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Volume 538 Issue 7626, 27 October 2016

This special issue of Nature explores some of the concerns of early-career scientists by attempting to give them a voice. We talk to young researchers battling to establish their labs, hoping to innovate and at the same time build a career when so much emphasis is placed on paper counts. And at a time when career progression is hampered by a global postdoc glut, scarce funding and the disappearance of tenure-track posts, we argue in our Editorial on page 427 that it is up to everyone in science � young and old � to ensure that the next generation of researchers is not lost.

Editorial

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World View

  • In the final days before the US election, political leaders must speak out to boost confidence in the democratic process, says Andrew Daniller.

    • Andrew Daniller
    World View
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Research Highlights

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Seven Days

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News

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Correction

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News Feature

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Comment

  • Demand for steady output stymies discovery. To pursue the most important research, scientists must be allowed to shift their focus, say Tolu Oni and colleagues.

    • Tolu Oni
    • Fabio Sciarrino
    • Rob Knight

    Special:

    Comment
  • Scientific quality is hard to define, and numbers are easy to look at. But bibliometrics are warping science — encouraging quantity over quality. Leaders at two research institutions describe how they do things differently.

    • Rinze Benedictus
    • Frank Miedema
    • Mark W. J. Ferguson

    Special:

    Comment
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Books & Arts

  • Brad DeLong examines a study that places the origins of the Industrial Revolution in fifteenth-century Europe.

    • Brad DeLong
    Books & Arts
  • Edward Humes weighs up an analysis of dangerously partial solutions to environmental damage.

    • Edward Humes
    Books & Arts
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Correspondence

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News & Views

  • A 16-year-old synthetic genetic circuit that produces gene-expression oscillations in bacterial cells has been given an upgrade, making it an exceptionally precise biological clock. See Letter p.514

    • Xiaojing J. Gao
    • Michael B. Elowitz
    News & Views
  • In 1991, an energy-efficient solar cell was reported that was both simple in design and relatively inexpensive. This invention has since inspired the development of solar cells that have even higher efficiencies.

    • Mohammad K. Nazeeruddin
    News & Views
  • Variations in opinion between members of a community can be exploited to facilitate desirable changes in attitude, as exemplified by films that explore different beliefs about female genital cutting. See Letter p.506

    • Nicholas A. Christakis
    News & Views
  • Binary and multiple star systems result from the fragmentation of dense material in young molecular clouds. Observations reveal that this can occur on small scales, supporting a previous model of star formation. See Letter p.483

    • Adele Plunkett
    News & Views
  • The human brain can solve highly abstract reasoning problems using a neural network that is entirely physical. The underlying mechanisms are only partially understood, but an artificial network provides valuable insight. See Article p.471

    • Herbert Jaeger
    News & Views
  • A discovery of the sound-producing vocal organ known as the syrinx in a bird fossil from the end of the 'age of dinosaurs' highlights the anatomical basis for myriad aspects of avian social and behavioural evolution. See Letter p.502

    • Patrick M. O'Connor
    News & Views
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Correction

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Article

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Letter

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Corrigendum

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Erratum

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Feature

  • Three advocates explain how their groups are trying to improve junior researchers' experiences.

    • Virginia Gewin

    Special:

    Feature
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Q&A

  • William Tracy is one of only two sweetcorn breeders in the United States. Here's how he hopes to train a new generation.

    • Virginia Gewin
    Q&A
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Futures

  • A well-kept secret.

    • Hall Jameson
    Futures
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Brief Communications Arising

    • Richard J. Telford
    • Joseph D. Chipperfield
    • H. John B. Birks
    Brief Communications Arising
    • S. Kathleen Lyons
    • Joshua H. Miller
    • Nicholas J. Gotelli
    Brief Communications Arising
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Outlook

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Nature Index

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