Nature (journal): Difference between revisions

{{Short description|British scientific journal since 1869}}

{{Use British English Oxford spelling|date=November 2017}}

| discipline = [[Natural sciencesscience]]s

| caption = Cover of a 2016 issue of ''Nature'' featuring artistic representation of [[Proxima Centauri]] and its planet [[Proxima Centauri b]]

| publisher = [[Nature ResearchPortfolio]] ([[subsidiary]] of [[Springer Nature]])

| country = [[United Kingdom]]

| openaccess = Hybrid

| impact = 6450.85

| impact-year = 20222023

'''''Nature''''' is a British weekly [[scientific journal]] founded and based in [[London|London]], England]]. As a multidisciplinary publication, ''Nature'' features [[Peer review|peer-reviewed]] research from a variety of academic disciplines, mainly in science and technology. It has core editorial offices across the United States, continental Europe, and Asia under the international scientific publishing company [[Springer Nature]]. ''Nature'' was one of the world's most cited scientific journals by the Science Edition of the 2022 ''[[Journal Citation Reports]]'' (with an ascribed [[impact factor]] of 6450.85),<ref name="WoS">{{cite book|title=20222023 Journal Citation Reports|title-link=Journal Citation Reports|publisher=[[Clarivate Analytics]]|year=20222024|edition=Science|series=[[Web of Science]]|chapter=Nature}}</ref> making it one of the world's most-read and most prestigious [[academic journals]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Huxley |first1=T. H. |title=Nature: Aphorisms by Goethe |journal=Nature |date=November 1869 |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=9–11 |doi=10.1038/001009a0 |bibcode=1869Natur...1....9H |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fersht |first1=Alan |title=The most influential journals: Impact Factor and Eigenfactor |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=28 April 2009 |volume=106 |issue=17 |pages=6883–6884 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0903307106 |pmid=19380731 |pmc=2678438 |bibcode=2009PNAS..106.6883F |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Scholar Metrics: Top Publications |url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=top_venues|publisher=Google Scholar}}</ref> {{As of|2012}}, it claimed an online readership of about three million unique readers per month.<ref name=":2" />

Nature mostly publishes research articles. Spotlight articles are not research papers but mostly news or magazine style papers and hence do not count towards impact factor nor receive similar recognition as research articles. Some spotlight articles are also paid by partners or sponsors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spotlights in NATURE | date=28 September 2023 |url=https://www.nature.com/nature/articles?type=spotlight}}</ref>

The enormoushuge progress in science and mathematics during the 19th century was recorded in journals written mostly in [[German language|German]] or [[French language|French]], as well as in [[English language|English]]. Britain underwent enormous technological and industrial changes and advances particularly in the latter half of the 19th century.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Schroeder |first1=Robert |last2=Siegel |first2=Gretta E |s2cid=143466709 |title=A Cooperative Publishing Model for Sustainable Scholarship |journal=Journal of Scholarly Publishing |date=2006 |volume=37 |issue=2 |pages=86–98 |doi=10.1353/scp.2006.0006 |url=https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/ulib_fac/66 }}</ref> The most respected scientific journals of this time were the refereed journals of the [[Royal Society]], which had published many of the great works from [[Isaac Newton]] and [[Michael Faraday]] to [[Charles Darwin]]. In addition, the number of popular science periodicals doubled from the 1850s to the 1860s.<ref name="Bar3">{{harvnb|Barton|1996|p=3}}</ref> According to the editors of these popular science magazines, the publications were designed to serve as "organs of science", in essence, a means of connecting the public to the scientific world.<ref name="Bar3"/>

