The best medicine for improving global health? Reduce inequality p.221

The COVID pandemic knocked back progress towards improving public health. Without addressing the underlying social and economic causes of ill health, it could completely stall.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-02251-y

Plastic waste is everywhere — and countries must be held accountable for reducing it p.222

As UN negotiations on eliminating plastic pollution enter a crucial phase, researchers must play their part in designing adequate measurement, monitoring and compliance systems.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-02252-x

Australia to prescribe MDMA and psilocybin for PTSD and depression in world first p.227

Decision to make the previously illicit drugs available is dogged by suggestions that it was rushed.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-02093-8

US to end race-based university admissions: what now for diversity in science? p.229

Researchers talk to Nature about how halting race-conscious admissions will affect STEM employment, university applications and more.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-01900-6

Euclid launch: dark-energy mapper poised to probe cosmic mysteries p.230

The European craft could help to investigate why the Universe’s expansion is accelerating, along with other cosmic questions.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-02194-4

Incredible view of the Milky Way and more — June’s best science images p.231

The month’s sharpest science shots — selected by Nature’s photo team.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-02056-z

June’s record-smashing temperatures — in data p.232

Extreme heat across land and sea has led to disastrous consequences in some regions.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-02219-y

Tasmanian devil cancer vaccine approved for testing p.233

The vaccine was inspired by COVID jabs, but if it is approved, it will be delivered in edible bait.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-02124-4

Anti-ageing protein injection boosts monkeys’ memories p.234

First primate studies to show cognitive benefits of the protein klotho could be a step towards clinical applications.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-02214-3

AI tools are designing entirely new proteins that could transform medicine p.236

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-02227-y

What does ‘brain dead’ really mean? The battle over how science defines the end of life p.240

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-02226-z

A human protein that holds bird flu viruses at bay p.253

Avian influenza A viruses that can cross the species barrier could cause the next pandemic. Mutations in the viral genome have now been found that can overcome a newly discovered antiviral protein, BTN3A3, in human cells.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-01942-w

Large-scale collaborations uncover global extent of plastic pollution p.254

Ambitious campaigns to sample plastic pollution in coral-reef and freshwater ecosystems demonstrate the value of international cooperation in assessing contamination to identify drivers and inform management.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-02175-7

A fast quantum route to random numbers p.256

Using a quantum computer to speed up one step in a textbook approach to generating random numbers proves to be a savvy strategy, and one that could make good use of quantum computers that will be available in the near future.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-02176-6

A lack of commitment to proliferation p.257

It turns out that commitment to cell division is not an irreversible switch. In the absence of sustained stimulation by growth factor proteins during DNA replication, cells can quit the cell cycle before cell division occurs.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-02136-0

Practical recommendations for using ctDNA in clinical decision making p.259

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06225-y

Galaxies in voids assemble their stars slowly p.269

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06109-1

Resolved imaging confirms a radiation belt around an ultracool dwarf p.272

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06138-w

Single-electron spin resonance detection by microwave photon counting p.276

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06097-2

Quantum-enhanced Markov chain Monte Carlo p.282

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06095-4

Linear-in-temperature resistivity for optimally superconducting (Nd,Sr)NiO₂ p.288

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06129-x

Organic–inorganic covalent–ionic molecules for elastic ceramic plastic p.293

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06117-1

Single-photon absorption and emission from a natural photosynthetic complex p.300

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06121-5

A warming-induced reduction in snow fraction amplifies rainfall extremes p.305

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06092-7

Plastic pollution on the world’s coral reefs p.311

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06113-5

Plastic debris in lakes and reservoirs p.317

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06168-4

Locus for severity implicates CNS resilience in progression of multiple sclerosis p.323

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06250-x

Circuit coordination of opposing neuropeptide and neurotransmitter signals p.332

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06246-7

BTN3A3 evasion promotes the zoonotic potential of influenza A viruses p.338

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06261-8

B-cell-specific checkpoint molecules that regulate anti-tumour immunity p.348

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06231-0

Health system-scale language models are all-purpose prediction engines p.357

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06160-y

Loss of CDK4/6 activity in S/G2 phase leads to cell cycle reversal p.363

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06274-3

Phase separation of FSP1 promotes ferroptosis p.371

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06255-6

Histone modifications regulate pioneer transcription factor cooperativity p.378

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06112-6

Cooperation between bHLH transcription factors and histones for DNA access p.385

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06282-3

Relaxed targeting rules help PIWI proteins silence transposons p.394

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06257-4

Cryo-EM structure of SARS-CoV-2 postfusion spike in membrane p.403

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06273-4

EMC chaperone–Ca_V structure reveals an ion channel assembly intermediate p.410

doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06175-5