Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 12 August 2026 · From issue 20

Two closely related fish species use totally different decision styles, even with identical senses and goals.

Maëlan Tomasek, Boyd Dunster et al., Decision rules diverge between sympatric Featherfin cichlids despite shared preferences, ecology, and evolutionary history, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Also in issue 20 15 papers

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In climate models, fixing a rainfall error made simulated Pacific warming look more like the real ocean.
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Monsoon winds carry ground pollution high into the sky, sparking new tiny particles there.
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In a lab material, magnetic swirls moved smoothly together at high current, with no wobble.
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A single computer model explains how eyes move during reading to save effort.
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In simulations, bursts of star formation push carbon gas far outside young galaxies, creating glowing halos.
The Astrophysical Journal
In mini brains grown in dishes, key brain stem cells skip the strict timing seen in real embryos.
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In bacteria, a DNA cutting and pasting tool works better at inserting DNA than removing it.
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In mice, two gene switches normally curb harmful immune cells but fail inside inflamed brain tissue.
PLOS Biology
In lab tests, a key deep-Earth mineral holds almost no water, less than 70 parts per million.
Nature Communications
Ancient inner ear shapes show deep local ancestry and a big population shift with farming.
Nature Communications
In lab experiments, one artificial genetic letter got copied much more easily than its designed partner.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

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