Bird flu has been spreading undetected in US cattle for months

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Hello Nature readers, Today we learn that a rare mutation that causes dwarfism might also slow ageing. Plus, we see evidence that the H5N1 strain of avian influenza has been spreading undetected in US cattle for months.

Endocrinologist Jaime Guevara-Aguirre (back left) and biogerontologist Valter Longo (back right) pose with some of the 24 people with Laron syndrome who participated in the study — all of whom live in Ecuador, home to about one-third of all people with the condition. (Courtesy Jaime Guevara-Aguirre & Valter Longo)

Dwarfism mutation might protect the heart People with Laron syndrome — a growth-hormone-receptor condition — seem to be at lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than relatives who do not have the syndrome. Laron syndrome had already been linked to health benefits including protection against diabetes, cancer and cognitive decline. "They seem to be protected from all the major age-related diseases," says biogerontologist Valter Longo, a co-author on the cardiovascular study. It's unclear if people with Laron syndrome live longer on average than those without it, but mice with a similar condition live for about 40% longer than do control animals. Nature | 6 min read Reference: Med paper

Bird flu spreading in US cows for months The H5N1 strain of avian influenza has been spreading undetected in US cattle for months, according to a preliminary analysis of genomic data released by the US Department of Agriculture. The outbreak is likely to have begun when the virus jumped from an infected bird into a cow, probably around late December or early January. But the publicly released data do not include critical information that would shed light on the outbreak's origins and evolution. "In an outbreak response, the faster you get data, the sooner you can act," says genomic epidemiologist Martha Nelson. "Whether we're not too late, to me, that's kind of the million dollar question." Nature | 5 min read

Visit China's physics playground On the outskirts of Beijing, researchers from all over the world have come together at the Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility to push matter to its limits with extreme magnetic fields, pressures and temperatures, and examine it in new ways with extremely precise resolution in time. One particularly tantalizing goal for many researchers using this US$220-million toolbox is to discover new superconductors, materials that conduct electricity without resistance. Nature reporter Gemma Conroy steps inside to take a look. Nature | 6 min read

Features & opinion

Arctic ecosystem hints at our climate future Climate change is completely reshaping the ecosystem in one of the best-studied Arctic fjords, on the northwest side of the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard. Since the inlet stopped freezing over during the winter, Arctic mammals such as beluga whales have left and more southerly animals including Atlantic puffins have moved in. New habitats have popped up along the shoreline where sea ice once suffocated plant growth. "It's incredible that I — in my time — have been able to see such dramatic changes," says ecotoxicologist Geir Wing Gabrielsen. Nature | 7 min read

Earn royalties from the 'magic money tree' "Lots of our members call us 'the magic money tree'," says Alison Baxter, head of communications for the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), a UK agency that compensates authors when their works are copied or shared after publication. Such societies also collect royalties on behalf of scientists, for example when their paper is printed out and distributed to students. Anyone with publications to their name (and to which they own the copyright) can join a collecting society — though many people don't, because of the misconception that it might be a scam. For those who do join, the rewards can be welcome: for example, each ALCS member received an average of around £450 this year. Nature | 7 min read

The Copenhagen myth inspired iconoclasts The debate between physicists Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein over what quantum mechanics 'really means' has evolved into a long-standing myth, writes science writer Jim Baggott. Einstein rejected the possibility of some of the quantum weirdness implied by the theory, such as 'spooky action at a distance'. Bohr's 'Copenhagen interpretation' has been interpreted by some as 'shut up and calculate'. But the idea that Bohr and his followers heavy-handedly imposed his view as a dogmatic orthodoxy doesn't hold water, argues Baggott. In reality, "by the 1950s, the physics community had become broadly indifferent…. Quantum mechanics worked. Why worry about what it meant?" Nevertheless, the myth had a role in motivating the singular personalities that challenged it, laying the foundations for quantum computing. Nature | 13 min read

How to land a job at a non-profit Working as a scientist at an environmental non-profit organization can be similar to academic research, but requires a change of mindset: studies must always address real-world challenges. Jobs are usually advertised on job boards or LinkedIn, and it's important for applicants to emphasise soft skills alongside scientific achievement. "It's the same educational background and the same research, but just the way that I describe things had to shift completely," says ecologist Kenneth Davidson. For early-career scientists that make the leap, non-profits can provide more job security and flexibility than academia. Nature | 9 min read

Where I work

For ten years, Matthew Nitschke and his colleagues at the Australian Institute of Marine Science have been growing coral symbionts in the laboratory while gradually raising the heat. "Each time the symbionts adapt, we push the temperature up a bit," says Nitschke. "They can now survive a constant 31 °C." The goal is to develop corals able to survive waters warmed by climate change. "Studying marine conservation is hard," says Nitschke. "Marine ecosystems are degrading. Coral reefs are bleaching: by 2060, without significant emissions reductions, mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef could be an annual event." The next step is small-scale field trials out on the reef. (Nature | 3 min read) Our award-winning 'Where I Work' series is now on display as a beautiful large-scale photography exhibition near the Nature offices in King's Cross, London. If you're near, do drop by (it's free). Otherwise, check out the virtual exhibition online. (Giacomo d'Orlando for Nature)

Quote of the day "An apprenticeship was stigmatized as the last resort for low achievers and problematic children. My stereotypes were banished as soon as I started working with and coaching apprentices." Computational biologist Jitao David Zhang says his misconceptions about vocational training were demolished when he experienced first-hand the apprenticeship culture in Germany and Switzerland. (Nature | 7 min read)

On Friday, Leif Penguinson was hiding among the lush mangroves in Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia. Did you find the penguin? When you're ready, here's the answer. Thanks for reading, Flora Graham, senior editor, Nature Briefing With contributions by Katrina Krämer and Smriti Mallapaty

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