Mysterious fast radio bursts spotted | Nature Briefing

Hello Nature readers,

Today we examine how the US government shutdown is hurting science — and scientists, discover the hunt for a form of matter than was thought to be impossible and explore five innovative ways to use 3D printing in the lab.

The shutdown could interrupt the world's longest-running study of predators and prey — the wolves and moose of Isle Royale in Lake Superior. (ZUMA Press/Alamy) 

Science and the shutdown: 5 things to watch 

The Environmental Protection Agency, NASA and the National Science Foundation are among the US science agencies that have stopped processing grant applications, cut off access to key data sets and temporarily shuttered federal labs and offices thanks to the government shutdown that began on 22 December. Nature examines how the ongoing dispute means spacecraft are at risk, early-career scientists are facing financial meltdown and some data have now been lost forever.

Nature | Read this article at nature.com/latest-news

California monarch butterflies hit record low 

Early data from the California coast indicates that the western monarch butterfly population has crashed by 86% compared to last year, reaching an all-time low. The species has declined by 97% since the 1980s. Monarchs depend on milkweed plants, which have been declining because of pesticide use, urban development, droughts and wildfires.

The New York Times

How Zealandia took shape 

The same geological processes that formed the oldest continents gave shape to what some consider the youngest: Zealandia. The region (home to New Zealand and New Caledonia, among others) is a mostly submerged landmass in the southwest Pacific Ocean that some researchers claim is the planet’s eighth continent.

Nature | Read this article at nature.com/nature/articles?type=research-highlight

Reference: Earth and Planetary Science Letters paper 

FEATURES & OPINION

How to make the Green New Deal work 

In the United States, a coalition is growing around an ambitious Green New Deal to remake the economy without a reliance on fossil fuels. Ten years ago, Edward Barbier helped to devise the deal, which is helmed by the United Nations and has grown into a US$3.3-trillion initiative. Barbier examines what worked and what didn’t — and says that cutting subsidies to polluters is a key component of success.

Nature | Read this article at nature.com/nature/articles?type=world-view

Five fresh ways to use 3D printing in the lab 

As the cost of 3D printers tumbles, researchers have begun using them to make everything from bespoke equipment for experiments to realistic models of human organs.

Nature | Read this article at nature.com/nature/articles?type=toolbox

Podcast: Mysterious fast radio bursts spotted 

A radio telescope in Canada has spotted a number of new fast radio bursts, one of the most intriguing mysteries in astrophysics because they appear all over the sky, yet their cause is unknown. It has also detected only the second known ‘repeating’ burst, which popped up at least five times.

Nature Podcast | Listen to nature.com/nature/articles?type=nature-podcast

SCIENTIFIC LIFE

Scientific progress is built on failure 

“When I moved from medicine into research, the biggest shock to me was failure,” writes clinical researcher Eileen Parkes. Learning how to handle failed experiments and other setbacks is an important part of scientific life, she argues.

Nature | Read more at nature/articles?type=career-column

BOOKS & ARTS

A model of a quasicrystal structure. (Alison Forner/The Second Kind of Impossible, Simon and Schuster) 

Quasicrystals: the thrill of the chase 

A new book from theoretical physicist Paul Steinhardt relates his bold quest to find a natural quasicrystal, a form of matter with an arrangement of atoms once thought impossible for a crystal. The result is a mix of sober, lab-bound scientific memoir and rollercoaster adventure, packed with discovery, disappointment, exhilaration and persistence, writes chemical engineer Sharon Glotzer.

Nature | Read this article at nature.com/books-culture

Five best science books this week 

Nature Books and Arts editor Barbara Kiser's pick of the top five science books to read this week highlights the Sun’s pull on the body, the global flow of people and the robots that reach other worlds.

Nature | Read this article at nature.com/books-culture

This newsletter is always evolving — tell us what you think! Please send your feedback to briefing@nature.com.

Thanks for reading!

Flora Graham, senior editor, Nature Briefing 

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