use waves to control elements of their experiments. Optical tweezers, for example, use waves of light to trap and manipulate individual molecules, while sound waves can be used to control larger particles. But little research has been done to understand if water-waves can be used in a similar manner.
Grand Canyons on the Moon
The Schrödinger impact crater sits near to the Moon’s south pole. Sprouting off it are two canyons — called Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck — each comparable in size to the Grand Canyon here on Earth. These were formed when debris, thrown up by a meteor or comet hitting the Moon, crashed back into the surface. Now, analysis suggests that these high-energy streams of rock could have excavated the canyons in under ten minutes.
Countdown to a nuclear clock: a three minute guide
Precise timekeeping helps us in our daily lives: from pinpointing your precise location with GPS to synchronising financial deals to the millisecond, and physicists are also seeking ever more accurate measurements of time, as super-accurate clocks could help make planet-sized telescopes, hunt for dark matter or even monitor the shape of the planet from the air.
What were some of the biggest stories of 2024? Join us for the Nature Podcast quiz!
In this year's festive game, our contestants must stretch their memories to correctly answer questions about some of the year's biggest science stories. Play along and see if you can beat them, as we go back through how to detect AI-generated text, what happened to some mouse offspring and which direction turtles swim when hatching. Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Never miss an episode.
Watch this bird-inspired drone leap into the air
Meet RAVEN, the Robotic Avian-inspired Vehicle for multiple ENvironments. Researchers took inspiration from avian anatomy to design this drone, equipped with lightweight, bird-like legs that allow it to walk, hop and even leap into the air and take flight.
Why build a muon collider: a three minute guide
How do you solve a problem like dark matter? Or explain why the Universe is built the way it is? For physicists, there’s been one answer that has worked for nearly one hundred years - take two particles and smash them together as hard as you can. But the current generation of massive colliders like the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, haven’t produced the flood of new particles some scientists were expecting.
Uncovering a lost mountain metropolis
An isolated plateau in the highlands of southeastern Uzbekistan in Central Asia, looks like an expanse of rolling hills. But look closer and a shard of pottery or the stony remnant of an ancient wall might hint at an archaeological secret hidden for hundreds of years. Read the paper: Large-scale medieval urbanism traced by UAV–lidar in highland Central Asia Now a team of archaeologists have used drone-mounted LiDAR to virtually peel back the layers of sediment and vegetation.
Underwater bridge gives clues to ancient human arrival
Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic islands and the sixth-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, but despite its size and location research suggests that it was among the last Mediterranean islands to be settled by humans. But exactly when people arrived on the island is a subject of much debate, with current estimates placing it at around 4,400 years ago. However, an ancient stone bridge in a flooded cave may call that timeline into question.
The mystery of Stonehenge's central stone unearthed
Download the Nature Podcast 14 August 2024 In this episode: 00:48 The mystery of Stonehenge’s Altar Stone Stonehenge’s central stone came from Northern Scotland, more than 600 miles away from the monument, according to a new analysis of its geochemistry. It is commonly accepted that many of the rocks that make up the iconic neolithic monument came from Wales, 150 miles from the site.
This tiny solar-powered flyer weighs less than a paper plane
Researchers have overcome efficiency and power issues to create what they believe to be the lightest and smallest sunlight-powered rotorocraft in the world. Micro aerial vehicles or MAVs could have a host of applications from environmental monitoring to search and rescue. But currently, these tiny flying machines have a problem — endurance. MAVs that weigh less than 10 grams are normally limited to around 10 minutes of flying time.
Why ‘open source’ AIs could be anything but, the derailment risks of long freight trains, and breeding better wheat
Download the Nature Podcast 26 June 2024 In this episode: 00:31 How open are ‘open source’ AI systems? Many of the large language models powering AI systems are described as ‘open source’ but critics say this is a misnomer, with restricted access to code and training data preventing researchers from probing how these systems work. Although the definition of open source in AI models is yet to be agreed, advocates say that ‘full’ openness is crucial in efforts to make AI accountable.
