Nature Podcast

01:07 “Artemis and Dart”In the first of our festive songs, we celebrate some of the big space missions from this year: Artemis which aims to get people back to the moon, and DART which could help defend the Earth from meteor strikes. 03:51 Redacted Headline challengeIn this year’s festive game, our competitors work together to try and figure out some Nature Podcast headlines where all the words have been removed. Find out how they get on…15:57 Research HighlightsResearch Highlight: Why does fat return after dieting? The microbiome might have a handResearch Highlight: Revealed: massive Maya structures built by vast labour forces18:31 Nature’s 10Every year, Nature’s 10 highlights some of the people who have shaped science. We hear about a few of the people who made the 2022 list.Nature’s 1030:40 “Fairytale of Omicron”In our final song this year, we imagine ourselves in a wintry lab thinking on genetic data from the Omicron variant of coronavirus… Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of sci

In this episode:00:47 Estimating pandemic-associated mortalityThis week, a team of researchers working with the World Health Organization have used statistical modelling to estimate the number of excess deaths associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The work estimates that there were almost 15 million deaths either directly or indirectly attributed to the pandemic, almost three times higher than the official toll.Research article: Msemburi et al.News and Views: Global estimates of excess deaths from COVID-19Editorial: Missing data mean we’ll probably never know how many people died of COVID08:35 Research HighlightsWhy dinosaurs' tail clubs may actually have been used to battle rivals, and the ancient images that make up the earliest known narrative scene.Research Highlight: Dinosaurs bashed each other with built-in tail clubsResearch Highlight: Prehistoric carvings are oldest known story sequence10:55 Understanding the lack of diversity in UK academiaStark figures show that the representation

In this episode:00:45 World’s oldest DNA shows that mastodons roamed ancient GreenlandDNA recovered from ancient permafrost has been used to reconstruct what an ecosystem might have looked like two million years ago. Their work suggests that Northern Greenland was much warmer than the frozen desert it is today, with a rich ecosystem of plants and animals.Research Article: Kjær et al.Nature Video: The world's oldest DNA: Extinct beasts of ancient Greenland08:21 Research HighlightsWhy low levels of ‘good’ cholesterol don’t predict heart disease risk in Black people, and how firework displays affect the flights of geese.Research Highlight: ‘Good’ cholesterol readings can lead to bad results for Black peopleResearch Highlight: New Year’s fireworks chase wild geese high into the sky10:31 Modelling the potential emissions of plasticsWhile the global demand for plastics is growing, the manufacturing and disposal of these ubiquitous materials is responsible for significant CO2 emissions each year. This week, a team h

In the second episode of Nature hits the books, science writer and broadcaster Gaia Vince joins us to talk about her new book Nomad Century, which looks at how climate change could render large parts of the globe uninhabitable, and how surviving this catastrophe will require a planned migration of people on a scale never seen before in human history.Nomad Century, Gaia Vince, Allen Lane (2022)Music supplied by Airae/Epidemic Sound/Getty images. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:45 Inert ant pupae produce a previously unobserved fluidAnt larvae metamorphose into adults by pupating. It was assumed that these inert pupae don’t play a role in the wider ant colony, but a team of researchers have found that they actually secrete a fluid that is consumed by both adult ants and larvae. This fluid is rich in proteins and metabolites, and appears to be an important source of larval nutrition. These secretions have now been seen in the pupae of multiple ant species, suggesting it is an evolutionary ancient behaviour.Research Article: Snir et al.News and Views: A fluid role in ant society as adults give larvae ‘milk’ from pupae07:15 Research HighlightsAncient chefs made bitter plants taste better by soaking and grinding, and an electric fishing-hook attachment that reduces accidental catches of sharks and rays.Research Highlight: Prehistoric rubbish hints that early cooks cared about flavourResearch Highlight: Off the hook: electrical device keeps sharks away from fishing lines09:31 Briefing

Big data is playing an increasingly important role in football, with technologies capturing huge amounts of information about players' positions and actions during a match.To make sense of all this information, most elite football teams now employ data analysts plucked from top companies and laboratories. Their insights are helping to steer everything from player transfers to the intensity of training, and have even altered how the game is played.This is an audio version of our Feature: Science and the World Cup: how big data is transforming football Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:45 Precision positioning without satellitesSatellite navigation has revolutionized how humans find their way. However, these systems often struggle in urban areas, where buildings can interfere with weak satellite signals. To counter this, a team has developed an alternative, satellite-free system, which could improve applications that require precise positioning in cities, such as self-driving cars.Research Article: Koelemeij et al.News and Views: Phone signals can help you find your way in cities even without GPS09:19 Research HighlightsHow deforestation is the biggest threat to a rare lemur’s existence, and ultraviolet-activated molecules can kick-start plastic polymerization.Research Highlight: This rare primate will not survive deforestationResearch Highlight: Lights, chemical reaction! Plastics take shape with help from UV light12:16 Briefing ChatWe discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, a survey reveals the challenges facing international postgraduate students, and the key take

