Orcas smash sunfish to smithereens — possibly for fun

Hello Nature readers,
Today, we watch orcas smash sunfish to pieces, marvel at the beauty and skill of scientific illustrations and get a crash course in quantum computing.

If you enjoy this newsletter, please consider recommending it to a friend or colleague. Click here to forward it by e-mail. Thank you!

Orcas smash sunfish to smithereens

Orcas (Orcinus orca) have been spotted ramming sharp-tail sunfish (Masturus lanceolatus) so hard that they explode. The gory display involved a female orca holding a dead sunfish in place for a male to speed into. In the aftermath, a juvenile orca ate some of the fleshy pieces of the fish, while the adult pair snacked on the carcass. “We think this may help younger orcas feed more easily,” says marine ecologist and study co-author Kathryn Ayres. “Or it could also just be for fun. Orcas are known for playing with their food.”

Inside the heart’s ‘mini brain’

Scientists have begun to unpick the inner workings of the heart’s ‘mini brain’ — a network of neurons embedded in the fat pad surrounding the heart. In mice, researchers identified two subtypes of these neurons. One type, Npy⁺, puts the brakes on a racing heart, but is necessary to keep it beating. The other, Ddah1⁺, appears to help the mice’s hearts cope with stress. The findings demonstrate that these neurons do more than just passively relay signals from the brain, says chemical physiologist Beth Habecker.

Fields Medal winners announced

The 2026 Fields Medal — one of maths’ most coveted prizes — has been awarded to mathematicians Yu Deng, John Pardon, Jacob Tsimerman and Hong Wang. The group represents a range of subfields of maths, from number theory to mathematical physics, and had all been rumoured as favourites to win the award. Deng and Wang are only the second and third Chinese nationals to have earned a Fields Medal, and Wang is only the third woman to win in the award’s 90-year history.

The alternatives to air conditioning

Air conditioners are one option to keep people cool during increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, but the technology has too many drawbacks to be the sole solution, say scientists. Instead, materials that are designed to passively cool buildings could be the way forward, they suggest. Materials that are layered, contain bubbles and air pockets or combine radiative cooling with evaporation could achieve the same effect as air conditioning without using energy, says architecture researcher Matthaios Santamouris. But many of these materials are still in prototype stages, and would require policies to encourage their use.

Doctored data sets could trick AI agents

Researchers have demonstrated how easy it is for fraudsters to ‘poison’ online datasets and thereby muddle the work of AI agents, which are increasingly used to analyse such data. “Attacks of this nature are almost inevitable, because they enable people to launder false information through an authoritative-sounding filter,” says computer scientist Vitaly Shmatikov. The team recommends ways to prevent AI agents from basing conclusions on manipulated data, such as including a SKILL.md file — an example of which they posted online for free reuse — that prompts AI agents to carry out detailed provenance checks.

The human art of illustration

Five artists explain what it takes to create an accurate, engaging image that conveys a scientific concept, and their vision of the future of scientific illustration in the age of artificial intelligence. “Good design takes mastery, not merely of tools and techniques, but also of judgement,” says illustrator Shehryar Saharan. “Sometimes that process means confronting questions that research has not yet resolved. In those moments, illustration can become a way of generating knowledge rather than simply communicating it.”

What’s next for Artemis II’s astronauts?

The Artemis II flight in April captured the world’s attention as four astronauts whizzed around the far side of the Moon. Now back on Earth, what will they do once the ‘Moon joy’ wears off? While many astronauts forge thriving post-space careers, others struggle to find their next pursuit, says former astronaut Susan Kilrain. “The ones that are really successful in a post-flight career are the ones where being an astronaut didn’t define them,” says Kilrain, one of the only women, and the youngest person ever, to fly a Space Shuttle.

Video: quantum computers 101

Researchers are developing ever-more advanced quantum computers at a breakneck pace. Some scientists predict that usable quantum devices capable of solving currently intractable problems will hit the market within the next decade. But how can quantum devices solve problems that conventional machines can’t? And what even is a quantum computer? Nature reporter Davide Castelvecchi is on hand to answer these questions, and more, in this handy explainer video.