''Nature'', first created in 1869, was not the first magazine of its kind in Britain. One journal to precede ''Nature'' was ''Recreative Science: A Record and Remembrancer of Intellectual Observation'',<ref>{{Cite web|title=Recreative Science: Record and Remembrancer of Intellectual Observation (1860-621860–62)|url=https://conscicom.web.ox.ac.uk/article/recreative-science-record-and-remembrancer-of-intellectual-observation-1860-62|access-date=2021-05-13|website=conscicom.web.ox.ac.uk|language=en}}</ref> which, created in 1859, began as a [[natural history]] magazine and progressed to include more physical observational science and technical subjects and less natural history.<ref name="Bar7">{{harvnb|Barton|1996|p=7}}</ref> The journal's name changed from its original title to ''Intellectual Observer: A Review of Natural History, Microscopic Research, and Recreative Science''<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Intellectual Observer: Review of Natural History, Microscopic Research and Recreative Science (1862-681862–68)|url=https://conscicom.web.ox.ac.uk/article/the-intellectual-observer-review-of-natural-history-microscopic-research-and-recreative-scie|access-date=2021-05-13|website=conscicom.web.ox.ac.uk|language=en}}</ref> and then to the ''Student and Intellectual Observer of Science, Literature, and Art''.<ref name="Bar6">{{harvnb|Barton|1996|p=6}}</ref> While ''Recreative Science'' had attempted to include more [[Outline of physical science|physical sciences]] such as [[astronomy]] and [[archaeology]], the ''Intellectual Observer'' broadened itself further to include literature and art as well.<ref name="Bar6"/> Similar to ''Recreative Science'' was the scientific journal ''Popular Science Review'', created in 1862,<ref name="Bar13">{{harvnb|Barton|1996|p=13}}</ref> which covered different fields of science by creating subsections titled "Scientific Summary" or "Quarterly Retrospect", with book reviews and commentary on the latest scientific works and publications.<ref name="Bar13"/> Two other journals produced in England prior to the development of ''Nature'' were the ''[[Quarterly Journal of Science]]'' and ''Scientific Opinion'', established in 1864 and 1868, respectively.<ref name="Bar6"/> The journal most closely related to ''Nature'' in its editorship and format was ''[[The Reader (weekly)|The Reader]]'', created in 1863; the publication mixed science with literature and art in an attempt to reach an audience outside of the scientific community, similar to ''Popular Science Review''.<ref name="Bar6"/>

[[Norman Lockyer]], the founder of ''Nature'', was a professor at [[Imperial College]]. He was succeeded as editor in 1919 by [[Sir Richard Gregory, 1st Baronet|Sir Richard Gregory]].<ref name="NPG">{{cite web |url=https://nature.com/npg_/company_info/timeline1.html#/nature/history/timeline_1860s.html |title=Nature Research: History |website=nature.comNature |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061115084545/http://npg.nature.com/npg/servlet/Content?data=xml%2F02_history.xml&style=xml%2F02_history.xsl#/nature/history/timeline_1860s.html |archive-date=15 November 2006 |access-date=6 December 2018 }}</ref> Gregory helped to establish ''Nature'' in the international scientific community. His obituary by the Royal Society stated: "Gregory was always very interested in the international contacts of science, and in the columns of ''Nature'' he always gave generous space to accounts of the activities of the International Scientific Unions."<ref>{{cite journal |title=Richard Arman Gregory, 1864-19521864–1952 |journal=Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society |date=January 1997 |volume=8 |issue=22 |pages=410–417 |doi=10.1098/rsbm.1953.0007 |doi-access=free }}</ref> During the years 1945 to 1973, editorship of ''Nature'' changed three times, first in 1945 to A. J. V. Gale and [[L. J. F. Brimble]] (who in 1958 became the sole editor), then to [[John Maddox]] in 1965, and finally to [[David 'Dai' Davies|David Davies]] in 1973.<ref name="NPG"/> In 1980, Maddox returned as editor and retained his position until 1995. [[Philip Campbell (scientist)|Philip Campbell]] became Editor-in-chief of all ''Nature'' publications until 2018. [[Magdalena Skipper]] has since become Editor-in-chief.<ref name="NPG"/>

