Covert racism in AI chatbots, precise Stone Age engineering, and the science of paper cuts
Nature, Published online: 28 August 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-02806-7We round up some recent stories from the Nature Briefing.
M. N. Van Dyke et al. reply
Nature, Published online: 28 August 2024; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07777-3M. N. Van Dyke et al. reply
People who lack the immune protein TNF can still fight infection
Nature, Published online: 28 August 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-02657-2The immune-signalling protein TNF has an essential role in inflammatory responses. Two people who were found to have no functional TNF are surprisingly healthy and…
Superconductor surprises with strongly interacting electrons
Nature, Published online: 28 August 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-02559-3A chromium-based superconductor is the newest member of a group of metals that show many intriguing properties simultaneously. The pronounced effects of its electr…
Metabolism of organic carcinogens by gut bacteria induces bladder tumours
Nature, Published online: 28 August 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-02740-8Bacteria in the gut can affect the chemically induced growth of tumours in other parts of the body. Certain gut bacteria convert nitrosamine compounds, which are f…
Beetle-inspired flapping robots effortlessly deploy and retract their wings
Nature, Published online: 28 August 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-02737-3Insects are thought to use specific chest muscles to actively open and close their wings. However, high-speed imaging reveals that rhinoceros beetles flap their hi…
LLMs produce racist output when prompted in African American English
Nature, Published online: 28 August 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-02527-xLarge language models (LLMs) are becoming less overtly racist, but respond negatively to text in African American English. Such ‘covert’ racism could harm speakers…
Uncertain competition coefficients undermine inferences about coexistence
Nature, Published online: 28 August 2024; doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06859-yUncertain competition coefficients undermine inferences about coexistence
The heart is put at risk of rupture by cells bordering damaged tissue
Nature, Published online: 28 August 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-02436-zAfter a heart attack, cardiac muscle cells at the border between injured and healthy tissue instigate an inflammatory response, which spreads to neighbouring cells…
Fibrin drives thromboinflammation and neuropathology in COVID-19
Nature, Published online: 28 August 2024; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07873-4Fibrin drives inflammation and neuropathology in SARS-CoV-2 infection, and fibrin-targeting immunotherapy may represent a therapeutic intervention for patients wit…