NIH proposes major revamp of how it scores research grant proposals

Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02584-4Proponents argue that the current system creates a false sense of precision, but critics fear that the change could increase political interference.

Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02584-4

Proponents argue that the current system creates a false sense of precision, but critics fear that the change could increase political interference.

A revolutionary stem-cell therapy must proceed responsibly to achieve its full potential

Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02524-2It is 20 years since induced pluripotent stem cells shook biomedicine. Public trust must be retained now that clinical trials are well under way.

Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02524-2

It is 20 years since induced pluripotent stem cells shook biomedicine. Public trust must be retained now that clinical trials are well under way.

Scientific expedition makes the best of bad weather

Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02381-zResearchers grapple with the causes of evolution, and a sea voyage is blighted by storms, in our weekly dip into Nature’s archive.

Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02381-z

Researchers grapple with the causes of evolution, and a sea voyage is blighted by storms, in our weekly dip into Nature’s archive.

Mathematics holds the secret to ‘ladder-proof’ knitting

Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02466-9A topological description of ‘knittability’ can be used to design yarn patterns that are resistant to unravelling.

Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02466-9

A topological description of ‘knittability’ can be used to design yarn patterns that are resistant to unravelling.

Five ways 3D printing is improving lab work

Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02535-zAs 3D printers become cheaper and easier to work with, researchers are finding new ways to incorporate the technology in their studies.

Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02535-z

As 3D printers become cheaper and easier to work with, researchers are finding new ways to incorporate the technology in their studies.

Will you be wearing an exoskeleton in ten years? The tech that could change how we move

Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02527-zRobotic supports were once designed for clinical use, but researchers are now developing cheaper, smaller devices aimed at everyone — from people with ageing knees…

Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02527-z

Robotic supports were once designed for clinical use, but researchers are now developing cheaper, smaller devices aimed at everyone — from people with ageing knees to 20-somethings seeking to climb mountains.