In 1970, ''Nature'' first opened its Washington office; other branches opened in New York in 1985, [[Tokyo]] and [[Munich]] in 1987, Paris in 1989, San Francisco in 2001, Boston in 2004, and [[Hong Kong]] in 2005. In 1971, under [[John Maddox]]'s editorship, the journal split into ''Nature Physical Sciences'' (published on Mondays), ''Nature New Biology'' (published on Wednesdays), and ''Nature'' (published on Fridays). In 1974, Maddox was no longer editor, and the journals were merged into ''Nature''.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Nature |url=https://www.nature.com/nature/about/history-of-nature |website=Nature }}</ref> Starting in the 1980s, the journal underwent a great deal of expansion, launching over ten new journals. These new journals comprise Nature Research, which was created in 1999 under the name Nature Publishing Group and includes ''Nature'', [[List of Nature Research journals|Nature Research Journals]], Stockton Press Specialist Journals and Macmillan Reference (renamed NPG Reference). In 1996, ''Nature'' created its own website<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.nature.com/npg_/company_info/timeline2.html|title = Branching out (1970–1999)|access-date = 13 November 2014|website = nature.com|publisher = Nature Research |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629183906/http://www.nature.com/npg_/company_info/timeline2.html |archive-date=June 29, 2007 }}</ref> and in 1999 Nature Publishing Group began its series of ''Nature Reviews''.<ref name="NPG" /> Some articles and papers are available for free on the Nature website, while others require the purchase of premium access to the site. {{As of|2012}}, ''Nature'' claimed an online readership of about 3 million unique readers per month.<ref name=":2">{{cite journal |title=Announcement: A new iPad app for Nature readers |journal=Nature |date=12 December 2012 |volume=492 |issue=7428 |pages=154 |doi=10.1038/492154a |doi-access=free }}</ref>

On 30 October 2008, ''Nature'' endorsed an American presidential candidate for the first time when it supported [[Barack Obama]] during his campaign in [[2008 United States presidential election|America's 2008 presidential election]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=America's choice |journal=Nature |date=29 October 2008 |volume=455 |issue=7217 |pages=1149 |doi=10.1038/4551149a |pmid=18971969 |bibcode=2008Natur.455Q1149. |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Brian |last=Angliss |url=http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/10/31/nature-endorses-obama/ |title=Weekly science journal ''Nature'' endorses a presidential candidate: Barack Obama (updated) |website=Scholars & Rogues |date=31 October 2008 |access-date=2017-11-04}}</ref> In October 2012, an [[Nature Arabic Edition|Arabic edition]] of the magazine was launched in partnership with [[King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology]]. As of the time it was released, it had about 10,000 subscribers.<ref name="NatureME">{{cite journal |last1=Yahia |first1=Mohammed |title=Nature Arabic Edition launches |journal=Nature Middle East |date=18 October 2012 |doi=10.1038/nmiddleeast.2012.149 }}</ref> On 2 December 2014, ''Nature'' announced that it would allow its subscribers and a group of selected media outlets to share links allowing free, "read-only" access to content from its journals. These articles are presented using the [[digital rights management]] system [[ReadCube]] (which is funded by the Macmillan subsidiary Digital Science), and does not allow readers to download, copy, print, or otherwise distribute the content. While it does, to an extent, provide free online access to articles, it is not a true [[open access]] scheme due to its restrictions on re-use and distribution.<ref name="wired-naturefreeview">{{cite web|title=Nature journal subscribers can now share article links globally|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-12/02/nature-publishing|website=Wired.co.uk|access-date=3 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202182430/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-12/02/nature-publishing|archive-date=2 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="guardian-npgreadonly">{{cite news |last1=Yuhas |first1=Alan |title=Science journal Nature to make archives available online |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/02/nature-archives-free |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=2 December 2014 }}</ref> On 15 January 2015, details of a proposed merger with Springer Science+Business Media were announced.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schuetze |first1=Arno |title=Nature magazine publisher to merge with Springer Science |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/publishing-ma/nature-magazine-publisher-to-merge-with-springer-science-idUSF9N0TV00F20150115 |work=Reuters |date=15 January 2015 }}</ref>

