Horticultural intensification and plant-based diets of 18th century CE Waikato Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand - Nature Communications Here, the authors leverage stable isotope and peptide analyses to show that some 18th century Māori individuals ate largely plant-based diets. This work aligns with Māori oral history and archaeological evidence, which points to sweet potato and taro cultivation as important for population growth and cultural change at the time.

Some Māori groups in inland Aotearoa (the Māori name for New Zealand) in the 18th century may have eaten an almost entirely plant-based diet, according to a paper published in @natcomms.nature.com: spklr.io/63321EJy9b

#Archaeology 🏺

SPRINGER NATURE and Springer logos top text describing SMILE mission using X-ray and UV cameras and particle detectors to study Earth's reaction to solar particles. "SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 177/1-4" shown on cover.

The SMILE mission spacecraft was scheduled for liftoff from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 9 April. The Space Science Reviews journal recently completed a topical collection consisting of ten papers. Check it out here: spklr.io/63320EJGSs
@springer.springernature.com 🔭 🧪#SMILE

Health Systems, Health Services and Inequality in Population Health

🌍🩺📊 On World Health Day, explore Springer titles spanning health systems, digital innovation, mental health, men’s health, and global healthcare, starting with 'Health Systems, Health Services and Inequality in Population Health': bit.ly/4dsNBRD. 💙📚 #PublicHealth @alastairleyland.bsky.social

Moon fly-by live coverage: Artemis crew emerge from behind the Moon, see Earth ‘rising’ Astronauts are flying by the Moon’s far side and setting records. Nature is in Houston with the mission’s scientists.

Nature was in Houston with the mission’s scientists when humans observed parts of the Moon’s far side by eye for the first time. Check out the highlights from Nature’s live coverage of the Artemis II Moon fly-by: spklr.io/63323EJHy9

#ArtemisII

Take a closer look at how we made a difference in 2025

From advancing open science to progress on the SDGs and new technologies, we’re proud of our colleagues’ dedication and grateful for the trust of our global communities.

👉 spklr.io/63320EJHtu

#BePartOfProgress

An international mega-analysis of psychedelic drug effects on brain circuit function - Nature Medicine Analysis of neuroimaging datasets across five major psychedelics revealed a shared brain signature and provides a comprehensive insight into how these drugs reorganize brain architecture.

Insights into how the human brain reacts to different types of psychedelic drugs are reported in a neuroimaging study in Nature Medicine. These psychedelics appear to change how key networks in the brain connect: spklr.io/63325EJGqU

#Neuroscience #Neuroskyence

🌔 👋 The crew of NASA's Artemis II mission had some nice words for Earth as they regained communications with Mission Control. Watch with us: spklr.io/6001EyN07

Why experts are torn about whether AI is changing math forever—or just helping out A new challenge reveals how well AI can tackle true math problems

The growing number of generative AI models make us wonder, “Can machines outthink us?” To dig into this question, a group of researchers aren’t turning to chess this time—they’re looking to math. Listen to this episode of Science Quickly for more: spklr.io/63329EyWxb

"SPRINGER NATURE" logo above the text "Call for book proposals. Submit your book idea and get matched with an editor." The background features an open book in focus, surrounded by a blurred view of other books.

Your research deserves to make a lasting impact in your field. Why not publish a book? Submit your book idea, and we'll match you with an editor. Learn more: bit.ly/4mSdyvz

What are we learning from the UK's Meningitis B outbreak? An outbreak of Meningitis B has rippled through the student population in Kent in the last week. Have we learnt anything about how the public react to infectious disease outbreaks since Covid?

An outbreak of Meningitis B has rippled through the student population in Kent in the last month. Have we learnt anything about how the public react to infectious disease outbreaks since Covid? Read more in our Research Communities: spklr.io/63327EyW2P

AI and the PhD student: friend or foe? Graduate students increasingly use artificial-intelligence tools to draft, code and search — but many fear it could erode the very skills a doctorate is meant to build.

With the amount of AI tools on offer, PhD students are now charting paths through territory their supervisors never had to navigate. They increasingly use AI to draft, code and search. But many fear it could erode the very skills a doctorate is meant to build: spklr.io/63325EyWFZ

#PhDSky

Image with Springer Nature logo. Left side shows palm fronds and a cross made from palm on a wood background with '#OnThisDay'. Text on the right saying 'Easter doesn’t have a fixed date. It’s celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox, linking the holiday to ancient lunar and seasonal cycles.'

