A scientist’s legacy is defined not only by their research but also by their teaching. Stronger efforts should be made to preserve and celebrate the exposition of physics at all levels.

Within the Hartree atomic unit systems, the Schrödinger equation becomes parameter free. But there’s more to it than making a student’s life easier, as Gordon Drake and Eite Tiesinga recount.

The latest science news, in brief.

Hear the biggest stories from the world of science | 03 December 2020

A condition whose impact goes far beyond adverse reactions.

Norway's prime minister reveals plans to protect the world's oceans | 02 December 2020

The rate of the triple-α reaction that forms 12C affects1,2 the synthesis of heavy elements in the Ga–Cd range in proton-rich neutrino-driven outflows of core-collapse supernovae3,4,5. Initially, these outflows contain only protons and neutrons; these later combine to form α particles, then 12C nuclei via the triple-α reaction, and eventually heavier nuclei as the material expands and cools. Previous

Artificial intelligence tasks across numerous applications require accelerators for fast and low-power execution. Optical computing systems may be able to meet these domain-specific needs but, despite half a century of research, general-purpose optical computing systems have yet to mature into a practical technology. Artificial intelligence inference, however, especially for visual computing applications

Cratons record the early history of continental lithosphere formation, yet how they became the most enduring part of the lithosphere on Earth remains unknown1. Here we propose a mechanism for the formation of large volumes of melt-depleted cratonic lithospheric mantle (CLM) and its evolution to stable cratons. Numerical models show large decompression melting of a hot, early Earth mantle beneath a

The standard model of particle physics is remarkably successful because it is consistent with (almost) all experimental results. However, it fails to explain dark matter, dark energy and the imbalance between matter and antimatter in the Universe. Because discrepancies between standard-model predictions and experimental observations may provide evidence of new physics, an accurate evaluation of these

Efficiently navigating a superpressure balloon in the stratosphere1 requires the integration of a multitude of cues, such as wind speed and solar elevation, and the process is complicated by forecast errors and sparse wind measurements. Coupled with the need to make decisions in real time, these factors rule out the use of conventional control techniques2,3. Here we describe the use of reinforcement

Ageing is a degenerative process that leads to tissue dysfunction and death. A proposed cause of ageing is the accumulation of epigenetic noise that disrupts gene expression patterns, leading to decreases in tissue function and regenerative capacity1,2,3. Changes to DNA methylation patterns over time form the basis of ageing clocks4, but whether older individuals retain the information needed to restore

Delirium is very common on COVID wards. Researchers are testing whether these temporary bouts of confusion could bring on permanent cognitive decline.

The two technologies might ultimately bring an end to ‘may contain’ food labels, which consumers find confusing.

‘Reprogramming’ approach seems to makes old cells young again.

‘Itch-proof’ cosmetics, keeping inflammation-causing T cells in check, and other highlights from allergy and immunology studies.

Precise measurement of a fundamental physical constant.

An unusual reaction to mammalian meat is challenging the immunological understanding of allergies.

Why I put my political will behind knowledge to benefit the ocean and humanity.

Researchers are looking beyond allergen immunotherapy to help people whose pets make them sneeze.

Resetting the methylation clock rejuvenates old retinal ganglion cells.

Researchers and officials reveal how the pandemic has shifted the country’s scientific landscape and global reputation.

Early disruptions in the composition of the gut microbiome can directly influence digestive and immune function in ways that put children at greater risk.

Ten researchers with expertise in virology, public health and animals will seek to answer this key question.

Unleash the ocean’s potential to boost economies sustainably while addressing climate change, food security and biodiversity.

Imaging method can identify more than a thousand different microbes.

A real-world application of reinforcement learning.

The lie of the land.

Early oral exposure to some allergenic foods is now seen as a key prevention strategy, but tackling inhalant allergies remains a challenge.

Fourteen nations have made an unprecedented and welcome commitment to use marine ecosystems sustainably. It is equally important to establish a system to hold them to account.

Bullying, anxiety and depression can have a huge impact on the lives of people with allergies and their families.