==Publication in ''Nature''==

[[File:Nature citations per article, 2013-2015.jpg|thumb|Skewed curve of citations per article in 2015 to ''Nature'' articles from 2013 to 2014]]

According to ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]'', another academic journal, being published in ''Nature'' has been known to carry a certain level of prestige in academia.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Callier |first1=Viviane |title=Yes, it is getting harder to publish in prestigious journals if you haven't already |journal=Science |date=10 December 2018 |doi=10.1126/science.caredit.aaw3380 |s2cid=165486966 }}</ref> In particular, empirical papers are often highly cited, which can lead to promotions, grant funding, and attention from the mainstream media. Because of these [[positive feedback]] effects, competition among scientists to publish in high-level journals like ''Nature'' and its closest competitor, ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]'', can be very fierce. ''Nature''{{'}}s [[impact factor]], a measure of how many citations a journal generates in other works, was 42.778 in 2019 (as measured by [[Institute for Scientific Information|Thomson ISI]]).<ref name="WoS" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Journal metrics {{!}} Nature Research|url=https://www.nature.com/nature-research/about/journal-metrics|website=www.nature.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Nature|url=https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=21206&tip=sid|website=www.scimagojr.com|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref> However, as with many journals, most papers receive far fewer citations than the impact factor would indicate.<ref>{{Citecite bioRxiv journal|last1=Larivière |first1=Vincent |last2=Kiermer |first2=Véronique |last3=MacCallum |first3=Catriona J. |last4=McNutt |first4=Marcia |last5=Patterson |first5=Mark |last6=Pulverer |first6=Bernd |last7=Swaminathan |first7=Sowmya |last8=Taylor |first8=Stuart |last9=Curry |first9=Stephen |date=2016-07-05 |title=A simple proposal for the publication of journal citation distributions|journal=bioRxiv|page=062109|url=http://biorxiv.org/lookup/doi/10.1101/062109 |language=en |doibiorxiv=10.1101/062109|hdl=1866/23301|s2cid=64293941|hdl-access=free}}</ref> ''Nature''<nowiki/>'s journal impact factor carries a long tail.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Callaway|first=Ewen|date=2016-07-14|title=Beat it, impact factor! Publishing elite turns against controversial metric|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=535|issue=7611|pages=210–211|doi=10.1038/nature.2016.20224|pmid=27411614|bibcode=2016Natur.535..210C|s2cid=4452614|issn=0028-0836|doi-access=free}}</ref>

{{quoteblockquote|It is intended, FIRST, to place before the general public the grand results of Scientific Work and Scientific Discovery; and to urge the claims of Science to a more general recognition in Education and in Daily Life; and, SECONDLY, to aid Scientific men themselves, by giving early information of all advances made in any branch of Natural knowledge throughout the world, and by affording them an opportunity of discussing the various Scientific questions which arise from time to time.<ref name=nature1869>{{cite web |url=http://media.nature.com/full/nature-cms/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/7568/mission.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221010/http://media.nature.com/full/nature-cms/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/7568/mission.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-10 |url-status=live |title=Nature's mission statement |access-date=13 June 2020 |work= nature.comNature |date=11 November 1869 }} Reprinted as: {{cite journal |title=A Weekly Illustrated Journal of Science (Reprinted from Nature, January 20, 1870) |journal=Nature |date=November 1969 |volume=224 |issue=5218 |pages=424 |doi=10.1038/224424a0 |bibcode=1969Natur.224..424W |author1=Wordsworth |s2cid=4255504 |doi-access=free }}</ref>}}

This was later{{Year needed|date=September 2023}} revised to:

{{quoteblockquote|First, to serve scientists through prompt publication of significant advances in any branch of science, and to provide a forum for the reporting and discussion of news and issues concerning science. Second, to ensure that the results of science are rapidly disseminated to the public throughout the world, in a fashion that conveys their significance for knowledge, culture and daily life.<ref name=nature2000>{{cite web |url=http://www.nature.com/nature/about/index.html |title=Nature's mission statement |website=nature.comNature|date=15 June 2023 }}</ref>}}

