Science Fri, 17 Oct 2025 19:10:31 +0000

On an Arctic archipelago, frozen soil may preserve a hidden history of viruses  Scientists are hunting for ancient RNA in Svalbard’s permafrost, hoping to shed light on the evolution of viral diseases Head-direction cells as a neural compass in bats navigating outdoors on a remote oceanic island | Science Animals and humans rely on their navigation skills to survive. However, spatial neurons in the brain’s “navigation circuit” had not previously been studied under real-world conditions. We conducted an electrophysiological study of spatial neurons in the ... Global mean sea level over the past 4.5 million years | Science Changes in global mean sea level (GMSL) during the late Cenozoic remain uncertain. We use a reconstruction of changes in δ18O of seawater to reconstruct GMSL since 4.5 million years ago (Ma) that accounts for temperature-driven changes in the δ18O of ... “Kiss-shrink-run” unifies mechanisms for synaptic vesicle exocytosis and hyperfast recycling | Science Synaptic vesicle (SV) exocytosis underpins neuronal communication, yet its nanoscale dynamics remain poorly understood owing to limitations in visualizing rapid events in situ. Here, we used optogenetics-coupled, time-resolved cryo–electron tomography to ... Mesoscale volumetric fluorescence imaging at nanoscale resolution by photochemical sectioning | Science Optical nanoscopy of intact biological specimens has been transformed by recent advancements in hydrogel-based tissue clearing and expansion, enabling the imaging of cellular and subcellular structures with molecular contrast. However, existing high-... A mosaic of modular variation at a single gene underpins convergent plumage coloration | Science The reshuffling of genomic variation from multiple origins is an important contributor to phenotypic diversification, yet insights into the evolutionary trajectories of this combinatorial process and their interplay with genetic architecture remain ... Trojan gold: New US “standard” is another veiled attack on science | Science Transparency, reproducibility, and acknowledging uncertainty are meritorious attributes of science that differentiate it from other human endeavors, such as politics. But they can also be subverted. In the United States, an executive order from the Trump administration called Restoring Gold Standard Science illustrates how this can be achieved despite it being cloaked in language that most of the scientific community would enthusiastically support. The order seeks to “to ensure that federally funded research is transparent, rigorous, and impactful, and that Federal decisions are informed by the most credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence available,” and it has already informed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) revised procedures for conducting risk evaluations for chemicals already in commerce. Visible light–driven stereodivergent allylation of cyclic hemiacetals with butene for polypropionate synthesis | Science Catalytically transforming abundant hydrocarbon feedstocks into structurally complex, high-value molecules is a pivotal yet challenging goal in organic synthesis. The key difficulty lies in the simultaneous activation of chemically inert feedstocks and ... Architectural immunity: Ants alter their nest networks to prevent epidemics | Science In animal groups, spatial structure shapes social interaction patterns, thereby influencing the transmission of infectious diseases. Active modifications to the spatial environment could therefore be a potent tool to mitigate epidemic risk. We tested ... The total synthesis of (−)-spiroaspertrione A: A divinylcyclopropane rearrangement approach | Science The rise of multidrug-resistant pathogens poses a major threat to global health, with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among the most challenging. One promising approach to overcoming resistance is using small molecules that resensitize ... In Other Journals | Science Editors’ selections from the current scientific literature In Science Journals | Science Highlights from the Science family of journals Chile’s framework law erodes institutions | Science On 29 September, Chile passed Law No. 21,770, which eases the environmental permitting process for governmental and industrial projects. A response to the assumption that environmental permits slow down investment and stall the country’s economic development, the law aims to shorten sectoral permitting times by 30 to 70% (1). However, the regulatory changes in the law undermine Chile’s decades-long process of modernizing and strengthening its environmental institutions. To protect ecosystems that are critical to scientific research and climate action, Chile should implement strong secondary regulations and transparent oversight mechanisms. Australian algal blooms require national action | Science Harmful algal blooms are devastating marine life at an unprecedented scale across South Australia’s Great Southern Reef (1) and are expected to increase with climate change (2–4). A prolonged marine heat wave and calm seas have enabled toxic dinoflagellate algae (predominantly Karenia mikimotoi) to flourish in stratified coastal waters (2). Because harmful algal blooms affect society and environments across jurisdictional boundaries, Australia should coordinate a national management approach (4, 5). Stemming green tides in the Yellow Sea | Science HomeScienceVol. 390, No. 6770Stemming green tides in the Yellow SeaBack To Vol. 390, No. 6770 Full accessLetter Share on Stemming green tides in the Yellow SeaLuhua Yang, Ruiyong Zhang, [...] , Li Zhuo, Bin-Bin Xie, [...] , Jianqun Lin, and Shun Li+3 authors +1 authors fewerAuthors Info & AffiliationsScience16 Oct 2025Vol 390, Issue 6770p. 248DOI: 10.1126/science.aea7703 PREVIOUS ARTICLEA radical… A radically organic worldview turns 100 | Science A philosopher’s seminal book traced how science shaped the mentality of the modern world Knowledge for two | Science A psychologist explores common knowledge and coordination Mobilizing capital and technology for a clean aviation industry | Science Research managers and investors need better approaches to weigh risks and potential benefits of scalable, transformational technologies Quantum trions in equilibrium | Science Quantum fluid of trions is demonstrated in two-dimensional material systems Neural compass in the sky | Science Head-direction neurons maintain stable directional signals during large-scale navigation in the wild Making hydrogen production durable | Science An interphase shields polymer electrolytes from electrochemical oxidation in an alkaline environment Kiss, shrink, run | Science A unified mechanism directs synaptic vesicle release A view of Horizon Europe’s future | Science The European Union (EU) has the world’s largest funding program exclusively for research and innovation (R&I)—Horizon Europe—which is now preparing its 10th edition for 2028–2034. The good news is that the EU aims to raise Horizon Europe’s budget by 83% ... Did lead poisoning doom Neanderthals?  Modern humans’ tolerance for the toxic metal may have helped them outcompete our closest evolutionary cousins DNA from rum-soaked fishes chronicles century of environmental change  Museum specimens collected during a 1907 marine expedition reveal loss of genetic diversity in the Philippines As U.S. shutdown drags on, ‘it’s just one blow after another’  Federal researchers confront growing uncertainty about future Journals and publishers crack down on research from open health data sets  PLOS, Frontiers, and others announce policies trying to stem the tide of suspect research Architects of molecular cages win Chemistry Nobel  Swiss cheese materials called metal-organic frameworks can separate and store gases Mapping early human blood cell differentiation using single-cell proteomics and transcriptomics | Science Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has facilitated the characterization of cell state heterogeneity and recapitulation of differentiation trajectories. However, the exclusive use of messenger RNA (mRNA) measurements comes at the risk of missing ... High-resolution spatial mapping of cell state and lineage dynamics in vivo with PEtracer | Science Charting the spatiotemporal dynamics of cell fate determination in development and disease is a long-standing objective in biology. Here, we present the design, development, and extensive validation of PEtracer, a prime editing (PE)–based, evolving ...