You have full access to this article via your institution.
Hello
Nature
readers, would you like to get this Briefing in your inbox free every day?
Sign up here
.
An area buried deep in the brain is a hotspot for immune cells called T cells.
Credit: Du Cane Medical Imaging Ltd/Science Photo Library
Specialized immune cells can act as ‘spies’ that
carry information about the gut and fat tissue into the brain
. This surveillance system, uncovered in mice, is crucial to the brain’s control of behaviour such as pursuit of food. The newly identified cells have molecular traits that give them entry into the core of the brain. Their function is shaped by diet and the microbiome; without them, even hungry mice are slow to eat.
When a scientist moves away from their original area of expertise,
their publications receive fewer citations than their previous work
. An analysis of millions of papers revealed that the larger the shift away from a scientist’s field, the greater the effect — a phenomenon coined the ‘pivot penalty’. A pivot can also make getting a paper published, and securing initial funding, more difficult. “When you move out of the area in which you’re trusted, you lose that recognition,” says science-policy specialist Kieron Flanagan.
Yesterday, China launched an ambitious mission to
grab rocks from a near-Earth asteroid and return them to Earth
. Tianwen-2, which launched yesterday, is now on its way to Kamo‘oalewa, a ‘quasi-satellite’ of Earth. Researchers hope the samples from Kamo‘oalewa will reveal whether it was once part of the Moon, or has escaped from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The probe is due to reach the asteroid in the middle of next year, and return in early 2027.
Last week, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring Gold Standard Science”. The order mandates the overhaul of research-integrity policies to ensure that the federal government promotes “transparent, rigorous, and impactful” science. Researchers who spoke to
Nature
worry that language in the order opens the door to political interference in US science
. “It all sounds very non-objectionable, but it’s extremely dangerous” in the details and subtext, says Gretchen Goldman, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists, an advocacy group.
Features & opinion
Voice recordings examined by artificial intelligence (AI) could reveal new biomarkers of conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Neurologists can often spot the tell-tale signs of an illness in someone’s voice, but
AI systems could grant non-specialists the same ability, and detect more subtle vocal changes
than people. The measure isn’t perfect, not least because people’s voices fluctuate from day to day, and there is a lack of long-term data. But AI-guided vocal analysis might one day allow physicians to monitor their patients remotely and get early warnings of a range of conditions.
This editorially independent article is part of
Nature Outlook
:
Medical diagnostics
, a supplement produced with financial support from Seegene.
Around the world, arts therapies have seen success for a range of conditions, such as improving mobility in people with Parkinson’s. These ‘art for health’ initiatives use activities, such as choir rehearsals or museum visits, as
add-on therapies to help treat, and raise awareness of, both physical and mental conditions
. But critics of the practice believe it needs more robust evaluation — and a clear definition of what counts as ‘art’ — before it’s adopted as a standard treatment. “We have more to gain by leaning into the arts as a health resource than we have to lose,” argues drama therapist Nisha Sajnani.
Infographic of the week
In ν Octantis — a system of two stars that orbit one another — some evidence hints that an exoplanet orbits the larger, ‘subgiant’ star in the opposite direction to the second star (
a
). Researchers found that the second star in ν Octantis is a white dwarf, a dying star that has shed its outer layers. The layers expelled from the white dwarf, called a planetary nebula, could have provided material for the planet to form (
b
). (
Nature News & Views | 7 min read
,
Nature
paywall)
QUOTE OF THE DAY
European countries must collaborate if they’re to seize the opportunity to become the top destination for US researchers investigating job opportunities abroad, says malaria researcher Maria Mota. (
Nature | 5 min read
)
Today I’m considering my badminton skills. I’m a little rusty, having not played the sport for some time, so I might struggle to beat a person. But I stand a chance at beating a
badminton-playing robot
. The robot has four legs, one arm to hold its racket, and a camera to locate and aim for the shuttlecock. Though not a championship-level player yet, the bot maintained a rally of 10 shots after a little practice, so maybe it would still best me after all….
While I dig out my racket, why not send your feedback on this newsletter to
briefing@nature.com
.
Thanks for reading,
Jacob Smith, associate editor, Nature Briefing
With contributions by Sara Reardon
Want more? Sign up to our other free Nature Briefing newsletters:
•
Nature Briefing: Careers
— insights, advice and award-winning journalism to help you optimize your working life
•
Nature Briefing: Microbiology
— the most abundant living entities on our planet — microorganisms — and the role they play in health, the environment and food systems
•
Nature Briefing: Anthropocene
— climate change, biodiversity, sustainability and geoengineering
•
Nature Briefing: AI & Robotics
— 100% written by humans, of course
•
Nature Briefing: Cancer
— a weekly newsletter written with cancer researchers in mind
•
Nature Briefing: Translational Research
— covers biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma
