Nature Podcast

In recent days, the number of coronavirus cases have surged in South Korea.In this Podcast Extra Nick Howe speaks to Bartosz Gryzbowski, a researcher based in the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, which is just 60km away from epicentre of the South Korean outbreak. He explains how the outbreak has affected his research and what the atmosphere is like there at the moment.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, machine learning helps batteries charge faster, and using bacterial nanowires to generate electricity from thin air.In this episode:00:46 Better battery chargingA machine learning algorithm reveals how to quickly charge batteries without damaging them. Research Article: Attia et al.07:12 Research HighlightsDeciphering mouse chit-chat, and strengthening soy glue. Research Highlight: The ‘silent’ language of mice is decoded at last; Research Article: Gu et al.09:21 Harnessing humidityA new device produces electricity using water in the air. Research Article: Liu et al.16:30 News ChatCoronavirus outbreak updates, the global push to conserve biodiversity, and radar reveals secrets in an ancient Egyptian tomb. News: Coronavirus: latest news on spreading infection; News: China takes centre stage in global biodiversity push; News: Is this Nefertiti’s tomb? Radar clues reignite debate over hidden chambers  See acast.com/privacy for priva

This week, uncovering the structure of materials with useful properties, and quantum entanglement over long distances.In this episode:00:45 Analysing Prussian bluesAnalogues of the paint pigment Prussian blue are used in a variety of chemical processes. Now, researchers have uncovered their atomic structure. Research Article: Simonov et al.; News and Views: Ordered absences observed in porous framework materials08:17 Research HighlightsTeenagers’ natural sleep cycles impact on academic performance, and an extinct, giant rodent with a surprisingly tiny brain. Research Highlight: A teenager’s body clock can ring in school success; Research Highlight: Giant extinct rodent was all brawn and little brain10:49 Distant entanglementResearchers have demonstrated quantum entanglement between two points separated by 50 km of fibre optic cables. Research Article: Yu et al.17:17 News ChatThe latest on the coronavirus outbreak, and gene editing gets an upgrade. News:&n

This week, how setting an out-of-office email could help promote a kinder academic culture.In this episode:00:47 Being truly out of officeLast year, a viral tweet about emails sparked a deeper conversation about academics’ work-life-balance. Could email etiquette help tip the balance? Careers Article: Out of office replies and what they can say about you09:35 Research HighlightsFinding the ‘greenest’ oranges, and the benefits of ‘baby talk’. Research Article: Bell and Horvath; Research Highlight: Babies benefit when Mum and Dad are fluent in ‘baby talk’12:06 News ChatUpdates on the novel coronavirus, assessing Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and the potential impacts of Brexit on UK research. News: Coronavirus: latest news on spreading infection; News: How quickly can Iran make a nuclear bomb?; News: Brexit is happening: what does it mean for science?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, establishing the role of climate change in Australian bushfires, and revisiting Isaac Asimov’s ethical rules for robots.In this episode:00:46 Behind the bushfiresResearchers are working to establish the role that climate change is playing in the bushfires that are raging across Australia. News Feature: The race to decipher how climate change influenced Australia’s record fires; Editorial: Australia: show the world what climate action looks like10:02 Research HighlightsThe debate around how Vesuvius claimed its victims, and an ancient mummy speaks. Research Highlight: Vitrified brains and baked bones tell the story of Vesuvius deaths; Research Article: Howard et al.12:21 Asimov’s legacyThis year marks the centenary of Isaac Asimov’s birth. We reflect on the impact of his writing on the field of robotics. Essay: Isaac Asimov: centenary of the great explainer21:00 News ChatThe latest on a new virus from Wuhan in China, and social scientists' battle wit

This week, why stress makes mice turn grey, and how to think about climate change.In this episode:00:45 Going greyAnecdotal evidence has long suggested stressas a cause of grey hair. Now, a team of researchers have showed experimental evidence to suggest this is the case. Research Article: Zhang et al.; News & Views: How the stress of fight or flight turns hair white08:39 Research HighlightsAncient bones suggest that giant ground sloths moved in herds,plus an atomic way to check for whiskey fakes. Research Highlight: A bone bed reveals mass death of herd of giant ground sloths; Research Highlight: Nuclear-bomb carbon unmasks fraudulent luxury whisky10:40 Climate optimismTo tackle climate change, the former UN secretary for climate change argues that the biggest change needs to be mindset. Comment: Paris taught me how to do what is necessary to combat climate change18:09 News ChatThe latest on a new virus from Wuhan in China, and insights from ancient Afric

In this episode: 00:45 Observing the centre of the galaxyResearchers have uncovered a population of dust-enshrouded objects orbiting the supermassive black hole at the centre of the galaxy.Research Article: Ciurlo et al. 06:34 Research HighlightsA London landmark’s height lends itself to a physics experiment, and generous behaviour in parrots. Research Highlight: An iconic structure in London moonlights as a scientific tool; Research Highlight: Parrots give each other gifts without promise of reward 09:00 The human ‘screenome’ projectTo understand the effects of online media consumption, researchers argue that the way it’s measured needs to change. Comment: Time for the Human Screenome Project 17:26 News ChatA decline in human body temperature, and a new report on research culture. News: Not so hot: US data suggests human bodies are cooling down; News: Stressful, aggressive, damaging: huge survey reveals toils of scientists’ working lives  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and op

In this episode of the podcast, Nature reporter Davide Castelvecchi joins us to talk about the big science events to look out for in 2020.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this special round-up episode of the Nature Podcast, our reporters choose their favourite podcast piece of 2019.In this episode:00:33 A sole sensationA study of people who do and don't wear shoes looks into whether calluses make feet less sensitive. Nature Podcast: 26 June 2019; Research article: Holowka et al.; News and Views: Your sensitive sole08:56 The make up of the far side of the MoonInitial observations from the first lander to touch down on the far side of the Moon. Nature Podcast: 15 May 2019; Research article: Li et al.15:43 Growth MindsetHow a one hour course could improve academic achievement. Nature Podcast: 07 August 2019; Research article: Yeager et al.27:44 ‘Manferences’Nature investigates the prevalence of conferences where most of the speakers are male. Nature Podcast: 11 September 2019; News Feature: How to banish manels and manferences from scientific meetings34:02 Q&A with Nobel Prize winner John GoodenoughWe talk to John Goodenough, who was jointly awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in

This year, Nature celebrates its 150th birthday. To mark this anniversary we’re rebroadcasting episodes from our PastCast series, highlighting key moments in the history of science.In this episode, we’re heading back to the early twentieth century, when physicists had become deeply entangled in the implications of the quantum theory. At its smallest scales was the world continuous? Or built of discrete units? It all began with Max Planck. His Nobel Prize was the subject of a Nature news article in 1920.This episode was first broadcast in December 2013.From the archiveNature 16 December 1920  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

2019 will likely go down as a pivotal year for public discourse on climate change. It was the year of Greta Thunberg, the climate school strikes, and Extinction Rebellion. The global activist movement has gained support from a range of influential people, including renowned environmental lawyer Farhana Yamin.In this Podcast Extra, Nature's Chief Opinion Editor Sara Abdulla meets with Farhana to discuss why she ditched resolutions in favour of activism. This is an extended version of an interview originally broadcast in September.Comment: Why I broke the law for climate change  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As part of Nature's 150th anniversary celebrations, Nick Howe dives into the topic of epigenetics.Since its origin in 1942, the term 'epigenetics' has been repeatedly defined and redefined. There's always been hype around the field, but what actually is epigenetics and how much does it influence our genes?In this Podcast Extra, Nick Howe speaks to Edith Heard, Director General of the EMBL, and Giacomo Cavalli, from the Institute of Human Genetics, to guide us through these questions and find out about the history and future of epigenetics.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’ve launched our 2019 listener survey. We want to know what you think of the show to help us make a great podcast. You can find the survey here. Thanks!This week, a solution to a centuries-old physics problem, and holiday shenanigans.In this episode:00:51 Disentangling three bodiesResearchers have been working to unpick a problem that has stumped scientists since the 1600s. Research Article: Stone and Leigh08:50 Frosty the SnowmanThe first of our festive science songs, about how a certain snowman is faring under climate change. Scroll to the transcript section below for the lyrics.11:00 Festive quiz showOur reporters battle it out to be crowned as this year’s quiz champion. Can they describe some of the top news headlines without saying certain important words? We find out.19:21 Carol of M87Our second song is about the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration’s imaging of the supermassive black hole at the centre of the M87 galaxy. Scroll to the transcript section below for the lyrics.20:33 News Chat

Research groups around the world are exploring new ways of protecting coral reefs from climate change.This is an audio version of our feature: These corals could survive climate change — and help save the world’s reefs, written by Amber Dance and read by Kerri Smith.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We recently launched our 2019 listener survey. We want to hear your views on the show to help us make it even better, so please help us by filling in the survey, thanks!In this episode:00:45 What’s next for social priming?How might a branch of psychological research move forward in the face of replication failures? News Feature: What’s next for psychology’s embattled field of social priming08:55 Research HighlightsKiller-whale grandmothers help their grandchildren survive, and the failed voyage of a reproduced ancient raft. Research Highlight: Why female orcas make killer grandmas; Research Highlight: On a model ancient raft, seafarers are up the current without a paddle11:12 The sounds of scienceWe hear the latest updates from the Acoustical Society of America's recent conference.18:44 News ChatReassessing when civilisations moved to modernity, and understanding exoplanets. News: When did societies become modern? ‘Big history’ dashes popular idea of Axial Age; New

We recently launched our 2019 listener survey. We want to hear your views on the show to help us make it even better. You can find the survey here. Thanks!In this episode: 00:45 The GenomeAsia 100k projectResearchers have released the first data from an ambitious project to sequence the genomes of 100,000 people from populations across Asia. Research Article: GenomeAsia100K Consortium 08:56 Research HighlightsBare riverbanks make meanders move, and human activity affects picky penguins. Research Highlight: The meandering rivers that speed across barren landscapes; Research Highlight: Climate change splits two penguin species into winners and losers 11:18 Curbing the rise in genetic surveillanceConcerns are growing around the use of commercial DNA databases for state-level surveillance. Comment: Crack down on genomic surveillance 20:02 News ChatNASA’s Parker Solar Probe has sent back the most detailed information yet about the birthplace of solar wind. News: Sun-bombing spacecraft uncovers

This year, Nature celebrates its 150th birthday. To mark this anniversary we’re rebroadcasting episodes from our PastCast series, highlighting key moments in the history of science.In this episode, we’re heading back to 4 November 1869, when Nature’s story began. The first issue of the journal looked very different from the way it does now and, to the dismay of the editor, it was not immediately popular. In this podcast, we hear how Nature began, and how it became the journal it is today.From the archiveNature 4 November 1869  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, delving into the results of the latest graduate student survey, and assessing ageism in science fiction literature.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, an antibiotic that targets hard-to-treat bacteria, and a roundup of the latest science news.In this episode:00:49 Discovering darobactinResearchers looked inside nematode guts and have identified a new antibiotic with some useful properties. Research Article: Imai et al.05:45 Research HighlightsUsing urine as a health metric, and sniffing out book decay with an electronic nose. Research Article: Miller et al.; Research Article: Veríssimo et al.07:54 News ChatAdding an element of chance to grant funding, a continental butterfly-sequencing project, and tracking endangered animals via traces of their DNA. News: Science funders gamble on grant lotteries; News: Every butterfly in the United States and Canada now has a genome sequence; News: Rare bird’s detection highlights promise of ‘environmental DNA’  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, a new 3D printer allows quick shifting between many materials, and understanding the link between gut microbes and liver disease.00:46 A new dimension for 3D printersA new nozzle lets a 3D printer switch between materials at a rapid rate, opening the door to a range of applications. Research Article: Skylar-Scott et al.; News and Views: How to print multi-material devices in one go08:07 Research HighlightsThe slippery secrets of ice, and cells wrapping up their nuclei. Research Highlight: Viscous water holds the secret to an ice skater’s smooth glide; Research Highlight: Super-thin layer of ‘bubble wrap’ cushions a cell’s nucleus10:17 Linking bacteria to liver diseaseResearchers have isolated a bacterial strain that appears to play an important role in alcoholic liver disease. Research paper: Duan et al.; News and Views: Microbial clues to a liver disease17:10 News Chat‘Megaconstellations’ of satellites concern astronomers, and a report on