A glass that builds and heals itself
Researchers have discovered that a peptide, when mixed with water, can self assemble into a rigid glass. Peptides are chains of amino acids, like smaller versions of proteins, and they make for attractive chemical building blocks due to their ability to self-assemble into structures with unique properties. Normally these structures are crystalline in nature — not much use if you want a glassy material.
Laser-powered bullets reveal surprising metal hardness
Conventional thinking suggests that metals soften as they warm. But this isn't always true, as researchers have succeeded in demonstrating that under extreme conditions, metals actually get harder as they get hotter. Read the paper here: Metals strengthen with increasing temperature at extreme strain rates By shooting metal targets with tiny, laser-powered projectiles, this team was able to create incredibly high strain rates.
Controlled failure: The building designed to limit catastrophe
Catastrophic building collapse can have many causes, but the outcome is all too familiar; a loss of lives and the destruction of infrastructure that can have a long lasting effect on a community. Current guidelines suggest extensive structural connectivity within a building is the best way to prevent disaster. This allows for a redistribution of weight should part of a structure be damaged. But in certain circumstances, this interconnectedness can be a building's downfall.
AI and robotics demystify the workings of a fly's wing
Machine learning and robotics have shed new light on one of the most sophisticated skeletal structures in the animal kingdom: the insect wing hinge. Read the paper: Machine learning reveals the control mechanics of an insect wing hinge Unlike birds or bats, which evolved wings by adapting existing limbs, insect wings are wholly original appendages, and understanding how the complex hinge that links the insect wing to its body works has been a challenge.
No sweat: Moisture-wicking device keeps wearable-tech dry
Wearable electronics have a sweat problem. Most electronic materials aren’t permeable, and if a device isn’t breathable, sweat can start to build up on the skin. That’s uncomfortable for the user, and not great for the device which could lose signal quality, or just fall off. Read the paper here: A three-dimensional liquid diode for soft, integrated permeable electronics Breathable electronics do exist, but the technology is in its infancy.
Bumblebees show behaviour previously thought to be unique to humans
Scientists have long accepted the existence of animal culture, be that tool use in New Caledonian crows, or Japanese macaques washing sweet potatoes. Read the paper here: Bumblebees socially learn behaviour too complex to innovate alone But one thing thought to distinguish human culture is our ability to do things too complex to work out alone — no one could have split the atom or traveled into space without relying on the years of iterative advances that came first.
‘Like a moth to a flame’ - this strange insect behaviour is finally explained
Moths love a light bulb. And it’s not just moths — all sorts of insects congregate around artificial lights at night. But what makes these lights so apparently attractive? Previous explanations have included the idea that confused insects are attempting to use the Moon to navigate, or that they’re being drawn to the heat rather than the light itself.
The Nature Podcast highlights of 2023
Download the Nature Podcast 27 December 2023 In this episode: 00:54 Franklin’s real role When it comes to the structure of DNA, everyone thinks they know Rosalind Franklin’s role in its discovery. The story goes that her crucial data was taken by James Watson without her knowledge, helping him and Francis Crick solve the structure. However, new evidence has revealed that this wasn’t really the case. Rosalind Franklin was not a ‘wronged heroine’, she was an equal contributor to the discovery.
The rubber that stops cracks in their tracks
Modern manufacturing needs stiff rubbers that can resist deformation for components like shock absorbers and drive belts. Read the paper here: Multiscale stress deconcentration amplifies fatigue resistance of rubber But the stiffer rubber becomes, the more likely it is to crack under stress, which is a tough problem for researchers; the point at which cracks begin to propagate under repeated stress, known as the fatigue threshold, has stayed the same for decades.
The 3D printer that crafts complex robotic organs in a single run
3D printing technology has made huge breakthroughs in recent years, able to quickly produce everything from small plastic components to entire buildings. But one area that remains a challenge is the construction of intricate mechanical devices which require multiple materials and moving parts.
Our ancestors lost nearly 99% of their population, 900,000 years ago
Download the Nature Podcast 06 September 2023 In this episode: 00:30 Early humans pushed to brink of extinction Around 900,000 years ago the ancestors of modern humans were pushed to the brink of extinction, according to new research. Genetic studies suggest that the breeding population of our ancestors in Africa dropped to just 1,280 and didn’t expand again for another 117,000 years.
