Science & technology
The 2024 Nobel prizes
AI researchers receive the Nobel prize for physics
The award, to Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield, stretches the definition of the field
The 2024 Nobel prizes
A Nobel prize for the discovery of micro-RNA
These tiny molecules regulate genes and control how cells develop and behave
Sound of mind
AI offers an intriguing new way to diagnose mental-health conditions
Models look for sound patterns undetectable by the human ear
So much hot air
Why it’s so hard to tell which climate policies actually work
Better tools are needed to analyse their effects
Island life
Isolated communities are more at risk of rare genetic diseases
The isolation can be geographic or cultural
On the fly
An adult fruit fly brain has been mapped—human brains could follow
For now, it is the most sophisticated connectome ever made
CAR-T therapy
Immune therapy shows promise for asthma, heart disease—and even ageing
Making treatment quick and affordable will be the challenge
Water, water everywhere
New technologies can spot pesky leaks in water pipelines
Across Europe, nearly a quarter of water goes to waste
Extra extra mature
The world’s oldest cheese sheds light on ancient Chinese culture
What genetic analysis of a 3,500-year-old sour goat’s cheese from Xinjiang reveals
Energy storage
New battery designs could lead to gains in power and capacity
Researchers are looking beyond the cathode
The mother of invention
China’s AI firms are cleverly innovating around chip bans
Tweaks to software blunt the shortage of powerful hardware