News Q&A in 2016

Thomas Zurbuchen on the agency’s Earth-science programmes and the transition to a new president.

Researchers who tested intervention to reduce spam say ‘Get familiar with the delete button.’

When opinions are symbols of belonging, our brains work overtime to keep us believing, says Dan Kahan.

Philippe Mauguin discusses the balance between basic and applied research, a return to GM crops — and how scientists have settled down since his appointment.

Joshua Gordon says that his focus at the National Institute of Mental Health will be on quick wins, brain circuits and mathematical rigour.

Alex Bocharov explains why the company is hoping to build qubits out of particles that some scientists think might not even exist.

For the head of AstraZeneca’s genomics initiative, the challenge is not just getting the sequences, but in putting them to use — wisely.

'Reproducibility editor' Victoria Stodden explains the growing movement to make code and data available to others.

Lino Barañao, the only minister to stay in power after last year's elections, lays out his plans.

Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg seeks insight into why migrants are so vulnerable to mental illness.

Chemist Claudio Bifano tells Nature about daily life in a country gripped by hunger, scarcity and violence.

Neil Johnson explains what he learned when his team analysed nearly 200 pro-ISIS online communities.

Thierry Mandon on cutting red tape, French researchers’ self-effacement and shaking up social science.

Marine ecologist Terry Hughes talks about the ongoing bleaching of the world’s most famous coral reef.

Drug researcher David Nutt discusses brain-imaging studies with hallucinogens.

Erin O’Shea talks to Nature about her plans for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Maryland.

Pan Jian-Wei is masterminding a project to test quantum entanglement in space.