Nature Podcast

This week marks 150 years since the first issue of Nature was published, on 4 November 1869. In this anniversary edition of Backchat, the panel take a look back at how the journal has evolved in this time, and discuss the role that Nature can play in today's society. The panel also pick a few of their favourite research papers that Nature has published, and think about where science might be headed in the next 150 years.Collection: 150 years of Nature  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, insights into the evolution of walking upright, how science needs to change in the next 150 years, and the unfinished agenda for vaccines.In this episode:00:50 Early ape locomotionThe discovery of a fossil of a new species of ape gives new insights on how bipedalism may have evolved. Research Article: Böhme et al.; News and Views: Fossil ape hints at how walking on two feet evolved; News: Fossil ape offers clues to evolution of walking on two feet07:24 Research HighlightsWomen lacking olfactory bulbs can somehow still smell, and telling whiskies apart through evaporation patterns. Research Highlight: The women who lack an odour-related brain area — and can still smell a rose; Research Highlight: Bourbon or Scotch? A droplet’s dynamics reveal the truth09:44 How should science evolve?This year is Nature’s 150th anniversary. Science has made huge strides during this time, but what needs to change to continue this progress for the next 150 yea

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 the early 1990s, a team of astrophysicists led by Carl Sagan looked at data from the Galileo spacecraft and saw the signatures of life on a planet in our galaxy. Historian of science David Kaiser and astrobiologists Charles Cockell and Frank Drake discuss how we can tell if there is life beyond the Earth – and how optimism, as well as science, is necessary for such a venture.This episode was first broadcast in October 2013.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, a computer beats the best human players in StarCraft II, and a huge study of insects and other arthropods.In this episode:00:45 Learning to playBy studying and experimenting, an AI has reached Grandmaster level at the video game Starcraft II.Research Article: Vinyals et al.; News Article: Google AI beats experienced human players at real-time strategy game StarCraft II10:08 Research HighlightsA record-breaking lightning bolt, and identifying our grey matter’s favourite tunesResearch Highlight: Here come the lightning ‘megaflashes’; Research Highlight: Why some songs delight the human brain12:24 Arthropods in declineResearchers have surveyed how land-use change has affected arthropod diversity. Research article: Seibold et al.18:30 News ChatYoung Canadians file a lawsuit against their government, an Alzheimer’s drug gets a second chance, and South Korean efforts to curb a viral epidemic in pigs. News: Canadian kids sue government over climate change; 

As part of Nature's 150th anniversary celebrations, we look back at an important moment in the history of science.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, a milestone in quantum computing, and rethinking early mammals.In this episode:00:43 A quantum computing milestoneA quantum computer is reported to have achieved ‘quantum supremacy’ – performing an operation that’s essentially impossible for classical computers. Research Article: Arute et al.; News and Views: Quantum computing takes flight; Editorial: A precarious milestone for quantum computing; News: Hello quantum world! Google publishes landmark quantum supremacy claim08:24 Research HighlightsThe world’s speediest ants, and the world’s loudest birdsong. Research Highlight: A land-speed record for ants set in Saharan dunes; Research Highlight: A bird’s ear-splitting shriek smashes the record for loudest song10:19 The mammals that lived with the dinosaursPaleontologists are shifting their view of the Mesozoic era mammals. News Feature: How the earliest mammals thrived alongside dinosaurs18:00 News ChatA Russian researcher’s plan

This week, investigating child mortality rates at a local level, and building genes from non-coding DNA.In this episode:00:43 A regional view of childhood mortalityResearchers map countries' progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Developmental Goals. Research Article: Burstein et al.; World View: Data on child deaths are a call for justice; Editorial: Protect the census07:22 Research HighlightsAstronomers identify a second visitor from beyond the solar system, and extreme snowfall stifles animal breeding in Greenland. Research Highlight: The comet that came in from interstellar space; Research Highlight: Extreme winter leads to an Arctic reproductive collapse09:22 Evolving genes from the ground upNatural selection's creative way to evolve new genes. News Feature: How evolution builds genes from scratch15:43 News ChatA spate of vaping-related deaths in the US, and Japan’s import of the Ebola virus. News: Scientists chase cause of mysterious v

