Reviews & Analysis

A strategy for machine learning has been developed that exploits the fact that data are often collected in different ways with varying levels of accuracy. The approach was used to build a model that predicts a key property of materials.

A link has been found between repetitive stretches of DNA called tandem repeats and autism spectrum disorder. The discovery might inform approaches to studying tandem repeats in a wide range of other human disorders.

In some materials, the absorption of a single photon can trigger a chain reaction that produces a large burst of light. The discovery of these photon avalanches in nanostructures opens the way to imaging and sensing applications.

Debilitating gut pain is common, but the underlying cause is often unclear. It emerges that gut infection triggers localized immune responses that cause normally innocuous foods to be perceived as harmful, leading to persistent pain.

Celestial eruptions known as giant magnetar flares have been seen in our cosmic backyard, but were so bright they blinded observational instruments. The discovery of a more distant flare finally reveals details of these emissions.

Isoprenoid molecules are essential in many disease-causing microorganisms, and intermediates made during their synthesis trigger immune-defence responses by γδ T cells. ‘Immunoantibiotics’ exploit this dual vulnerability.

No cure exists for the lethal premature-ageing condition Hutchinson–Gilford progeria. A gene-editing tool — adenine base editors — offers a way to treat the condition in mice. Could this approach lead to an effective therapy?

Transitions between amorphous forms of solids and liquids are difficult to study. Machine learning has now provided fresh insight into pressure-induced transformations of amorphous silicon, opening the way to studies of other systems.

The explosive growth of artificial intelligence calls for rapidly increasing computing power. Two reported photonic processors could meet these power requirements and revolutionize artificial-intelligence hardware.

The factors affecting how and why supernovae occur are discussed, and the current status of core-collapse supernova explosion theory is reviewed.