Appreciating the phenomena they study helps scientists to persevere in the face of setbacks. Scientists’ ability to experience wonder, awe and beauty in their work is associated with higher levels of job satisfaction and better mental health, finds an international survey of researchers. Read more in Nature.
Nature
Sci-Hub downloads show countries where pirate paper site is most used
Researchers worldwide are accessing papers using the site — but China tops the chart, with more than 25 million downloads over the past month. Download figures for Sci-Hub, the popular but controversial website that hosts pirated copies of scientific papers, reveal where people are using the site most. The statistics show that users accessing Sci-Hub […]
Social-media platforms failing to tackle abuse of scientists
A report by activists found that half of debunked online disinformation targeting three prominent scientists remains live and unlabelled. Social-media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are not doing enough to tackle online abuse and disinformation targeted at scientists, suggests a study by international campaign group Avaaz. Read more in Nature.
First Nations communities bring expertise to Canada’s scientific research
Researchers working with Indigenous partners are benefiting from traditional knowledge of the natural world. Investigating how an extract of the traditional medicinal plant, Sooyaiaiitsi, interacts with cancer cells helped Haley Shade to “walk in both worlds”, bridging her education within Canada’s system with her Indigenous identity. Shade, a Blackfoot woman from the Kainai First Nation […]
Canada’s researchers call for a return to stated science ambitions
The buzz created by a 2017 national science review has faded, prompting calls for a renewed focus on innovation. With Canada’s relatively small population of 38 million people spread across a vast land area of some 9.88 million square kilometres, the nation’s researchers have access to expansive natural resources. Varied landscapes, such as the Canadian […]
Nature Outlook: Multiple myeloma
Until around 10 years ago, the prognosis for people with multiple myeloma was poor. It’s still the second most common blood cancer after leukaemia – but thanks to better treatments, the situation is improving. Read more in this Nature Outlook that I edited.
NASA’s isolation experts: Lockdown lessons from space
Scientists at the US agency offer advice about remote working, social isolation and quarantine. Scott Bolton knows a thing or two about distance. He is the principal investigator of NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter, and at the best of times his experiment is more than 500 million kilometres away, orbiting a gas giant in the […]
How plants and insects inherit immunity from their parents
Passing on short-term immunity to offspring is common in vertebrates, but plants and invertebrates take transgenerational immunity much further. An organism’s immune response to attack is usually considered to be a personal battle. A pathogen or parasite attacks, the organism mounts a defence, and one of them wins. But sometimes, the target’s relatives get involved. […]
Canadian scientists relieved as Trudeau ekes out election win
Progressive parties’ showing bodes well for action on climate policies and science funding, researchers say. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won a second term on 21 October, but his Liberal party lost their majority in parliament. The Liberals and the Conservative party were locked in a dead heat leading up to election night, and the […]
Canadian election leaves scientists hanging — no matter who wins
Leading political parties pay scant attention to research in run-up to general election. Canada’s two main political parties are running neck and neck in the lead-up to the country’s general election on 21 October. It’s unclear which party will come out on top, and that uncertainty extends to how science will fare in the next […]