Ebola outbreak: alarming trajectory and possible origins

Hello Nature readers,
Today we glimpse clouds on a distant world, stay up-to-date on the Ebola outbreak and ponder whether it’s time to get a dog.

Clouds stream on distant exoplanet

Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to observe a far-off planet in stunning detail, just by studying the tiny fraction of the light from its star that is filtered through the planet’s atmosphere. The team found that thick clouds continuously form on the night side of WASP-94 A b, which is 210 parsecs (690 light years) away from Earth. As winds carry the clouds from the cool night side to the lit day side, they quickly dissipate. The results show how tiny differences in starlight’s spectrum between the start, middle and end of a planet’s transit in front of its star can improve researchers' understanding of planetary atmospheres, say the authors.

Countries back top court on climate

More than 140 countries have voted to affirm a landmark, but non-binding, opinion handed down last year by the International Court of Justice. It says that failing to protect the climate system could violate international law, which potentially opens the door for those nations worse affected to seek reparations from the worst polluters. Twenty-eight countries abstained and eight — including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran — voted against. “This is a powerful affirmation of international law, climate justice, science, and the responsibility of states to protect people,” said United Nations secretary-general António Guterres.

Should you get a dog?

Pets don’t always fit easily into the long hours and hard graft of a scientific career. But “it’s nice to have that certainty of this creature who just supports you, and brings you joy, and vice versa, no matter what”, says plant physiologist Danielle Ulrich, who has a border collie cross called Opie. Pets can also help to maintain a good work–life balance. “You have this other little thing to care for,” says research scientist Jordan Hill, who has a greyhound lurcher called Rue. “It forces you to get outside three times a day.”

Futures: science fiction from Nature

A Martian archaeologist is stumped by the logic of human security measures in The CAPTCHA protocol and a gamer discovers a dark side of virtual reality in Neuroflix.

Five best science books this week

Andrew Robinson’s pick of the top five science books to read this week includes the adventures of a conservation researcher studying penguins and the stories of scientists who were exiled for their theories — and later proven right.

Video: the science behind red-light therapy

Can light in the red and near-infrared end of the spectrum treat disease, reduce pain and inflammation or even slow ageing? There are plenty of claims, some from scientists and some from companies selling consumer devices such as masks. Nature filmmakers dove into the science behind red-light therapy and heard from experts in the growing field of photobiomodulation.