00:46 Artemis 1 is go!NASA’s Artemis 1 mission has successfully reached Earth orbit. After weeks of delays and issues, and a nail biting launch, the rocket marks the first step in a new era of moon exploration, with plans to test a new way to return astronauts to the moon. We caught up with reporter for all-things-space, Alex Witze, for the latest.News: Lift off! Artemis Moon rocket launch kicks off new era of human exploration10:06 Research HighlightsThe unlevel playing field in women’s football, and domed structures provide evidence for a biological origin of stromatolites.Research Article: Okholm Kryger et al.Research Article: Hickman-Lewis et al.12:39 A mechanistic link for an Alzheimer’s geneAlzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that affects millions of people every year. Whilst the biggest risk factor of late-onset Alzheimer’s is age, there are a number of genes that have been implicated. How exactly these genes underpin this disease is unclear, but new research may now reveal how one of them does s

Kathleen Folbigg has spent nearly 20 years in prison after being convicted of killing her four children. But in 2018, a group of scientists began gathering evidence that suggested another possibility for the deaths — that at least two of them were attributable to a genetic mutation that can affect heart function. A judicial inquiry in 2019 failed to reverse Folbigg’s conviction, but this month, the researchers will present new evidence at a second inquiry, which could ultimately spell freedom for Folbigg.This is an audio version of our Feature: She was convicted of killing her four children. Could a gene mutation set her free? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:49 Separating heavy water with molecular cagesHeavy water is molecule very similar to H2O but with deuterium isotopes in the place of hydrogen atoms. Heavy water is useful in nuclear reactions, drug design and nutritional studies, but it's difficult to separate from normal water because they have such similar properties. Now, a team have developed a new separation method using tiny molecular cages, which they hope opens up more energy efficient ways to produce heavy water.Research article: Su et al.News and Views: A molecular flip-flop for separating heavy water07:23 Research HighlightsHow dancers can feel the beat even when they can’t hear it, and how climate change might move desert dunes.Research Highlight: Dancers pick up the pace on a bass beat — even though it’s inaudibleResearch Highlight: Desert dunes pose more danger as Earth warms09:25 Monitoring bridge health using crowd dataBridges are vital pieces of infrastructure but their structural health is hard to monitor, requiring either sophisticated

Companies are offering genetic tests of embryos generated by in vitro fertilization that they say allow prospective parents to choose those with the lowest risk for diseases such as diabetes or certain cancers. However, some researchers are concerned about the accuracy and ethics of these tests.This is an audio version of our Feature: The controversial embryo tests that promise a better baby Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:46 How flies can move their eyes (a little)It's long been assumed flies’ eyes don’t move, and so to alter their gaze they need to move their heads. Now, researchers have shown that this isn’t quite true and that fruit flies can actually move their retinas using a specific set of muscles, which may allow them to perceive depth. The team also hope that this movement may provide a window into some of the flies’ internal processes.Research article: Fenk et al.08:54 Research HighlightsHow the 80-year-old wreck of a sunken warship is influencing ocean microbes, and tracing an epilepsy-related gene variant back to a single person from 800 years ago.Research Highlight: A ship sunk during the Second World War still stirs up the seabedResearch Highlight: Families on three continents inherited their epilepsy from a single person11:11 Calls to mandate militaries’ emissions reportingThe eyes of the world will be focused on the UN’s upcoming COP27 conference to see what governments will pledge to do to reduce global emi

When COVID-19 hit it didn't kill indiscriminately. In the US, being Black, Hispanic, or Native American meant you had a much greater risk of death than if you were white. And these disparities are mirrored across the world.In this episode we explore the complex tale behind this disparity. Throughout history, racism and biases have been embedded within medical technology, along the clinicians who use it. Cultural concepts of race have been falsely conflated with biology. The way medicine is taught, has reinforced flawed stereotypes. Disease itself, has been racialised. All of this adds up to barriers to care and worse health outcomes for many people, just because of the colour of their skin.Science and scientists have played an influential part in embedding such racism into medicine But by challenging received wisdom science too has the power to right wrongs, and work towards solutions.Read more of Nature's coverage of racism in science.Click here for our list of sources Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In this episode:00:54 Siberian cave offers first-ever glimpse into Neanderthal familyBy analysing ancient DNA recovered from bone fragments found in two Siberian caves, researchers have identified a set of closely related Neanderthals: a father and daughter, as well as several other more-distant relatives. The work suggests that Neanderthal communities were small, and that females may have left their families to join other groups.Research article: Skov et al.News and Views: The first genomic portrait of a Neanderthal family09:14 Research HighlightsThe robotic falcon that frightens nuisance flocks, and how climate change could lead to power loss in low-income households.Research Highlight: Plagued by problem birds? Call RobotFalcon!Research Highlight: Loss of power looms for some families as climate changes12:32 Briefing ChatWe discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, assessing why women are cited less often than men in physics, and uncovering a long-lost star-map from ancient Greece.Scienc