#OnThisDay, millions around the world celebrate Easter Sunday! A central day in the Christian calendar, Easter marks themes of renewal and hope, observed through worship services, shared meals, and family gatherings. Wishing peace and joy to all who celebrate. 🕊️ 🌸

Inside Andy Weir’s wild world-building for Project Hail Mary The author of the novel Project Hail Mary breaks down aliens, anxiety and the process of bringing his story to the screen

Andy Weir author of the novel Project Hail Mary breaks down aliens, anxiety and the process of bringing his story to the screen. Listen here: spklr.io/63329EyWad

Flyer reads: BOOK COLLECTIONS: CHARTING 20 YEARS OF INNOVATION AND EVOLUTION. Written by Sacha Billett. It also shows Springer Nature logo, books, CD, floppy disk, a laptop and pages with 1 and 0.

To celebrate 20 years of eBook collections, we’re looking back at the evolution from print to digital — and those who made it possible. Wouter van der Velde & Itsco van der Linden share what it was like to help build the digital library experience: spklr.io/63326EysyG

#publishing

Melt re-injection into large magma reservoir after giant caldera eruption at Kikai Caldera Volcano - Communications Earth & Environment Seismic imaging suggests a large, shallow magma reservoir existed beneath Kikai Caldera after its giant eruption, with evidence that new melt was re-injected into the same reservoir as part of what may be a common post-caldera process at large volcanoes.

One of our top-rated posts on @altmetric.com this past week was published open access in @commsearth.nature.com. You can read 'Melt re-injection into large magma reservoir after giant caldera eruption at Kikai Caldera Volcano' here: spklr.io/63320Eyxv0

SPRINGER NATURE: Can open access help SDG research achieve greater impact? Expanding the visibility, reach, and policy engagement of published research. Read the blog. SPRINGER NATURE SDG Programme.

Open access boosts the visibility and policy impact of SDG research. 🌍

Read Nicola Jones’ blog to learn how OA helps your work reach the people who turn evidence into action: spklr.io/63326Eys1g

#AcademicPublishing #OA #SDGs #policysky

Ancient Egyptian scribes may have paid a price for their work: skeletal remains show signs of joint degeneration linked to prolonged sitting and repetitive writing tasks, reports Scientific Reports: spklr.io/63320EyxQO

#AncientEgyptBluesky #Skystorians🏺

@natureportfolio.nature.com

Fish climbing in the upper Congo Basin (Central Africa), first report for the shellear Parakneria thysi on the Luvilombo Falls - Scientific Reports The ability of shellears to climb waterfalls has been known anecdotally for over 50 years. The behaviour is documented here for the first time, with supporting cinematographic and photographic evidence, for Parakneria thysi climbing the Luvilombo Falls on the Luvilombo River (lower Lufira). This is a size-related partial migration of thousands of small- to medium-sized individuals [~ 37–48 mm standard length (SL), while the maximum size is ~ 96 mm SL]. Specimens climb the vertical wall of the falls (~ 15 m high) in the splash zone during major floods, usually occurring at the end of the rainy season (April–May), using their pectoral fins, supported by their pelvic fins. Both pairs of fins have, on their ventral surface, pads bearing tiny unicellular hook-like projections. Additionally, their pectoral/pelvic girdle and fin rays also appear well-adapted for this capacity. They propel themselves vertically by lateral movements of the posterior part of the body as when swimming. Unfortunately, the Luvilombo River is exposed to serious anthropogenic impacts. The most important, albeit occasionally, is its complete desiccation during the dry season, resulting mostly from withdrawal of water for cropland irrigation, which undermines the ecological continuity of the river.

The first documented evidence of shellear fish climbing a waterfall in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is shared in Scientific Reports. Thousands of individuals take around ten hours to scale the 15-metre-high waterfall by moving their fins and wiggling their bodies from side to side:

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See the intricate worlds of parasites and algae — March’s best science images The month’s sharpest science shots, selected by Nature’s photo team.

See the intricate worlds of parasites and algae and check out March's sharpest science shots, selected by Nature’s photo team: spklr.io/63320EyWLk

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Image for Springer Nature with the text "Did You Know? Passover centers on the Seder, a ritual meal where the story of the Exodus is retold, linking history, tradition, and values through food, questions, and conversation." Matzah, parsley, and an egg are on a silver tray next to glasses of wine.

