PNAS Nexus · 23 September 2026 · From issue 41

Deep learning without weight symmetry

A new learning rule trains networks well without needing matched two-way wiring between neurons.

Li Ji-An, Marcus K Benna.

Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 6 October 2026. Read the source

The plain-language reading of this paper is in the full issue, for subscribers.

Read the full issue

Get it free, every two days

Five papers free every issue, about 15 emails a month. No spam. Leave in one click.

Also in issue 41 15 papers

In mice, a gut sensor called NOD1 causes lasting gut and brain damage after infection.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Two NASA satellites together tracked how efficiently plants use water, matching ground station data.
Geophysical Research Letters
In glassfish, watching a neighbor vanish triggers escape brain cells and makes fish flee.
Nature
In mice, two specific phage antibodies stopped phage therapy from working against bacteria.
PLOS Biology
In fruit flies, eating less protein as a baby made adults live longer.
Nature
In bacteria, one leftover helper protein evolved to replace two missing partner proteins.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
In insect cells, a cricket virus disables an immune gene by making cells read it from the wrong starting point.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
A blood signal from menopause lines up with faster brain aging and dementia risk.
Nature Medicine
Bank records show financial abuse victims lose savings, gain debt, and miss more payments.
Nature
In a quantum processor, a feedback loop found and locked in rare orderly patterns hidden in chaos.
Nature Physics
Chemists broke open a hard to open ring molecule using a boron helper and light or metal catalysts.
Nature Chemistry
In a lab device, repeated strong electric pulses locked a switching material into a predictable pattern.
Nature Communications
A skin-safe gel generates its own electric signal when squeezed, tracking heartbeats without a battery.
Nature Communications
Groups beat lone searchers only when they could see each other's scores.
Nature Communications