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---Flora Graham, editor of Nature Briefing

Kelvin Droegemeier, seen here at the University of Oklahoma, is US President Donald Trump's nominee for science adviser. (Travis Caperton, Univ. Oklahoma)

‘Politics shouldn’t interfere with research’ 

That’s the opinion of US President Donald Trump’s pick for science adviser, Kelvin Droegemeier, who made the point at his nomination hearing yesterday. However, the extreme-weather scientist equivocated on whether doubts about the human role in climate change should be included in policy decisions. Droegemeier raised the issue of sexual harassment in research, saying that he will take on this problem if confirmed to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Denny inherited one set of chromosomes from her Neanderthal ancestors, depicted in this model. (Christopher Rynn/University of Dundee)

Mum’s a Neanderthal, Dad’s a Denisovan 

A female thought to be at least 13 years old, who died around 90,000 years ago, is the first-ever person known to be half Neanderthal and half Denisovan. Researchers identified her from a genomic analysis of a bone fragment found in a Siberian cave. Scientists already knew that Denisovans and Neanderthals bred with each other, given genetic variation between ancient and modern humans, but the ancient female is the first time a direct descendant of the two distinct human groups has been found. “To find a first-generation person of mixed ancestry from these groups is absolutely extraordinary,” says population geneticist Pontus Skoglund.

Low-temperature superconductivity can be used to levitate objects, but physicists have long sought room-temperature versions of today’s devices. (Claude Wangen/Alamy)

Superconductor claim ignites physics debate 

A scientific debate played out in a particularly public forum after physicists claimed they had discovered a high-temperature superconductor. The thrill of the potentially explosive breakthrough sparked an example of how social media is creating new places for scientific discussion and cross-pollination. “All these researchers who normally do not discuss on a single platform have come together and discussed this,” says physicist Pratap Raychaudhuri. “I think the self-correcting mechanism of science — the ruthless scrutiny of the community — has worked extremely well.”

Palaeontologist Bruce Lieberman’s study of five million years of molluscs found that the lower your metabolic rate, the more likely the species you belong to will survive. (The Guardian)

Illustration by David Parkins

The battle for the soul of biodiversity 

A rift in the scientific community is threatening a crucial assessment of the world’s disappearing plant and animal life. A conflict infecting the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) pits north against south and science against humanities. The heart of the question: should you put a price on a species? Some groups say that focusing on the economic benefits of biodiversity, and the contribution of ecosystems to human well-being, pushes a Western perspective on an issue that deeply affects non-Western people. Others say that the language of money is the one that people in power understand. At stake is a planet on the edge of an extinction crisis.

(Laurent Gillieron/EPA/Shutterstock)

Chief of Europe’s big brain project steps down 

Chris Ebell, executive director of the European Union’s ambitious Human Brain Project (HPB), has left his post following “differences of opinion on governance and on strategic orientations”. The 10-year, €1-billion (US$1.1-billion) project aims to build a computer simulation of the human brain. The HPB got a major organizational reshuffle in 2015 after a very public bunfight between Europe's neuroscientists about the management and direction of the project.

Nazneen Rahman. (Rebecca Reid/eyevine)

Geneticist loses grant over bullying allegations 

The Wellcome Trust has revoked a £3.5-million (US$4.5-million) grant awarded to a top cancer geneticist, Nazneen Rahman, following allegations that she bullied people when she worked at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London. The decision to pull the funding represents the first implementation of the charity’s pioneering anti-bullying and anti-harassment policy. Rahman has resigned from the ICR, which did not take disciplinary action.

I'm back! Apologies for any Canadianisms that sneak in until I readapt. My thanks to the Nature news team for keeping the stick on the ice in my absence. Today I'm thrilled to introduce our new cartoon series, created by Nature illustrator Nik Spencer. Let us know if you LOLed at [email protected]. 

Thanks for reading, eh! 

Flora Graham, senior editor, Nature Briefing

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