This week, a method for predicting follow-up earthquakes, and the issues with deep learning systems in AI.In this episode:00:47 Which is the big quake?A new technique could allow seismologists to better predict if a larger earthquake will follow an initial tremor. Research Article: Real-time discrimination of earthquake foreshocks and aftershocks; News and Views: Predicting if the worst earthquake has passed07:46 Research HighlightsVampire bats transmitting rabies in Costa Rica, and why are some octopuses warty? Research Article: Streicker et al.; Research Article: Voight et al.10:03 Problems for pattern-recognitionDeep-learning allows AIs to better understand the world, but the technique is not without its issues. News Feature: Why deep-learning AIs are so easy to fool16:31 News ChatWe roundup the 2019 Nobel Prizes for science. News: Biologists who decoded how cells sense oxygen win medicine Nobel; News: Physics Nobel goes to exoplanet and

In this Podcast Extra, we speak to John B Goodenough, from the University of Texas at Austin, in the US. Today, John was announced as one of the joint winners of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Reporter Benjamin Thompson went along to the Royal Society in London to chat with him.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this Podcast Extra, we speak to physicist Didier Queloz, who was announced today as one of the joint winners of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics. Shortly after the winners were announced, Didier took part in a press conference to talk about his award. Reporter Benjamin Thompson went along to chat with him.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, how new species may form by sexual imprinting, and a previously unknown way for mosquitoes to migrate.In this episode:00:43 New species by sexual imprinting?A Central American frog chooses mates resembling its parents, a possible route for new species to form. Research Article: Yang et al.; News and Views: Leapfrog to speciation boosted by mother’s influence09:58 Research HighlightsA light-based pacemaker, and the mathematics of the best place to park. Research Article: Mei et al.; Research Highlight: Maths tackles an eternal question: where to park?11:43 Gone with the windResearchers show that malaria mosquitoes may travel hundreds of kilometres using wind currents. Research Article: Huestis et al.; News and Views: Malaria mosquitoes go with the flow19:28 News ChatEradication of Guinea Worm pushed back, and researchers report ‘pressure to cite’. News: Exclusive: Battle to wipe out debilitating Guinea worm parasite hits 10 year d

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.Earthquakes, volcanoes, the formation of mountains; we understand all these phenomena in terms of plate tectonics (large-scale movements of the Earth’s crust). But when a German geologist first suggested that continents move, in the 1910s, people dismissed it as a wild idea. In this podcast, we hear how a ‘wild idea’ became the unifying theory of Earth sciences. In the 1960s, data showed that the sea floor was spreading, pushing continents apart. Fred Vine recalls the reaction when he published these findings in Nature.This episode was first broadcast in September 2013.From the archiveMagnetic Anomalies Over Oceanic Ridges, by Vine & Matthews  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, diamond-containing rocks may help uncover secrets of the Earth’s mantle, and a reflection on science since the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy was published.In this episode:00:46 Earth’s EvolutionExplosive eruptions have allowed researchers to study Earth’s mysterious mantle. Research Article: Woodhead et al.; News and Views: Enigmatic origin of diamond-bearing rocks revealed06:08 Research HighlightsSupersonic cork popping, and the timing of vaccines. Research Highlight: An uncorked champagne bottle imitates a fighter jet; Research Highlight: Why midday might be a golden hour for vaccinations07:53 Don’t Panic40 years since the publication of the ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ we reflect on how far science has come.15:22 News ChatA huge telescope with exquisite sensitivity is opening in China, and gene-editing to save bananas. News: Gigantic Chinese telescope opens to astronomers worldwide; News: CRISPR might be the banana’s only hope ag