* '''[[Wave nature]] of particles''' ([[Davisson–Germer experiment]]) — <small>{{Cite journal | author=[[C. Davisson]] and [[L. H. Germer]] | s2cid=4104602 | title=The scattering of electrons by a single crystal of nickel | journal=Nature | year=1927 | volume=119 | pages=558–560 | doi=10.1038/119558a0|bibcode = 1927Natur.119..558D | issue=2998|ref=none | url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Scattering_of_Electrons_by_a_Single_Crystal_of_Nickel.pdf}}</small>

* '''The [[neutron]]''' — <small>{{Cite journal | author=J. Chadwick | s2cid=4076465 | title=Possible existence of a neutron | journal=Nature | year=1932 | volume=129 | page=312 | doi=10.1038/129312a0|bibcode = 1932Natur.129Q.312C | issue=3252 | author-link= J. Chadwick| doi-access=free |ref=none |url=}}</small>

* '''[[Nuclear fission]]''' — <small>{{Cite journal | author=[[L. Meitner]] and [[O. R. Frisch]] | s2cid=4113262 | title=Disintegration of uranium by neutrons: a new type of nuclear reaction | journal=Nature | year=1939 | volume=143 | pages=239–240 | doi=10.1038/143239a0|bibcode = 1939Natur.143..239M | issue=3615|ref=none}}</small>

* '''The structure of [[DNA]]''' — <small>{{Cite journal | author=[[J. D. Watson]] and [[F. H. C. Crick]] | s2cid=4253007 | title=Molecular structure of Nucleic Acids: A structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid | journal=Nature | year=1953 | volume=171 | pages=737–738 | doi=10.1038/171737a0 | pmid=13054692 | issue=4356|bibcode = 1953Natur.171..737W | title-link=Molecular structure of Nucleic Acids |ref=none}}</small>

* '''First molecular [[protein]] structure''' ([[myoglobin]]) — <small>{{Cite journal |author1=J. C. Kendrew |author2=G. Bodo |author3=H. M. Dintzis |author4=R. G. Parrish |author5=H. Wyckoff |author6=D. C. Phillips |s2cid=4162786 | title=A three-dimensional model of the myoglobin molecule obtained by X-ray analysis | journal=Nature | year=1958 | volume=181 | pages=662–666 | doi = 10.1038/181662a0 | pmid= 13517261 | issue= 4610|bibcode = 1958Natur.181..662K |ref=none }}</small>

* '''[[Plate tectonics]]''' — <small>{{Cite journal | author=J. Tuzo Wilson| s2cid=4226266 | title=Did the Atlantic close and then re-open? | journal=Nature | year=1966 | volume=211 | pages=676–681| doi=10.1038/211676a0|bibcode = 1966Natur.211..676W | issue=5050 | author-link= J. Tuzo Wilson| doi-access=free |ref=none}}</small>

* '''[[Pulsars]]''' — <small>{{Cite journal | author-link=Antony Hewish|first1=A. |last1=Hewish|author-link2=Jocelyn Bell Burnell|first2=S. J. |last2=Bell|first3=J. D. H. |last3=Pilkington|first4=P. F. |last4=Scott|first5=R. A. |last5=Collins| s2cid=4277613 | title=Observation of a Rapidly Pulsating Radio Source | journal=Nature | year=1968 | volume=217 | pages=709–713| doi=10.1038/217709a0 | bibcode=1968Natur.217..709H | issue=5130|ref=none}}</small>

* '''The [[ozone hole]]''' — <small>{{Cite journal | author=[[Joe Farman|J. C. Farman]], [[Brian G. Gardiner (meteorologist)|B. G. Gardiner]] and [[Jon Shanklin|J. D. Shanklin]] | s2cid=4346468 | title=Large losses of total ozone in Antarctica reveal seasonal ClOx/NOx interaction | journal=Nature | year=1985 | volume=315 | pages=207–210 | doi=10.1038/315207a0 | issue=6016|bibcode = 1985Natur.315..207F|ref=none }}</small>

