Can a human survive in a whale’s belly? The science behind the thriller <i>Whalefall</i>

Nature, Published online: 20 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03358-8Nature spoke to marine and anatomy specialists about the ‘modern-day Jonah’ film. Warning: spoilers ahead.

Nature, Published online: 20 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03358-8

Nature spoke to marine and anatomy specialists about the ‘modern-day Jonah’ film. Warning: spoilers ahead.

Vast new fossil record challenges story of Earth’s ‘big five’ mass extinctions

Nature, Published online: 20 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03316-4An artificial-intelligence model trained on nearly four million fossils suggests that three of the extinction events might have happened more gradually than previ…

Nature, Published online: 20 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03316-4

An artificial-intelligence model trained on nearly four million fossils suggests that three of the extinction events might have happened more gradually than previously thought.

<i>Nature</i>’s job-satisfaction survey highlights the changing geography of science

Nature, Published online: 20 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03327-1A higher proportion of scientists in China and India report feeling optimistic about the future than in the United States and several European countries.

Nature, Published online: 20 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03327-1

A higher proportion of scientists in China and India report feeling optimistic about the future than in the United States and several European countries.

Is it ‘moon-stroke’, or a chill?

Nature, Published online: 20 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02975-7An explanation for the injurious effect of sleeping in the moonlight, and a proponent of all-electronic televisions, in this week’s pick from the Nature archive.

Nature, Published online: 20 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02975-7

An explanation for the injurious effect of sleeping in the moonlight, and a proponent of all-electronic televisions, in this week’s pick from the Nature archive.

Butterfly wing patterns make motion hard to read

Nature, Published online: 20 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03062-7Movement can expose camouflaged prey, yet whether colour patterns help moving prey to avoid capture is a long-standing puzzle. Butterfly wings might offer an answer.

Nature, Published online: 20 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03062-7

Movement can expose camouflaged prey, yet whether colour patterns help moving prey to avoid capture is a long-standing puzzle. Butterfly wings might offer an answer.

Will this sleep-disorder drug be the next big blockbuster?

Nature, Published online: 20 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03310-wOrexin agonists have been approved for the treatment of a type of narcolepsy, yet they could also treat conditions across the health spectrum.

Nature, Published online: 20 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03310-w

Orexin agonists have been approved for the treatment of a type of narcolepsy, yet they could also treat conditions across the health spectrum.