Author: Nature

Genetic associations with the Big Five personality traits probed in one million people

Nature, Published online: 09 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02790-0Human DNA has been linked to personality traits — how individuals think, feel and act — thus identifying hundreds of genetic variants that contribute to the tra…

Nature, Published online: 09 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02790-0

Human DNA has been linked to personality traits — how individuals think, feel and act — thus identifying hundreds of genetic variants that contribute to the traits’ moderate heritability. The pathways from DNA to personality are robust yet complex, with widespread relevance for health, wealth, work and love.

Uniform film formation helps tandem solar cells work better for longer

Nature, Published online: 09 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02709-9When making mixed-halide perovskite films for use in solar cells, bromide-rich domains crystallize faster than iodide-rich ones do, leading to defects. Adding a…

Nature, Published online: 09 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02709-9

When making mixed-halide perovskite films for use in solar cells, bromide-rich domains crystallize faster than iodide-rich ones do, leading to defects. Adding a molecule tuned to bind selectively to bromide-bound lead synchronizes the crystallization rates, yielding uniform films, better operating stability and a more-efficient perovskite–organic tandem.

Family-based analyses show how children’s genetics shape key traits

Nature, Published online: 09 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02689-wThe Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study, called MoBa, includes genetic data from around 230,000 parents and children. Using about 44,000 father–moth…

Nature, Published online: 09 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02689-w

The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study, called MoBa, includes genetic data from around 230,000 parents and children. Using about 44,000 father–mother–child trios, child and parental genetics were modelled together to estimate the effects of the children’s own genetic differences on their height, educational achievement, sleep duration and depressive symptoms.

Oddball fossils suggest that the first insects were a mixed bunch

Nature, Published online: 09 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02710-2As the most diverse class of animals, insects have dominated terrestrial ecosystems for the past 320 million years. However, the origins of this successful grou…

Nature, Published online: 09 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02710-2

As the most diverse class of animals, insects have dominated terrestrial ecosystems for the past 320 million years. However, the origins of this successful group have faded into the abysses of geological time. A collection of fossils reveals the unusual body plans and evolutionary experiments that could have contributed to the success of insects.

The Kelvin scale’s creator William Thomson made many scientific advances

Nature, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02722-yA physics pioneer who provided a new way to describe temperature, and the value of studying fossilized tracks in this week’s pick from the Nature archive.

Nature, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02722-y

A physics pioneer who provided a new way to describe temperature, and the value of studying fossilized tracks in this week’s pick from the Nature archive.

The World Bank is right to prioritize reproducibility

Nature, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02678-zThe development bank and others are starting to publish and verify the raw data and code accompanying their research-based reports and papers. Other agencies sh…

Nature, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02678-z

The development bank and others are starting to publish and verify the raw data and code accompanying their research-based reports and papers. Other agencies should do the same.