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are divided phylogenetically into six classes1,2, denoted A to F. More than 370 structures of vertebrate GPCRs (belonging to classes A, B, C and F) have been determined, leading to a substantial understanding of their function3. By contrast, there are no structures of class D GPCRs, which are found exclusively in fungi where they regulate survival and reproduction

Photosynthetic reaction centres harvest the energy content of sunlight by transporting electrons across an energy-transducing biological membrane. Here we use time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography1 using an X-ray free-electron laser2 to observe light-induced structural changes in the photosynthetic reaction centre of Blastochloris viridis on a timescale of picoseconds. Structural perturbations

Sleep remains a major mystery of biology, with little understood about its basic function. One of the most commonly proposed functions of sleep is the consolidation of memory1,2,3. However, as conditions such as starvation require the organism to be awake and active4, the ability to switch to a memory consolidation mechanism that is not contingent on sleep may confer an evolutionary advantage. Here

Animal behaviours that are superficially similar can express different intents in different contexts, but how this flexibility is achieved at the level of neural circuits is not understood. For example, males of many species can exhibit mounting behaviour towards same- or opposite-sex conspecifics1, but it is unclear whether the intent and neural encoding of these behaviours are similar or different

Mapping the complex biogeography of microbial communities in situ with high taxonomic and spatial resolution poses a major challenge because of the high density1 and rich diversity2 of species in environmental microbiomes and the limitations of optical imaging technology3,4,5,6. Here we introduce high-phylogenetic-resolution microbiome mapping by fluorescence in situ hybridization (HiPR-FISH), a versatile

Species that depend on membership in social groups for survival exhibit changes in neuronal gene expression and behaviour when they face restricted social interactions or isolation1,2,3. Here we show that, across the lifespan of zebrafish (Danio rerio), social isolation specifically decreased the level of transcription of pth2, the gene that encodes the vertebrate-specific neuropeptide Pth2. However

Myosin-2 is essential for processes as diverse as cell division and muscle contraction. Dephosphorylation of its regulatory light chain promotes an inactive, ‘shutdown’ state with the filament-forming tail folded onto the two heads1, which prevents filament formation and inactivates the motors2. The mechanism by which this happens is unclear. Here we report a cryo-electron microscopy structure of shutdown

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in the world, with most CVD-related deaths resulting from myocardial infarction or stroke. The main underlying cause of thrombosis and cardiovascular events is atherosclerosis, an inflammatory disease that can remain asymptomatic for long periods. There is an urgent need for therapeutic and diagnostic options in this area. Atherosclerotic

Myosin II is the motor protein that enables muscle cells to contract and nonmuscle cells to move and change shape1. The molecule has two identical heads attached to an elongated tail, and can exist in two conformations: 10S and 6S, named for their sedimentation coefficients2,3. The 6S conformation has an extended tail and assembles into polymeric filaments, which pull on actin filaments to generate

Among numerous challenges encountered at the beginning of extrauterine life, the most celebrated is the first breath that initiates a life-sustaining motor activity1. The neural systems that regulate breathing are fragile early in development, and it is not clear how they adjust to support breathing at birth. Here we identify a neuropeptide system that becomes activated immediately after birth and

Inflammasomes are important sentinels of innate immune defence that are activated in response to diverse stimuli, including pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs)1. Activation of the inflammasome provides host defence against aspergillosis2,3, which is a major health concern for patients who are immunocompromised. However, the Aspergillus fumigatus PAMPs that are responsible for inflammasome

I identify a fundamental difference between classical and quantum dynamics in the linear response regime by showing that the latter is, in general, contextual. This allows me to provide an example of a quantum engine whose favorable power output scaling unavoidably requires nonclassical effects in the form of contextuality. Furthermore, I describe contextual advantages for local metrology. Given the

We present the first analytical results for the O(ααs) corrections to the total cross section for the inclusive production of an on-shell Z boson at hadron colliders. We include the complete set of contributions, with photonic and massive weak gauge boson effects, which have been computed in analytical form and expressed in terms of polylogarithmic and elliptic integrals. We present numerical results