Author: Nature

Why some wool is wavy

Nature, Published online: 28 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02104-4How crimps form in the coats of sheep, and the history of the word ‘ionosphere’, in this week’s pick from the Nature archive.

Nature, Published online: 28 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02104-4

How crimps form in the coats of sheep, and the history of the word ‘ionosphere’, in this week’s pick from the Nature archive.

Fly neurons carry a molecular ‘timestamp’ that encodes their birth order

Nature, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02240-xA single-cell gene-expression atlas of the fly nerve cord mapped onto its wiring diagram has uncovered a simple shared gene-expression code. The code enables neurons…

Nature, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02240-x

A single-cell gene-expression atlas of the fly nerve cord mapped onto its wiring diagram has uncovered a simple shared gene-expression code. The code enables neurons to carry a molecular memory of the order of their birth from a parent cell, and shapes their diversity.

Celebrating <i>Nature</i>’s covers — past, present and future

Nature, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02227-8Nature’s iconic front page uses inspiration, creativity and ingenuity to unite science and technology with art and design.

Nature, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02227-8

Nature’s iconic front page uses inspiration, creativity and ingenuity to unite science and technology with art and design.

A radical approach to making C-glycoside molecules

Nature, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02237-6A platform for synthesizing highly desirable C-glycoside molecules from sugar has been developed that uses glycosyl sulfonyl hydrazides as readily accessible free-ra…

Nature, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02237-6

A platform for synthesizing highly desirable C-glycoside molecules from sugar has been developed that uses glycosyl sulfonyl hydrazides as readily accessible free-radical precursors. The strategy enables targeted formation of carbon–carbon bonds across carbohydrate scaffolds and with specificity for the desired 3D arrangement of atoms.

Background genetics and new mutations interact to direct cancer evolution

Nature, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02155-7Rerunning tumour evolution in mice shows how cancer develops after DNA damage and reveals that background genetics and acquired mutations interact to shape genome st…

Nature, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02155-7

Rerunning tumour evolution in mice shows how cancer develops after DNA damage and reveals that background genetics and acquired mutations interact to shape genome stability and selection. This provides experimental evidence that genetic ancestry has an important role in setting the trajectory of cancer evolution.

Geomagnetic storms caused by solar wind might be more extreme than previously thought

Nature, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02245-6The severity of geomagnetic storms — magnetic disturbances in Earth’s outer atmosphere — is widely understood to reach an upper limit as the strength of the solar wi…

Nature, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02245-6

The severity of geomagnetic storms — magnetic disturbances in Earth’s outer atmosphere — is widely understood to reach an upper limit as the strength of the solar wind increases. But this upper limit is an illusion that results from uncertainty in the measurement of solar-wind strength as the true value regresses towards the mean.

Regional drivers and contributors to changes in life expectancy across Asia

Nature, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02166-4Life expectancy in Asia has increased substantially since 1990, but the gains have varied considerably across regions and countries. The main causes and risk factors…

Nature, Published online: 22 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02166-4

Life expectancy in Asia has increased substantially since 1990, but the gains have varied considerably across regions and countries. The main causes and risk factors have been identified, highlighting regions in which preventable deaths are concentrated.