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RNA viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, constantly exhibit new mutations.Credit: Steve Gschmeissner/SPL
A growing number of research groups are using artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the evolution of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. If scientists can predict how a virus will mutate, they can, in theory, design vaccines and antiviral treatments in advance. So far, AI can predict which single mutations in a virus will be most beneficial, but it falls far short of predicting combinations of mutations and their long-term effects. It’s extremely difficult, but the field is “a really exciting and very useful area of research,” says computational biologist Brian Hie.
NASA has once again delayed its decision regarding how to bring back from Mars the rocks collected by its Perseverance rover. The agency said it would explore two options, one using NASA’s well-tested technology and another relying on systems developed by private aerospace companies. Costs for either option range from about $6 billion to $7 billion — an improvement on previous estimates of $11 billion, but still a struggle for the cash-strapped agency. The final decision is not expected until the end of 2026.
There was so much lead in the air during the old Pax Romana period that it may have caused cognitive decline in people across Europe. The smelting of silver from the mineral galena, a widespread industry during the time of the Roman Empire, released lead in the form of gas. By combining data from ice cores, which can serve as a record of pollution over time, with historical climate information, researchers found that the amount of lead Romans may have had in their blood during their childhood , from air pollution, could have caused an average drop of 2.5 to 3 IQ points.
Science | 5 minutes of reading
Reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences paper
Features and reviews
The evidence is piling up Adventurous play with an element of risk is crucial for children. Despite this, for many families, risky gambling is now more restricted than ever. The key, advocates say, is to help children set and push their own limits. “Most people assume I would be against risky play,” says Pamela Fuselli, president of a nonprofit injury prevention organization. “But the benefits are so broad in terms of social, physical, mental development and mental health that I don’t think we can underestimate the value of it.”
Nature | 11 minutes of reading
A century ago, a breathtaking wave of innovation (or was it particles?) swept through physics. It started with concerns about the orbits used to explain the movement of electrons in atoms – but quantum theory ended up disrupting reality itselfwrites science historian Kristian Camilleri. As we enter the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, quantum technologies are the basis of everything from transistors to MRI scanners. But “the quantum revolution still has work to do” said one Nature editorial.
Nature | 11 minutes of reading & Nature | 6 minutes of reading
Our appetite for caviar has contributed to plummeting sturgeon populations in the wild. A patchwork of bans in the 2000s kept this delicacy off the menu for most, but now aquaculture — and social media influencers — are bringing it back to the table. Soviet scientists developed captive breeding techniques for slow-growing, long-lived fishand Soviet-born scientist Sergei Doroshov introduced sturgeon farming to North America. “It is likely that there are more Russian sturgeons on farms than in the entire Caspian wilderness,” writes seafood and environmental writer Paul Greenberg.
Today I am enjoying the news that sponges sneeze, thanks to four years of monitoring a Suberites concinnus nicknamed “Belinda” which lives in the crystal clear waters of Barkley Sound in British Columbia, Canada. “But it’s a slow sneeze,” explains the spongiologist and study co-author Sally Leys. “For Belinda, it’s like a day.” Along with the slow expulsion of debris, Belinda and her squishy brethren also contract into a smaller, dormant state in winter and perform other movements that are not obvious to our ephemeral minds. “I was blown away by how active he was,” Leys says. “This thing was bouncing up and down and doing all sorts of things.”
As I continue to gradually emerge from my own winter dormancy, why not kick off your comments on this newsletter? Bounce back to my inbox at briefing@nature.com.
Thanks for reading,
Flora Graham, Editor, Nature Briefing
With contributions from Jacob Smith
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