AI finally beats humans at a real-life sport - drone racing
For the first time an AI pilot has beaten champion-level humans at drone racing. Read the paper: Champion-level drone racing using deep reinforcement learning Until now, the lighting reflexes, quick decision-making and complex planning required to race around a track at the standard of elite human racers has proved insurmountable for artificial intelligences.
Physicists finally observe strange isotope Oxygen 28 - raising fundamental questions
Download the Nature Podcast 30 August 2023 In this episode: 00:47 First observation of oxygen 28 Oxygen 28 is an isotope of oxygen with 20 neutrons and eight protons. This strange isotope has long been sought after by physicists, as its proposed unusual properties would allow them to put their theories of how atomic nuclei work to the test. Now, after decades of experiments physicists believe they have observed oxygen 28.
ChatGPT can write a paper in an hour - but there are downsides
Save citation to file Format: Add to My Bibliography Your saved search Name of saved search: Search terms: Frequency: Which day? Which day? Report format: Send at most: Send even when there aren't any new results Optional text in email: Create a file for external citation management software
ChatGPT can write a paper in an hour - but there are downsides Original
Your browser does not support the audio element. In this episode: 00:23 Using ChatGPT to generate a research paper from scratch A pair of scientists have produced a research paper in less than an hour with the help of the generative artificial intelligence (AI) ChatGPT. The aim of this exercise was to explore the technology’s ability to act as a research ‘co-pilot’ and spark debate about its use.
Health policy under the microscope: a micro policy design perspective
1. Introduction The national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and the different strategies adopted by governments to promote vaccination campaigns have made it clear how crucial policy tools are. Often, it is not so much (or not only) the policy objectives that differentiate the strategies adopted in different countries but rather the policy instruments selected (and combined) to pursue the desired goal.
Neurotech DIY: fixing your own implant
In 2013 Markus Möllmann-Bohle was fitted with an electronic implant to treat debilitating cluster headaches. Six years later the manufacturer ceased trading and Markus was left to maintain his device by himself. In this film, we hear his story. Abandoned: the human cost of neurotechnology failure The multi-billion dollar neurotechnology market is predicted to expand by around 75% in the coming years.
‘Touch-taste’: how the octopus repurposed its nervous system to hunt
Octopuses hunt for prey in cracks and crevices along the seabed using ‘taste-by-touch‘ - the ability to detect chemical signals simply by touching them. Now researchers have identified the molecular makeup of a chemo-tactile receptor that makes this possible. In this film we explore the surprising origins of this receptor, and ask whether molecular evolution can explain octopuses’ unique behaviours. Research article: Research article:
The race to make a variant-proof COVID vaccine
Billions of people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 - an effort which has saved more than 20 million lives. But as variants of the virus keep evolving, vaccine developers are working on dozens of new ‘next-generation’ COVID-19 vaccines in the hopes of keeping up with the ever-changing threat. In this film, we explore some of the leading designs, platforms and delivery methods of the COVID vaccines of tomorrow.
The Nature Podcast’s highlights of 2022 Original
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Your browser does not support the audio element. In this episode: 00:53 How virtual meetings can limit creative ideas In April, we heard how a team investigated whether switching from face-to-face to virtual meetings came at a cost to creativity. They showed that people meeting virtually produced fewer creative ideas than those working face-to-face, and suggest that when it comes to idea generation maybe it’s time to turn the camera off.
By Benjamin Thompson Verified, Shamini Bundell Verified, Nick J. Howe, Dan Fox, Elizabeth Gibney Verified
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Nature
Verified
Artificial embryos: the hidden steps in forming a spine
Somitogenesis is the process by which segmented body structures like vertebrae form in embryos. While the process is well understood in animals like mice or zebrafish it is difficult to study in humans. But now, researchers have created a model embryo capable of undergoing somitogenesis, using pluripotent stem cells, called an axioloid. The researchers hope that this new platform will allow them to better study human development and the diseases that can arise when it is disrupted.
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