Hello Nature readers,
Today we consider whether the energy demands of AI are fuelling a nuclear renaissance, learn that therapy using digital avatars could help people with psychosis hear fewer voices and explore the growing field of RNA editing.

AI’s energy needs fuelling nuclear comeback

Tech giants Amazon, Google and Microsoft have all recently announced plans to support nuclear power generation as part of efforts to become carbon-neutral. Amazon and Google’s plans involve companies that are pioneering the design of ‘small modular reactors’, while Microsoft will support the restart of a decommissioned 835-megawatt reactor in Pennsylvania. These plans come as the energy requirement of data centres supporting artificial intelligence (AI) skyrocket. Nature talked to nuclear-energy researchers to explore the significance and possible implications of these big-tech investments.

‘Ancient’ DNA triggers blood production

Virus-like elements in mammalian genomes kick-start blood production during pregnancy by triggering an immune response. Researchers analyzed blood samples from pregnant people and found that activity of ‘jumping’ DNA elements called retrotransposons was higher in their blood stem cells compared with people who weren’t pregnant. Activation of these sequences, which were previously thought of as ‘junk DNA’, triggers immune sensors that encourage haematopoietic stem cells to differentiate into blood cells, making the additional blood required for growing a baby. The team are planning a larger clinical study to investigate what it is about pregnancy that activates the retrotransposons.

Rise of far-right has science facing cuts

A surge in far-right parties entering governments across Europe is raising concerns for science. Policy experts warn that these parties typically show no interest in research and innovation, leaving scientists vulnerable to budget cuts. In the Netherlands, researchers are bracing for €1 billion (US$1.1 billion) in cuts to the university and research budget under a coalition government including the anti-Islam Party for Freedom. The coalition also wants to limit the intake of international students and implement rules that would require universities to apply for permission to teach courses in English, which could trigger an exodus of foreign academics who don’t want to, or can’t, teach in Dutch.

Avatar therapy could quiet psychosis voices

Therapy using digital avatars could reduce the distress of hearing voices for people with psychosis. Results from a clinical trial show that the people undergoing the therapy also heard voices less frequently. Patients work with a therapist to build an avatar that represents a voice they hear. The therapist then speaks both as themselves and as the avatar using a voice changer during treatment sessions. “I was hearing up to 30 or 40 abusive voices a day and it brought it down to about four or five,” says Nick, who took part in the trial. “I felt like I was taking back control of my life again.”

RNA editing treatments nearing reality

As early as the mid-1990s, scientists suggested editing molecules of RNA as a treatment for certain diseases, but at the time, they lacked the tools to do so. Around thirty years later, those tools are at our disposal. Editing RNA instead of DNA has several advantages. It’s a process that cells perform naturally, it doesn’t risk permanently altering a person’s genes and it doesn’t introduce bacterial enzymes to human cells as CRISPR-Cas9 gene therapies do. The field of RNA editing may be in its infancy, but pharma companies are already testing its use in some types of eye disease and cancer.

Make the most of your illustrations

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. That’s doubly true in research, where the right illustration can clarify complex scientific principles or methods – not to mention, save space in length-constrained funding applications and publications. Graphic designers, scientific and medical illustrators, and journal art directors shared their tips and resources for creating polished visuals. “People make snap judgements based on visuals, and if they don’t look good, they can steer someone away from a paper that otherwise they might like to read,” says Kelly Krause, creative director for the Nature family of journals.

Biodiversity credits could restore nature

Markets for biodiversity credits, which private companies can buy to fund activities that improve biodiversity such as forest restoration, could succeed where carbon-credit markets have not, argue four members of the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits. Buying these credits could boost a company’s profile, fund remediation of their activities or enhance biodiversity in their supply chains. However, for biodiversity-credit markets to thrive, governments must develop clear rules and the importance of Indigenous and local knowledge and leadership in conservation and restoration projects must be recognized.