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A new expedition into the Rub’ al Khali desert finds no evidence of ancient human settlement.

Expedition revealed that water wasn’t enough for human settlement — plus, proposals to block sunlight get serious.

A map of Africa’s water demand reveals that the scarcity of water is only part of the problem facing the continent — management is a separate challenge.

Faulty neurons can contribute to various neurological conditions, but researchers have uncovered a system that might clean them up.

Fresh water in deserts often points to sites with signs of early humans and stone tools. But, in Arabia’s Rub’ al Khali region, water alone does not predict occupation.

A jury weighs in on whether teaching assessments are popularity contests or an important tool.

Fresh ideas are welcome in a discipline in which progress is rare — provided they are applied rigorously.

A cellular fuel called lactate is channelled directly into energy-generating organelles in heart muscle, defying the prevailing view about lactate transport.

Two archaeal strains that belong to a lineage closely related to the ancestor of eukaryotic cells (complex cells with membrane-bound organelles) have been brought into culture. Their simple internal organization, elaborate surface structures, microbial partnerships and protein-dependent lifestyle provide clues about how eukaryotic cells arose.

European funders put weight behind emerging ‘publish, review, curate’ approach for preprints.

As poor publishing practices proliferate, scholarly databases are under pressure to ensure the titles they list are reputable.

A marked rise in submissions for the European Research Council’s grants is pushing down success rates.

Researchers help to answer a question dogging the development of improved vaccines against the mosquito-borne disease.

Could a blood sample, a brain scan and a look at your phone data transform how your psychiatrist treats you?

Some say the concept is complete fantasy, but a detailed analysis suggests that the falling cost of rocket launches might make it feasible in a few decades.

A previously unknown mechanism required for cells to start proliferating has been identified. A combination of mathematical modelling and cell-based experiments shows that the enzyme WEE1 switches off a protein-degradation complex to allow cell proliferation to start, with implications for WEE1 inhibitors currently in trials for cancer treatments.

A first-of-its kind consortium reveals a lack of correlation between behavioural and neural measures of a person’s emotional regulation.

The largest analysis of its kind reveals the public’s changing relationship with science and the people who do it.