Glass is the hidden gem in a carbon-neutral future p.7

Recycling glass does not degrade it, and manufacturing it can be carbon-free. So why are many countries still burying glass in the ground?

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02992-8

The African Academy of Sciences is in crisis — responsibility must be shared p.8

The pan-African science academy is in turmoil. Funders and fellows must jointly own the crisis, and work to stop it happening again.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02991-9

COP26 climate summit: A scientists’ guide to a momentous meeting p.15

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02815-w

What COVID vaccines for young kids could mean for the pandemic p.18

As the US Food and Drug Administration authorizes shots for children aged 5 to 11, researchers predict what this might mean for populations.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02947-z

DNA reveals surprise ancestry of mysterious Chinese mummies p.19

The genomes of 13 remarkably preserved 4,000-year-old mummies from the Tarim Basin suggest they weren’t migrants who brought technology from the west, as previously supposed.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02948-y

Mysterious ‘alien beacon’ was false alarm p.20

Radio signal seemed to originate from the star Proxima Centauri, and provided a helpful drill for future searches.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02931-7

Top climate scientists are sceptical that nations will rein in global warming p.22

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02990-w

African scientists race to test COVID drugs — but face major hurdles p.25

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02995-5

A whale of an appetite revealed by analysis of prey consumption p.33

Reaching a deeper understanding of the ocean ecosystems that maintain whales might aid conservation efforts. Measurements of the animals’ krill intake indicate that previous figures were substantial underestimates.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02951-3

A machine-learning algorithm to target COVID testing of travellers p.34

Optimizing the testing of incoming travellers for COVID-19 involves predicting those who are most likely to test positive. A machine-learning algorithm for targeted testing has been implemented at the Greek border.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02556-w

Relativity could ensure security for cash machines p.36

Entering your personal identification number using the keypad of a cash machine is notoriously insecure. A clever application of the special theory of relativity could make identification safer.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02950-4

A two-step hormone-signalling mechanism that drives physical activity p.37

In mice, the ovarian hormone oestradiol sensitizes neurons in a brain region called the hypothalamus to a melanocortin hormone that signals an energy surplus. Their dual activation increases physical activity.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02725-x

Nanometre-scale imaging and AI reveal the interior of whole cells p.39

Efforts to generate nanoscale-resolution images of cell interiors have gained ground through the development and refinement of a microscopy method. The data sets are publicly available as resources for further discoveries.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-021-02776-0

Ethics of DNA research on human remains: five globally applicable guidelines p.41

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04008-x

Experimental relativistic zero-knowledge proofs p.47

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03998-y

Signatures of bosonic Landau levels in a finite-momentum superconductor p.51

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03915-3

Reconstruction of Bloch wavefunctions of holes in a semiconductor p.57

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03940-2

Percolation transitions in compressed SiO2 glasses p.62

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03918-0

Transition metal-catalysed molecular n-doping of organic semiconductors p.67

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03942-0

Episodic deluges in simulated hothouse climates p.74

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03919-z

Carbon implications of marginal oils from market-derived demand shocks p.80

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03932-2

Baleen whale prey consumption based on high-resolution foraging measurements p.85

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03991-5

Disease variant prediction with deep generative models of evolutionary data p.91

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04043-8

5-HT modulation of a medial septal circuit tunes social memory stability p.96

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03956-8

Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes induce cell death via saturated lipids p.102

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03960-y

Efficient and targeted COVID-19 border testing via reinforcement learning p.108

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04014-z

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 Delta variant replication and immune evasion p.114

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03944-y

Unravelling the collateral damage of antibiotics on gut bacteria p.120

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03986-2

Regulation of intestinal immunity and tissue repair by enteric glia p.125

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04006-z

Oestrogen engages brain MC4R signalling to drive physical activity in female mice p.131

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04010-3

SLC25A39 is necessary for mitochondrial glutathione import in mammalian cells p.136

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04025-w

Whole-cell organelle segmentation in volume electron microscopy p.141

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03977-3

An open-access volume electron microscopy atlas of whole cells and tissues p.147

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03992-4

Systems-level effects of allosteric perturbations to a model molecular switch p.152

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03982-6

Structural basis of gating modulation of Kv4 channel complexes p.158

doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03935-z