Iron Age ruler behind Roman invasion was probably a woman

Physicists using an LHC experiment have reported the first observations at zeptometer scales, opening a window on ultra-short-distance physics. The result could sharpen tests of the Standard Model and searches for new particles, though it needs independent confirmation.

Scientists report that thawing permafrost in Antarctica is emitting significant quantities of carbon dioxide, a process that was previously understudied compared with Arctic permafrost. The finding matters because it suggests a climate feedback loop that current carbon budgets may not fully account for, potentially complicating forecasts of global warming.

Australia’s High Court ruled that Uber must pay about $81 million in payroll tax and treated its drivers as employees for tax purposes, rejecting Uber’s contractor model. The decision is a major test of gig-economy classification and could raise costs and legal risks for Uber and similar platforms in Australia.

Archaeologists have found a remarkable collection of prehistoric engravings in a cave in Spain. The artworks add to the record of early human symbolic behavior and cave art traditions. They may help researchers better understand when and how prehistoric communities produced and used cave art.

Research highlighted by Nature finds that flexible working arrangements in academia shift more parenting and childcare duties onto women, deepening gender gaps. The hidden cost of flexibility falls disproportionately on mothers, even as such policies are promoted as helping work-life balance.