* '''First [[cloning]] of a [[mammal]]''' ([[Dolly the sheep]]) — <small>{{Cite journal |author-link1=Ian Wilmut|first1=I.|last1=Wilmut|first2=A. E. |last2=Schnieke|first3=J. |last3=McWhir|first4=A. J. |last4=Kind |author-link5=Keith Campbell (biologist)|first5=K. H. S. |last5=Campbell | s2cid=4260518 | title=Viable offspring derived from fetal and adult mammalian cells | journal=Nature | year=1997 | volume=385 | pages=810–813 | doi=10.1038/385810a0 | issue=6619 | pmid=9039911|bibcode = 1997Natur.385..810W |ref=none}}</small>

* '''The [[human genome]]''' — <small>{{Cite journal | author=International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium | title=Initial sequencing and analysis of the human genome | journal=Nature | year=2001 | volume=409 | issue=6822 | pages=860–921 | doi=10.1038/35057062 | pmid=11237011| bibcode=2001Natur.409..860L |hdl=2027.42/62798 | doi-access=free|ref=none | hdl-access=free }}</small>

In 2017, ''Nature'' published an editorial entitled "Removing Statues of Historical figures risks whitewashing history: Science must acknowledge mistakes as it marks its past". The article commented on the placement and maintenance of statues honouring scientists with known unethical, abusive and torturous histories. Specifically, the editorial called on examples of [[J. Marion Sims]], the 'Father of gynecology' who experimented on African American female slaves who were unable to give informed consent, and [[Thomas Parran Jr.]] who oversaw the [[Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment]]. The editorial as written made the case that removing such statues, and erasing names, runs the risk of "whitewashing history", and stated "Instead of removing painful reminders, perhaps these should be supplemented". The article caused a large outcry and was quickly modified by Nature.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Science must acknowledge its past mistakes and crimes |journal=Nature |date=7 September 2017 |volume=549 |issue=7670 |pages=5–6 |doi=10.1038/549005b |pmid=28880309 |bibcode=2017Natur.549R...5. |s2cid=4462464 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The article was largely seen as offensive, inappropriate, and by many, racist. ''Nature'' acknowledged that the article as originally written was "offensive and poorly worded" and published selected letters of response.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Readers respond to Nature's Editorial on historical monuments |journal=Nature |date=8 September 2017 |doi=10.1038/nature.2017.22584 }}</ref> The editorial came just weeks after hundreds of white supremacists marched in [[Charlottesville, Virginia]], in the [[Unite the Right Rally|Unite the Right rally]] to oppose the removal of [[Robert E. Lee Monument (Charlottesville, Virginia)|a statue of Robert E. Lee]], setting off violence in the streets and killing a young woman. When Nature posted a link to the editorial on [[Twitter]], the thread quickly exploded with criticisms. In response, several scientists called for a boycott.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Schulson |first=Michael |title=History Lessons for 'Nature'|date=17 September 2017 |newspaper=Undark Magazine |url=https://undark.org/article/nature-journal-j-marion-sims/}}</ref> On 18 September 2017, the editorial was updated and edited by Philip Campbell, the editor of the journal.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Campbell |first1=Philip |s2cid=47247939 |title=Statues: an editorial response |journal=Nature |date=18 September 2017 |volume=549 |issue=7672 |pages=334 |doi=10.1038/549334c |pmid=28922663 |bibcode=2017Natur.549..334C }}</ref>

{{quoteblockquote|[T]here are unarguable ''faux pas'' in our history. These include the rejection of [[Čherenkov radiation|Cherenkov radiation]], [[Hideki Yukawa]]'s [[meson]], work on [[photosynthesis]] by [[Johann Deisenhofer]], [[Robert Huber]] and [[Hartmut Michel]], and the initial rejection (but eventual acceptance) of [[Stephen Hawking]]'s [[Hawking radiation|black-hole radiation]].<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Nature |date=16 October 2003 |title=Coping with peer rejection |volume=425 |page=645 |doi=10.1038/425645a |pmid=14562060 |issue=6959 |bibcode=2003Natur.425..645.|doi-access=free }}</ref>}}