In this episode:00:45 Implanted brain organoids could offer new insights into diseaseBrain organoids — lab-grown, self-organizing structures made of stem cells — are used in research to better understand brain development and disease progression. However, these structures lack connections seen in real brains, limiting their usefulness. To overcome this, a team has now transplanted human organoids into the brains of newborn rats, showing that these implanted organoids respond to stimuli and could influence the animals’ behaviour.Research article: Revah et al.News and Views: Human brain organoids influence rat behaviour09:20 Research HighlightsThe subtle timing shift that gives jazz music its ‘swing’, and why hydrogen power could be a cost-effective way to reduce heavy industry emissions in China. Research Highlight: What gives jazz its swing? A delay makes the differenceResearch Highlight: Hydrogen could help China’s heavy industry to get greener11:46 The exoskeleton boot that makes walking more efficientWeara

In this episode:00:46 A virtual chemical library uncovers potential antidepressantsCertain psychedelic drugs are of interest to researchers due to their promising antidepressant effects. To help speed up the discovery of molecules with useful properties, researchers have built a virtual library of 75 million compounds related to these drugs. This approach yielded two molecules that showed antidepressant properties in mice, but without the hallucinogenic activity of psychedelic drugs.Research article: Kaplan et al.Research Briefing: Bespoke library docking for 5-HT2A receptor agonists with antidepressant activity08:25 Research HighlightsResearch suggests that ancient artificial island settlements were hubs of activity for society’s elite, and astronomers spot possibly the most luminous star ever observed.Research Highlight: Ancient DNA suggests that artificial islands were party spots for the eliteResearch Highlight: Scientists face down ‘Godzilla’, the most luminous star known10:42 Nobel NewsFlora Graham

The ongoing war in Ukraine has devastated the global economy, rocked geopolitics, killed thousands of people and displaced millions. Science too has been affected and the impacts on research are being felt more widely than just in Ukraine and Russia.In this episode of Nature's Takes we discuss the war's impact on publishing, international collaborations, climate change and energy, and the destructive impacts on scientists themselves. And as the war continues, we consider the future of science in the face of a new political climate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries introduced strict lockdowns to help prevent spread of the disease. Since then, researchers have been studying the effects of these measures to help inform responses to future crises.Conclusions suggest that countries that acted swiftly to bring in strict measures did best at preserving lives and their economies, but analysing the competing costs and benefits of lockdowns has been tough, as this work often comes down not to scientific calculations, but value judgements.This is an audio version of our Feature: What scientists have learnt from COVID lockdowns Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode:00:45 Piecing together the early history of jawed vertebratesA wealth of fossils discovered in southern China shed new light onto the diversity of jawed and jawless fish during the Silurian period, over 400 million years ago. Nature editor Henry Gee explains the finds and what they mean for the history of jawed vertebrates like us.Research article: Zhu et al.Research article: Gai et al.Research article: Andreev et al.Research article: Andreev et al.News and Views: Fossils reveal the deep roots of jawed vertebrates09:09 Research HighlightsMice studies help explain why some people with a rare genetic condition have heightened musical abilities, and high-resolution images reveal how bees build honeycomb.Research Highlight: How a missing gene leads to super-sensitivity to soundResearch Highlight: X-rays reveal how bees achieve an engineering marvel: the honeycomb11:27 A lack of evidence in transgender policy makingAround the world, many laws are being proposed – and passed – regarding the rights o

00:46 Inequalities in US faculty hiringIn the US, where a person gained their PhD can have an outsized influence on their future career. Now, using a decade worth of data, researchers have shown there are stark inequalities in the hiring process, with 80% of US faculty trained at just 20% of institutions.Research article: Wapman et al.09:01 Research HighlightsHow wildlife can influence chocolate production, and the large planets captured by huge stars.Research Highlight: A chocoholic’s best friends are the birds and the batsResearch Highlight: Giant stars turn to theft to snag jumbo planets11:42 Briefing ChatWe discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, what science says about grieving for a public figure, and why suburban Australians are sharing increasingly sophisticated measures to prevent cockatoos from opening wheelie bins.Nature News: Millions are mourning the Queen — what’s the science behind public grief?The Guardian: ‘Interspecies innovation arms race’: cockatoos and humans at war o