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Stone tools discovered near Jubbah, Saudi Arabia, appear more similar to tools made by Neanderthals than to those made by Homo sapiens, according to the researchers. (NASA/DigitalEye, Alamy)
Neanderthals may have travelled farther south than previously thought. An analysis of stone tools suggests that ancient humans may have reached the Arabian Peninsula approximately 55,000 years ago. The artifacts were found at an archaeological site near an ancient lake in what is now Saudi Arabia’s Nafud Desert. The tools’ characteristics, together with dating of the surrounding sand, indicate that Neanderthals may have occupied the region as it shifted from arid desert to a wetter environment. The changing climate may have attracted animals — and the humans who hunted them — farther south.
Reference: Quaternary Science Reviews paper
South Africa’s parliament is considering a bill that would require all natural scientists in the country to register with a government-backed regulator. Scientists who fail to register could face up to one year in prison. The proposed law would place natural scientists under regulatory requirements similar to those governing engineers and medical professionals. Opinions among scientists are divided. Supporters say registration could help combat fraudulent scientific consultants, while critics argue that membership fees may be too high and that the legislation would give regulators excessive powers.
Nature | 6 min read
The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has proposed changes to how it evaluates research funding applications and reports peer-review results. Under the proposed system, grant proposals would be placed into one of three broad categories — top, middle or bottom — rather than being assigned the exact numerical scores traditionally given by peer reviewers. The NIH says the new approach is part of a wider shift toward funding research according to agency priorities, rather than relying primarily on peer-review rankings.
Nature | 6 min read
Features and expert perspectives
Robotic exoskeletons have traditionally been used as rehabilitation devices, but researchers and companies are developing systems designed to enhance movement outside clinical settings. Lightweight, affordable exoskeletons could help older adults walk and support people with everyday mobility. However, researchers are also examining potential risks, including whether prolonged use by healthy people could lead to dependence or muscle atrophy.
Nature | 8 min read
Scientists are increasingly using 3D printers to build laboratory equipment that is cheaper and easier to customise than commercially available tools. Open designs can reduce research costs and make experimental technology more accessible. One scientist estimates that building a custom flow reactor could save more than £1 million. “There’s no need to buy them,” chemical engineer Magda Barecka says of the 3D-printed flow cells used in her laboratory. “Just download the form and print it yourself.”
Nature | 10 min read
DNA damage may contribute to several hallmarks of ageing, including chronic inflammation, metabolic problems and protein-folding disorders. The body already repairs enormous amounts of DNA damage every day, including damage caused by ultraviolet radiation. Scientists are investigating whether enhancing DNA repair could slow ageing and help people remain healthy for longer. Research on long-lived species such as bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) and naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber), as well as studies of centenarian genetics, is providing new insights into this potential strategy.
Nature | 15 min read
This week’s infographic: how knitted-fabric defects spread
Figure 1 | How defects propagate through knitted fabrics. Traditional jersey fabrics are made from interlocking loops created with a single thread. If a stitch is missed or the yarn breaks, loops can unravel vertically in a cascading defect known as “laddering”. Daisuke Shimamoto and colleagues designed a knitting pattern that resists this type of failure. In their pattern, further unraveling occurs only when defects form in two adjacent unit cells, producing just one defect in the bottom row.
(Excerpt from Daisuke Shimamoto et al., Physical Review X; CC BY 4.0)
Traditional jersey knitting forms a grid of interlocking loops with a “working edge” at the top of the fabric. If the thread breaks or a stitch is missed, the fabric can begin to unravel, creating a vertical “ladder” of defects. Mathematician Vishal Patil explains how researchers developed a mathematical model for the way these defects spread. The model also describes how damage moves perpendicular to the yarn in knitting and parallel to the yarn in crocheting. Using the model, the team explored which patterns can be constructed from a single thread with fixed ends. They designed a defect-resistant knit in which additional unraveling requires errors in two neighbouring unit cells, limiting the damage to a single defect in the bottom row.
Nature News and Views | 8 min read
Reference: Physical Review X paper (Excerpt from Daisuke Shimamoto et al.; CC BY 4.0)
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