In June 1988, after nearly a year of guided scrutiny from its editors, ''Nature'' published a controversial and seemingly anomalous paper detailing [[Jacques Benveniste]] and his team's work studying human [[Basophilwater granulocyte|basophilmemory]] [[degranulation]] in the presence of extremely dilute [[antibody]] serum.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Davenas |first1=E. |last2=Beauvais |first2=F. |last3=Amara |first3=J. |last4=Oberbaum |first4=M. |last5=Robinzon |first5=B. |last6=Miadonnai |first6=A. |last7=Tedeschi |first7=A. |last8=Pomeranz |first8=B. |last9=Fortner |first9=P. |last10=Belon |first10=P. |last11=Sainte-Laudy |first11=J. |last12=Poitevin |first12=B. |last13=Benveniste |first13=J. |s2cid=12992106 |title=Human basophil degranulation triggered by very dilute antiserum against IgE |journal=Nature |date=June 1988 |volume=333 |issue=6176 |pages=816–818 |doi=10.1038/333816a0 |pmid=2455231 |bibcode=1988Natur.333..816D }}</ref> The paper concluded that less than a single molecule of [[antibody]] diluted in water could trigger an immune response in human [[basophils]], defying the physical [[law of mass action]]. The paper excited substantial media attention in Paris, chiefly because their research sought funding from [[homeopathic]] medicine companies. Public inquiry prompted ''Nature'' to mandate an extensive and stringent experimental [[replication (statistics)|replication]] in Benveniste's lab, through which his team's results were refuted.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Maddox |first1=John |last2=Randi |first2=James |last3=Stewart |first3=Walter W. |s2cid=9579433 |title='High-dilution' experiments a delusion |journal=Nature |date=1 July 1988 |volume=334 |issue=6180 |pages=287–290 |doi=10.1038/334287a0 |pmid=2455869 |bibcode=1988Natur.334..287M }}</ref>

In 2022, an editorial published in ''Nature'' entitled "How ''Nature'' contributed to science’sscience's discriminatory legacy" mentioning the problematics of some of their articles: "But we have also published material that contributed to bias, exclusion and discrimination in research and society."<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2022-09-28 |title=How Nature contributed to science's discriminatory legacy |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03035-6 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=609 |issue=7929 |pages=875–876 |doi=10.1038/d41586-022-03035-6|pmid=36171380 |bibcode=2022Natur.609..875. |s2cid=252547858 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

