NEWS AND VIEWS25 August 2026The earliest known example of a tool used to build in a straight line, and remembering an early trailblazer in radio communication in this week’s pick from the Nature archive.Save articleView saved research50 years agoAccess options Access through your institutionAccess Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journalsGet Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription27,99 € / 30 dayscancel any timeLearn moreSubscribe to this journalReceive 52 print issues and online access199,00 € per yearonly 3,83 € per issueLearn moreRent or buy this articlePrices vary by article typefrom$1.95to$39.95Learn morePrices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkoutdoi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-02382-yThis article features text from Nature’s archive. By its historical nature, the archive includes some images, articles and language that by twenty-first-century standards are offensive and harmful. Find out more.See all News & ViewsSubjectsHistoryArchaeologyCommunicationLatest on:HistoryArchaeologyCommunicationJobs Chief Editor, BMC Biomedical EngineeringSpringer Nature is one of the leading publishers of research in the world. We publish the largest number of journals and books and are pioneers in ...New York, NYSpringer Nature LtdSolution SpecialistJob Title: Solution Specialist Location: Beijing, China - hybrid working model About Springer Nature Springer Nature is one of the leading publis...Beijing (CN)Springer Nature Ltd