There's so much more to this floral dinosaur art than meets the eye. Chris Rodley, a PhD student studying artificial intelligence at the University of Sydney, created the image using a neural network – a program modelled on the human brain. His algorithms were trained to merge a book of dinosaur illustrations with a book of flower paintings and this is the result. He also made a version with fruit.

The announcement of the Nobel Prize in Medicine this week once again brings the issue of inequality to the fore, as white men from the western world continue to dominate. "In limiting itself to the men, it overlooks – intentionally so – the social forces that suppressed or erased evidence of women's participation (as well as scholars from parts of the world other than the US and Europe), and the failure of institutions and policy-makers alike to make universities and laboratories more diverse, inclusive and just," writes Vasudevan Mukunth, science editor at The Wire.

Japan’s new prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, has disrupted the process by which scientists are appointed to serve on the governing body of the country's leading academic society. Researchers see the move against the Science Council of Japan as a threat to academic freedom, Dennis Normile reports for Science.

Reopening labs: what will the 'new normal' look like? Social distancing and staff rotation, constant use of masks and gloves, and frequent cleaning of the premises are among the safety protocols many labs will implement post-COVID-19. But how will institutions with significantly cut budgets afford these additional measures? And how will it affect collaboration? Academic publishers Swarnali Bhattacharya and Ashley Fernandes consider the future of research at The Scholarly Kitchen.