Since yesterday, Jewish communities around the world observe Passover (Pesach)! This eight‑day festival commemorates freedom, remembrance, and resilience, marked by storytelling, shared meals, and reflection across generations. #OnThisDay we wish peace and meaning for all those who are observing. 🌿

The mid-career reset: how to be strategic about your research direction A decade after completing a PhD, your research can begin to lose direction. So consider each opportunity carefully, says Mohamed Ezat.

Years after completing his PhD, Mohamed Ezat found himself bogged down in admin and too busy with the day-to-day to think deeply about his research. Now, before saying yes to new commitments, he considers whether a project fits with his long-term goals.
spklr.io/63329EytKh

#AcademicSky

Substantial aircraft contrail formation at low soot emission levels - Nature In-flight observations show that the use of lean-burn combustion succeeds in reducing soot emissions from aircraft—yet contrail ice crystals still form and nucleate on volatile particles.

Reducing aircraft soot emissions may not reduce contrail clouds, according to in-flight observations of emissions from a passenger jet with modern ‘lean-burn’ engines. Contrails from aircraft contribute to the climate-warming impacts of aviation: spklr.io/63327EysAb

#ClimateScience 🧪

Congratulations to Zhen Xu, Ellen Roche and Xiwen Gong, winners of the 2026 Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature. Learn more about their pioneering research and the impact of their work: go.nature.com/49Q2hbq #WomenInSTEM

A chelicera-bearing arthropod reveals the Cambrian origin of chelicerates - Nature Megachelicerax cousteaui gen. et sp. nov. is a large soft-bodied arthropod from the middle Cambrian of Utah featuring massive three-segmented chelicerae, along with five pairs of pseudobiramous prosomal limbs with non-foliaceous exopodal rami, and plate-like lamellae-bearing opisthosomal appendages.

A 500-million-year-old fossil of an early relative of spiders, scorpions, and mites offers insights into how this group of arthropods, called chelicerates, evolved. It has clear claws, and is among earliest known example of this feature in chelicerates: spklr.io/63329EysAT
#Palaeontology

Collage shows groups & events.

Happy #FunAtWorkDay! 🎉

At Springer Nature, we believe that great ideas don’t just come from meetings — they come from moments of curiosity, creativity, and a little fun along the way. We know that enjoying what we do helps us do our best work.

#LifeAtSpringerNature #BePartOfProgress

Future scenarios for British biodiversity under climate and land-use change - Nature Communications Climate and land-use change are transforming biodiversity, yet national futures remain uncertain. The study projects growing extinction debts, but suggests that sustainable low-emission pathways can limit the worst impacts on British biodiversity.

Reducing emissions and adopting more sustainable land-use practices could be crucial to reducing the number of plant, bird, and butterfly species heading for extinction across Great Britain, says a modelling study published in @natcomms.nature.com: spklr.io/63322EyWmn

#Ecology

A Springer Nature social media post with the text "Did You Know? Sophie Germain submitted her mathematical work under a male pseudonym to be taken seriously. Her ideas later proved crucial to the theory of elasticity and to advances in number theory."

Born on April 1, 1776, Sophie Germain defied barriers to pursue mathematics and physics. #OnThisDay, we celebrate the pioneering thinker whose work in number theory and elasticity helped shape modern science! ✨

Artemis II mission is about to fly humans to the Moon — here’s the science they’ll do Set to lift off this week, the NASA flight will take astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

Artemis II mission is about to fly humans to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years — here’s the science they’ll do

Read our great intro and explainer by @alexwitze.bsky.social
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www.nature.com/articles/d41...

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Strong nickel enrichment co-located with redox-organic interactions in Neretva Vallis, Mars - Nature Communications NASA’s Perseverance rover detected high nickel abundances in an ancient Martian river channel. Their chemistry resembles nickel enrichments in ancient Earth rocks and may hint at complex redox–organic processes in Mars’ past.

The discovery of nickel-rich Martian rocks in Neretva Vallis — an ancient river channel that once carried water into a lake in Jezero crater — by NASA’s Perseverance rover is described in a paper published in @natcomms.nature.com: spklr.io/63322EyWmM

#PlanetaryScience 🧪