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An invertebrate known as a siphonophore swims 552 meters deep in the tropical South Atlantic Ocean and is one of 31 species discovered during a deep-sea expedition off the coast of Brazil. The researchers explored the mid-ocean, an area that extends from just below the sunlit surface to the sea floor, and forms the largest habitable ecosystem on Earth. Using laser imaging tools, the team captured millimeter-scale 3D images of animals in their natural habitat.

See more of the best science photos of the month, selected by NatureThe photography equipment.

Nature | Move calmly

Neuronal activity in the olfactory bulb (the area of ​​the brain responsible for processing information about odors) follows a constant rhythm that could explain how humans can smell through relatively long sniffs compared to other mammals. Researchers found that a person’s inhalation caused an increase in electrical activity called theta oscillation, which repeats a few times per second. This neural pattern was only activated when people deliberately smelled it, suggesting that the intention to smell something is what triggers the increase.

Tierra.com | 5 minutes of reading

Reference: Scientific advances paper

Paint can be full of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), widely used but toxic “permanent chemicals” that do not break down naturally. The bad news is that most of the paint used in homes and businesses also remains for a long time, first on surfaces and then in landfills. “Therefore, even if the use of PFAS in paints were reduced or phased out today, substantial emissions could still occur in the future due to the large quantities already present in existing buildings,” notes environmental scientist Patrick Byrne.

World of chemistry | 6 minutes of reading

Reference: Chemical circularity paper

Features and opinion

In The chip eraComputer engineer Rakesh Kumar explains how semiconductor chips have become the material substrate of contemporary energy. Kumar traces the history of computing to detail how institutions, not lone geniuses, drove chip development over the years. The book is “miraculous” in its strongest sections, writes science journalist Chris Stokel-Walker in his review, with accessible explanations of how semiconductors work and the global markets that surround them. But in comparison, some parts “seem sloppy and hastily put together.”

Nature | 6 minutes of reading

Hydration breaks at the men’s World Cup risk undermining confidence in heat health research, argues environmental physiologist Harry Brown. Stoppages are used regardless of the temperature in stadiums (allowing teams to discuss tactics) and appear to be linked to television schedules and advertising revenue. Breaks “risk becoming another example of good science being lost in translation” if they are not used to cool down players, Brown writes. “It’s not the pause in the game, but how it is used.”

Nature | 5 minutes of reading

In the arms race between universities and chatbot cheaters, tools that claim to be able to identify text written by AI are proliferating. But the tools vary in quality and innocent students have been accused of outsourcing their essays to AI. So should detectors be used? “Yes, they can work, but the fact that there are so many concerns about false positives means that they really shouldn’t be used when it comes to something that is sensitive to a student,” says Mike Perkins, who researches the impact of AI in academia.

Nature | 17 minute read

On Friday Leif Penguinson was exploring Hegyestű, an ancient basalt volcano in Balaton-Felvidéki National Park, Hungary. Did you find the penguin? When you’re ready, here’s the answer.

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Flora Graham, Editor-in-Chief, Nature Briefing

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