GoKawiilA decades-long experiment has brought researchers no closer to the value of the gravitational constant. Plus, how the X and Y chromosomes affect your health and why malaria is rising despite the advent of vaccines.
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Stephan Schlamminger (left) and colleague Vincent Lee with the equipment used to measure big G.Credit: R. Eskalis/NIST
The results of a decade-long experiment have brought scientists no closer to pinning down the value of Big G, the constant that describes the gravitational pull between objects. The experiment aimed to replicate research published in 2013, but resulted in a number that disagreed with those results and with the value that’s considered the best current estimate of G. The work is “soul draining”, says physicist Stephan Schlamminger, co-author of the latest study. But he is driven by the challenge. “It must be possible for humans to measure this number.”
Nature | 5 min read
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to streamline research into psychedelic compounds and to make it easier for people with certain illnesses to access these drugs. It calls out by name the potent and long-lasting psychedelic ibogaine, which is something of a scientific mystery, in part because it is one of the most tightly controlled drugs in the United States. The move has been welcomed by researchers who see potential for drugs, including psilocybin and MDMA, in treating conditions such as addiction, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. But scientists are also concerned about possible side effects, and the impact on health services if the drugs are approved.
Nature | 7 min read
Infographic of the week
Source: 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer report
More than two-thirds of the public believe at least one false or unproven health claim, according to a survey across 16 countries. People who believed three or more of the claims were as likely to have attended university and more likely to consume health news than were those who believed fewer of them, suggesting that a proliferation of conflicting information is a bigger problem than simply being ill-informed. (Nature | 7 min read)
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