Nature, Published online: 21 May 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01656-9

A robotic device helps children with spinal muscular atrophy build up strength in their knees. Plus, a tough peer-review process could lead to a more-cited paper and chemists’ mission to replace ‘forever chemicals’.

Nature, Published online: 16 April 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01265-6

Data generated by AI ‘teachers’ can subliminally pass on particular traits to ‘student’ models. Plus, sperm-whale communication is structured similarly to some human languages and the success of China’s ‘Great Green Wall’.