Barn owls’ ancestors made a transatlantic flight

Nature, Published online: 27 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03385-5Genomic analysis shows that the owls spread from Eurasia to the Caribbean, then colonized the rest of the Western Hemisphere.

Nature, Published online: 27 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03385-5

Genomic analysis shows that the owls spread from Eurasia to the Caribbean, then colonized the rest of the Western Hemisphere.

Global climate body fights for survival: why the IPCC must be saved

Nature, Published online: 27 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03403-6The UN organization faces perhaps the most serious crisis in its nearly 40-year history — but it is too precious to lose.

Nature, Published online: 27 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03403-6

The UN organization faces perhaps the most serious crisis in its nearly 40-year history — but it is too precious to lose.

Making ‘mind pictures’ takes mental effort

Nature, Published online: 27 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03276-9How forming internal imagery is amusing but tiring, and the worry induced by lists of chemicals in foods, in this week’s pick from the Nature archive.

Nature, Published online: 27 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03276-9

How forming internal imagery is amusing but tiring, and the worry induced by lists of chemicals in foods, in this week’s pick from the Nature archive.

Gene therapy that led to boy’s death had limited efficacy

Nature, Published online: 27 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03449-6Therapy pioneered by biotechnology Chinese firm HuidaGene showed promise in animals but caused a fatal reaction in a child.

Nature, Published online: 27 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03449-6

Therapy pioneered by biotechnology Chinese firm HuidaGene showed promise in animals but caused a fatal reaction in a child.

Sleep declines in rural communities after electricity arrives

Nature, Published online: 23 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03318-2Scientists tracked the changing sleep patterns of Indigenous people in Argentina who gained access to mains electricity — and smart phones.

Nature, Published online: 23 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03318-2

Scientists tracked the changing sleep patterns of Indigenous people in Argentina who gained access to mains electricity — and smart phones.

Plastics embedded with enzymes degrade readily in the sea

Nature, Published online: 21 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03282-xEmbedding enzymes that break down ester bonds into compostable polyesters enables rapid and complete biodegradation even in microbe-scarce environments. This meth…

Nature, Published online: 21 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03282-x

Embedding enzymes that break down ester bonds into compostable polyesters enables rapid and complete biodegradation even in microbe-scarce environments. This method is effective in marine sites ranging from coastal sea water to the deep sea, and could therefore contribute towards solving the global plastic pollution problem.

An AI tool improves weather forecasts up to a month ahead

Nature, Published online: 21 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03077-0An innovative artificial-intelligence application enhances weather forecasting in the difficult subseasonal range, providing accurate forecasts of precipitation, …

Nature, Published online: 21 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03077-0

An innovative artificial-intelligence application enhances weather forecasting in the difficult subseasonal range, providing accurate forecasts of precipitation, temperature and pressure 3–5 weeks in advance. The tool refines both physics- and AI-based weather models and improves the early prediction of extremes of heat, cold, rainfall and flooding.

Cave stalagmites document global patterns in monsoon rainfall over the past 450,000 years

Nature, Published online: 21 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03285-8A 450,000-year stalagmite record of rainfall in the Amazon Basin , combined with existing Asian records, shows that the global monsoon system has oscillated regul…

Nature, Published online: 21 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03285-8

A 450,000-year stalagmite record of rainfall in the Amazon Basin , combined with existing Asian records, shows that the global monsoon system has oscillated regularly, strengthening in one hemisphere while weakening in the other. However, during intervals of warmth and warming climate, monsoons in both hemispheres failed for millennia.

How a new wave of science philanthropists can have the greatest impact

Nature, Published online: 21 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03326-2Tech entrepreneurs are bringing an engineer’s eye to research funding. They must be open about their findings to reap maximum benefit.

Nature, Published online: 21 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03326-2

Tech entrepreneurs are bringing an engineer’s eye to research funding. They must be open about their findings to reap maximum benefit.