In 1999, ''Nature'' began publishing [[science fiction]] [[short stories]]. The brief "[[vignette (literature)|vignettes]]" are printed in a series called "Futures". The [[Short story|stories]] appeared in 1999 and 2000, again in 2005 and 2006, and have appeared weekly since July 2007.<ref name="futures">{{Cite web |title=Futures |url=https://www.nature.com/nature/articles?type=futures |access-date=9 August 2012 |website=Nature}}</ref> Sister publication ''[[Nature Physics]]'' also printed stories in 2007 and 2008.<ref name="FuturesPhysics">{{cite web |url= http://www.nature.com/nphys/archive/categ_fut_012008.html |title=Futures Archive |work= [[Nature Physics]] |access-date= 1 May 2014 }}</ref> In 2005, ''Nature'' was awarded the [[European Science Fiction Society]]'s Best Publisher award for the "Futures" series.<ref name="ESFSAward">{{cite web |url= http://www.esfs.info/esfs-awards-2000.html#2005 |title= The ESFS Awards, Eurocon 2005: Glasgow – Scotland |author= European Science Fiction Society |date= 21 May 2013 |author-link= European Science Fiction Society |access-date= 10 August 2012 |archive-date= 16 July 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140716140006/http://www.esfs.info/esfs-awards-2000.html#2005 |url-status= dead }}</ref> One hundred of the ''Nature'' stories between 1999 and 2006 were published as the collection ''Futures from Nature'' in 2008.<ref name="FuturesCollection">{{cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/futuresfromnatur0000unse |title= Futures from Nature: 100 Speculative fictions from the pages of the leading science journal |editor= Henry Gee |publisher= [[Tor Books]] |date= 2008 |location= New York City |isbn= 978-0-7653-1805-3 |quote= With stories from: [[Arthur C. Clarke]], [[Bruce Sterling]], [[Charles Stross]], [[Cory Doctorow]], [[Greg Bear]], [[Gregory Benford]], [[Oliver Morton (science writer)|Oliver Morton]], [[Ian R. MacLeod]], [[Rudy Rucker]], [[Greg Egan]], [[Stephen Baxter (author)|Stephen Baxter]], [[Barrington J. Bayley]], [[Brian Stableford]], [[Frederik Pohl]], [[Vernor Vinge]], [[Nancy Kress]], [[Michael Moorcock]], [[Vonda McIntyre]], [[Kim Stanley Robinson]], [[John M. Ford]] and eighty more. |access-date= 10 August 2012 |df= dmy-all |url-access= registration }}</ref> Another collection, ''Futures from Nature 2'', was published in 2014.<ref>Henry Gee, Colin Sullivan, ed. (2014), [http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?652217 ''Nature Futures 2''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618205121/http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?652217 |date=18 June 2020 }}, Tor Books, {{ISBN|978-1-4668-7998-0}}. With stories from: [[Madeline Ashby]], [[Neal Asher]], [[Gregory Benford]], [[Eric Brown (writer)|Eric Brown]], [[Ian Watson (author)|Ian Watson]] and more</ref>

[[File:Nature Materials Nov 2008.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Nature Materials]],'' a specialized journal from [[Nature ResearchPortfolio]], 2018]]

''Nature'' is edited and published in the United Kingdom by a division of the international [[scientific publishing]] company [[Springer Nature]] that publishes academic journals, [[magazine]]s, online databases, and services in science and medicine. ''Nature'' has offices in London, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., [[Boston]], Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, [[Munich]], and [[Basingstoke]]. [[Nature Portfolio|Nature Research]] also publishes other specialized journals including ''[[Nature Neuroscience]]'', ''[[Nature Biotechnology]],'' ''[[Nature Methods]]'', the ''[[Nature Clinical Practice]]'' series of journals, ''[[Nature Structural & Molecular Biology]]'', ''[[Nature Chemistry]]'', and the ''Nature Reviews'' series of journals.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Journals A-Z |url=https://www.nature.com/siteindex |access-date=March 3, 2023 |website=Nature Portfolio}}</ref>

Nature ResearchPortfolio actively supports the self-archiving process and in 2002 was one of the first publishers to allow authors to post their contributions on their personal websites, by requesting an exclusive licence to publish, rather than requiring authors to transfer copyright. In December 2007, Nature Publishing Group introduced the Creative Commons attribution-non-commercial-share alike unported licence for those articles in Nature journals that are publishing the primary sequence of an organism's genome for the first time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.itconversations.com/shows/detail1864.html |title=Interview with Timo Hannay, director of web publishing for Nature Publishing Group |work=Jon Udell's Interviews with Innovators |date=5 July 2007}}</ref>

In 2008, a collection of articles from ''Nature'' was edited by John S. Partington under the title ''H. G. Wells in Nature, 1893–1946: A Reception Reader'' and published by [[Peter Lang (publisher)|Peter Lang]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Partington, John S. |year=2008 |title=H. G. Wells in Nature, 1893–1946: A Reception Reader |place=Frankfurt |publisher=Peter Lang |isbn=978-3631571101}}{{pscprimary source inline|date=June 2020}}{{page needed|date=June 2020}}</ref>

{{commonsCommons category|Nature (journal)}}

* [httphttps://onlinebookswww.librarybiodiversitylibrary.upenn.eduorg/webbinbibliography/serial?id=nature40302 Freely available scans of volumes: 1–112 (1869–1923)]