Life
The best new science-fiction books of October 2026
From Becky Chambers to Audrey Niffenegger, there are some heavy hitters with new sci-fi novels out this month – and a he…
Life
452 articles
Life
Explainer: What is El Niño?
Every few years, a disturbance in the Pacific Ocean is amplified by feedback mechanisms in the atmosphere, unleashing he…
Life
The astonishing collective impact of household energy shifts
A subtle change in household power habits could eliminate the need to build new gas power plants, say researchers studyi…
Life
Author Correction: Proteasome-guided haem signalling axis contributes to T cell exhaustion
Nature, Published online: 29 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-11083-5Author Correction: Proteasome-guided haem sig…
Life
Urban trees in south-east England can’t cope with the changing climate
In cities such as London, trees are already struggling with hot and dry summers. Botanists warn that we need to start re…
Life
Spectacular feathered dinosaur fossil shows bird-like adaptations
An exquisitely preserved fossil found in China shows that many anatomical features seen in birds also evolved independen…
Life
Why are so many animals moving to hotter places as the world warms?
We have long expected animals to move to cooler habitats as climate change bites, but it now appears that many are actua…
Life
How will El Niño affect the world?
From Australia to California, the UK to Peru, turbulent weather is on the way…
Life
Strange and beautiful creatures spotted on the <i>Challenger</i> expedition
Nature, Published online: 29 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02972-wA genus of soil-dwelling beetle discovered in…
Life
Trustworthy science journalism is more essential than ever
As New Scientist celebrates its 70th anniversary, climate change, AI and misinformation have heightened the need for rig…
Life
PhD training should encourage ethical dissent
Nature, Published online: 29 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03053-8PhD training should encourage ethical dissent…
Life
Biodiversity protection must include language preservation
Nature, Published online: 29 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03056-5Biodiversity protection must include language…
Life
Scientists can’t stop using AI, even when forbidden from doing so
When scientists were asked to review papers for a conference without using AI tools, many of them ignored the request an…
Life
Our food system is vulnerable to El Niño, warns UK climate minister
Extreme weather could damage harvests worldwide, but the answer is more local food production, not stockpiling, Katie Wh…
Life
Embracing the glitches in gravity could give us a unified theory of reality
Physicists have long struggled with their goal of making gravity a quantum force. A radical post-quantum approach might …
Life
AI finds 3D shape that fills all space with a never-repeating pattern
A 3D shape that can tile 3D space, leaving no gaps and never forming a repeating pattern, has been discovered using an A…
Life
Why is this monster El Niño so strong?
Though the El Niño is still months from its peak, it is already breaking many records. Two main factors are behind how i…
Life
Stephen Hawking biography explores an ‘exceptionally clear, uncluttered mind’
Nature, Published online: 28 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02959-7An elegant account of the physicist’s unusual…
Life
Can you hack your brain to be ultra-productive?
An endless stream of distractions, from email notifications to overlapping deadlines, can make focus slip away. Columnis…
Life
China now leads the world in trials for next-gen CAR-T therapies
Nature, Published online: 28 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03004-3China tests these therapies faster than the r…
Life
Transplanted hearts adjust their biological age to that of their host
Nature, Published online: 28 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03043-wTracking the biological age of grafted organs…
Life
Blood test could gauge if a baby has a dangerous infection in 15 minutes
Feverish babies in hospital are often assumed to have a serious bacterial infection and are treated with antibiotics. Bu…
Life
Virtual green spaces and classical music reduce blood pressure in hospital
Watching a river flow via a virtual-reality headset while listening to classical music seems to quickly bring people's b…
Life
Briefing Chat: Why scientists made papyrus scrolls, then burnt them
Nature, Published online: 25 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03041-yNature staff discuss a technique that could h…