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Atelopus, or stubfoot, toads are particularly susceptible to chytrid fungi.Credit: Javier Aznar/NaturePL

The frog-killing chytrid fungus is responsible for the demise of more species than any other pathogen on record. It has caused the decline of at least 501 amphibian species worldwide in the past half century, including 90 that have gone extinct. Scientists say that more effective biosecurity and an immediate reduction in wildlife trade are essential to stopping the spread. “The unprecedented lethality of a single disease affecting an entire vertebrate class highlights the threat from the spread of pathogens in a globalized world,” write the study authors.

Nature | 4 min read

Reference: Science paper

Conflict within the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee is raising worries that the group’s findings will be more influenced by politics than by science. At stake is the country's legally binding air-quality standards — and public health. The committee’s head, statistician Tony Cox, has long questioned the evidence linking fine particulate pollution to premature deaths. A previous chair, environmental engineer Christopher Frey, calls it “one of the most robust scientific findings in air-pollution health”.

Nature | 6 min read

Contaminants carried by the ubiquitous magnetic stirring bar might bias the results of chemical and biochemical reactions. Over time, cracks in the bars’ plastic coating trap metal atoms and carry them from one experiment to another — and routine cleaning doesn’t help.

Nature Research Highlights | 1 min read

Reference: ACS Catalysis paper

Get more of Nature’s Research Highlights: short picks from the latest papers.

FEATURES & OPINION

Some 20% of people worldwide experience chronic pain — and most are women. Now, researchers are discovering that certain pain pathways vary considerably between the sexes, with immune cells and hormones having key roles in differing responses. And if the roots of pain are different, some drugs might work better in some people than in others.

Nature | 11 min read

This week’s Nature Podcast explores how Mount Kilimanjaro’s climate modulates the effects of human land use on the ecosystems of Africa’s highest mountain. Also in the podcast this week, ‘plastic crystals’ show peculiar properties under pressure and could be used in refrigeration.

Nature Podcast | 30 min listen

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INFOGRAPHIC OF THE WEEK

BOOKS & ARTS

The Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt depicts scenes from the naturalist’s travels.Credit: Written by Andrea Wulf, Illustrated by Lillian Melcher

Historian Andrea Wulf follows up her delightful biography of naturalist Alexander von Humboldt with a graphic work of non-fiction depicting his five-year exploration of Latin America as a young man. See more of artist Lillian Melcher’s fabulous illustrations of Humboldt’s extraordinary adventure in Nature’s review.

Nature | 4 min read

Barbara Kiser’s pick of the top five science books to read this week includes fighting for air, mathematical mayhem, and beguiling bats.

Nature | 2 min read

SCIENTIFIC LIFE

Academics and editors need to stop pretending that software always catches recycled text and start reading more carefully, says media and computing researcher Debora Weber-Wulff. After 15 years of testing plagiarism-detection software, Weber-Wulff says that the results are often hard to interpret, difficult to navigate, and sometimes just wrong.

Nature | 5 min read

Happy (un)Brexit day! If you’re pondering moving your research career to the heart of Europe, Nature has the career guide for you. Discover what it’s like to live and work as a scientist in Germany in this 12-part collection.

Nature | 12-part collection

For organizational psychologist Caroline Kamau, legislative changes have turned media interviews from a fun activity into an essential means of demonstrating the impact of her research. Kamau outlines five ways of maximizing the value of television, radio and print interviews to reach the people you most want to.

Nature | 7 min read

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

Say hi to Ancistrus patronus, one of six new species of catfish discovered in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. The male fish have tentacles on their snouts that look like eggs, suggesting to potential mates that they make good fathers. And, in fact, they do: ‘patronus’ means protector, honouring how the fish guard their nests and chase away predators.Zootaxa paper

See more of our picture editors’ picks for best science photos of the month.