Mariana Lenharo

Thank you to @liadmudrik.bsky.social, @timbayne.bsky.social @birchlse.bsky.social, @anilseth.bsky.social and others who contributed for this story!

The quest to detect consciousness — in all its possible forms Insights from human brains might inform how scientists search for awareness in other animals and AI.

One of the biggest advances in #consciousness science is using brain scans to detect awareness in unresponsive people, researchers say. I wrote for @nature.com about these techniques and the growing efforts to test animals and AI for signs of an inner life.

Giant map details nerves across a mouse's body: see stunning pics High-resolution imaging method could lead to wiring diagram for the whole body.

🐁 Scientists have created a high-speed imaging system that maps the peripheral nervous system of a mouse in incredible detail, tracing how nerves connect the brain to the rest of the body. It takes just 40 hours. My latest story for @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Obesity drugs show promise for treating a new ailment: migraine Liraglutide, a member of the family of blockbuster weight-loss drugs, reduces headaches by half in a small study.

Can weight-loss drugs treat migraines?

A small pilot study suggests that liraglutide, a GLP-1 drug, might halve migraine frequency in people with obesity. The results are preliminary, but experts say they’re promising.

I wrote about it for @nature.com:

#Migraine #ObesityDrugs #GLP-1

NIH-funded science must now be free to read instantly: what you should know US biomedical agency’s public-access policy kicks in on 1 July. Nature talks to specialists about how to comply.

From July 1, NIH-funded researchers must make their papers freely available as soon as they’re published. In this piece for @nature.com, I explain what researchers need to know about the new public access policy www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Will Gates and other funders save massive public health database at risk from Trump cuts? UN in talks with governments and funding bodies to save highly cited, 40-year health data set used by researchers in more than 90 countries.

The US pulled funding for the world’s most-cited global health survey, the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). Now the UN, Gates Foundation & others are racing to save it. My story for @nature.com: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Medicine's rapid adoption of AI has researchers concerned Hospitals and universities must step up to fill gaps in regulation, experts say.

Hospitals across the US are embracing AI tools for diagnosis and care. But experts warn that current regulations aren’t enough to keep patients safe. I spoke with researchers calling for oversight beyond the FDA. My latest story for @nature.com: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

NIH grant cuts will axe clinical trials abroad — and could leave thousands without care US agency’s new policy could abruptly end studies of infectious diseases and cancer, leaving researchers scrambling for funds.

Researcher Amita Gupta has spent more than a decade planning and running a $70-million trial to study a new tuberculosis drug, enrolling ~6,000 participants in 13 countries. It might all have been for nothing.

That's because a new NIH policy has abruptly cut off billions to trials abroad. 🧪

The ‘pivot penalty’: scientists get cited less after switching fields, analysis finds Massive study of nearly 26 million research papers measures the consequences of striking out in another research area.

A massive study published today in @nature.com shows that scientists who switch to a new research field receive fewer citations. The bigger the shift, the steeper the 'pivot penalty'. I spoke with the study’s authors and with science policy researchers about the implications of the findings.

AI tool flags people at high risk of post-partum depression Model could be used by hospitals to identify people who would benefit from preventive measures.

Postpartum depression affects around 17% of new parents worldwide, yet often goes undetected until symptoms are severe. For @nature.com, I wrote about a machine-learning model that aims to identify who’s most at risk before symptoms start, helping target preventive care more effectively.

Chart showing results of Nature survey. A minority of researchers say they have used generative AI to edit, translate, or write their papers. Edit paper: 18% said 'yes, I've done this without disclosing AI use' 10% said 'yes, I've done this and I disclosed AI use' 43% said: 'no, I've not done this but would be willing to' 29% said 'no, I've not done this and wouldn't consider it'.

A minority of researchers - under 30% - have used AI to edit or write their papers, according to a Nature survey published today.

Those that have used AI, more often than not didn't disclose it.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
@nature.com

Breaking language barriers: ‘Not being fluent in English is often viewed as being an inferior scientist’ Biologist Tatsuya Amano works to make science a fairer place for non-fluent speakers.

As someone whose first language isn’t English, I relate to @tatsuya-amano.bsky.social’s mission to make science more inclusive for non-fluent English speakers. I interviewed him for @nature.com's Changemakers Q&A series. The piece was published in Feb, while I was on maternity leave. Enjoy the read!

Google AI better than human doctors at diagnosing rashes from pictures Chatbot can analyse health-care imagery, such as PDFs of test results, to accurately diagnose a range of medical conditions.

Google's experimental medical chatbot can now diagnose skin rashes based on smartphone photos. A glimpse into the potential role of large language models in the future of medicine. My latest story for @nature.com #medicalAI #AI #healthcareAI #LLM