This week: spider-inspired motion detectors, electric eels zap the neurons of their victims, a new type of pluripotent cell is revealed, and we take stock of how much life exists on earth today – and how quickly it could vanish in the future.

www.nature.com/nature/index.html

This week: the development of cultures in wild birds, a new paper confirms earthquakes in the north of England were caused by fracking, how primates got their first taste of alcohol 10 million years ago, and old shells reveal early artwork by Homo erectus.

www.nature.com/nature/index.html

This week – a newly designed coating that can help cool buildings without the need for electricity, the science of sex laid bare, brain-linked devices attract serious attention from the FDA – and weaknesses in the modern publishing system are exposed as authors are caught reviewing their own papers.

www.nature.com/nature/index.html

Early childhood is a crucial period. The environment that a child grows up in - their family and neighborhood - influences their health and development for the rest of their life. In this podcast we hear about an ambitious attempt to synthesize 200 studies linking social inequity to childhood health outcomes in Europe.

www.nature.com/pr/index.html

This week: an experiment reveals how professional identity can increase dishonesty in the financial industry, beams of twisted light carry data over Vienna's skyline, how the norovirus could actually benefit the body - and we capture the bumpy moment The European Space Agency’s Philae probe successfully landed on a comet surface.

www.nature.com/nature/index.html

This week: the global diet and its effect on human and environmental health, a look at the burden and stigma of depression, the threat of invasive plant species, how the gut microbiome could affect the brain - and physicist Kip Thorne discusses the science he embedded in space blockbuster Interstellar.

www.nature.com/nature/index.html

This week: an ancient skull discovered in Madagascar provides insight into the mysterious Gondwanathere mammals, wild chimps plan ahead to improve their chances of a tasty breakfast, a new technique that could open up low-cost technology for particle colliders, and a look at the unfortunate events in space travel this week.

www.nature.com/nature/index.html

This week: we explore the 100 most cited papers of all time, mysterious radio pulses that look like they came from deep space may actually be from earth, questions are raised about NASA’s plans to retrieve part of an asteroid – and how Mary Somerville became one of the most popular science writers of her day.

www.nature.com/nature/index.html

This week: palaeontologists have completed the picture of a rather unique looking dinosaur, hundreds of exocomets are found circling around another star, an insight into what gladiators ate before going into battle – and drugs given to cattle poison a vulture in Spain.

www.nature.com/nature/index.html

This week: Natural gas from fracking may not ease carbon dioxide levels, large cities relying on surface water will get thirstier as urban populations boom, watching Alzheimer's unfold in a mini 3D brain - and doubt is cast on the use of mirrors in behavioural experiments as some fish fail to see their reflections as rivals.

www.nature.com/nature/index.html