How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems is the new book from XKCD cartoonist Randall Munroe. In this Podcast Extra, Randall talks about the book, its inspiration and the bizarre thought experiments it contains.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode:00:44 A global media collaborationThis week, Nature is taking part in the Covering Climate Now project. What is it, and why has Nature joined? Editorial: Act now and avert a climate crisis05:49 ‘Climate change’ vs ‘climate emergency’In early 2019, The Guardian changed the wording they use when covering climate stories. Our panel discusses the importance of phrasing, and how it evolves. The Guardian: Why the Guardian is changing the language it uses about the environment13:40 Choosing climate imagesWhat makes a good image for a climate change story? What do they add to a written news story?This episode of the Backchat is part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 media outlets to highlight the issue of climate change.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, absurd advice from XKCD’s Randall Munroe, and a conversation with climate lawyer turned activist Farhana Yamin.In this episode: 00:46 How to do things (badly)Cartoonist Randall Munroe tell us about his new book: How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems.08:21 Research HighlightsHow insemination makes honeybee queens lose their way, and ‘toe maps’ in the brain. Research Highlight: Sex clouds queen bees’ vision; Research Highlight: ‘Toe maps’ in the brain guide painters born without hands10:31 From climate lawyer to climate activistAfter three decades of climate advocacy, renowned IPCC lawyer Farhana Yamin decided to join Extinction Rebellion – she tells us why. Comment: Why I broke the law for climate change17:48 News ChatHow nations are progressing towards limiting greenhouse-gas emissions, and climate cash flow. News Feature: The hard truths of climate change — by the numbers; News Feature: Where climate cash is flowing and why it’s not enoughThis episode of the Nature P

This week, modelling embryonic development, and an analysis of male dominated conferences.In this episode:00:44 Imitating implantationResearchers have created a system that uses stem cells to model the early stages of pregnancy. Research article: Zheng et al.; News and Views: Human embryo implantation modelled in microfluidic channels08:03 Research HighlightsTraces of baby turtle tracks, and Titan’s explosive past. Research Highlight: A baby sea turtle’s ancient trek is captured in a fossil; Research Highlight: Giant explosions sculpted a moon’s peculiar scenery09:36 ‘Manferences’Nature investigates the prevalence of conferences where most of the speakers are male. News Feature: How to banish manels and manferences from scientific meetings15:41 News ChatAn update on India’s latest moon mission, drugs that may reverse biological age, and this year’s Breakthrough Prize winners. News: India loses contact with its Moon lander minutes before touchdow

This week, Salmonella spreading antibiotic resistance, and the drivers of urban heat islands.In this episode: 00:46 Antibiotic resistance reservoirsResearchers have identified how Salmonella ‘persister’ cells can spread antibiotic resistance genes in mice intestines.Research article: Bakkeren et al.08:12 Research HighlightsBright barn owls stun prey, and the evolution of dog brains. Research Highlight: Zip-lining owls reveal what really scares their prey; Research Highlight: A dog’s breed is a window onto its brain10:13 Urban heatingCities are generally hotter than their surroundings, but what are the causes of these ‘heat islands’? Research Article: Manoli et al.16:54 News ChatA cryptic Russian radiation spike, and India’s moon mission gets closer to touchdown. News: How nuclear scientists are decoding Russia’s mystery explosion; News: ‘The most terrifying moments’: India counts down to risky Moon landing  See acast.com/privacy f

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.They’re found in home-testing kits for pregnancy, hospital tests for MRSA, and in six out of ten of the best-selling drugs today. But monoclonal antibodies have kept a surprisingly low profile since their debut in a Nature paper in 1975. This podcast follows them from that time through patent wars, promising drug trials and finally to blockbuster status today.This episode was first broadcast in August 2013.From the archive:Continuous cultures of fused cells secreting antibody of predefined specificity, by Köhler & MilsteinMargaret Thatcher speech clips courtesy of the Margaret Thatcher Foundation.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, a computer chip based on carbon nanotubes, and the potential pitfalls of sequencing ancient-human remains.In this episode: 00:45 A nanotube microprocessorScientists are looking beyond silicon, by constructing a computer chip using carbon nanotubes.Research article: Shulaker et al. News and Views: Nanotube computer scaled up 08:38 Research HighlightsWeighing neutrinos, and discovering a hidden Zika epidemic.Research Highlight: Lightest neutrino is at least 6 million times lighter than an electron; Research Highlight: Cuba’s untold Zika outbreak uncovered 10:29 Using ancient-human remains conscientiouslyWhile genetic sequencing of ancient-human remains is providing more information than ever, these remains must be safeguarded, warn researchers. Comment Article: Use ancient remains more wisely 17:21 News ChatThe discovery of a 3.8-million-year-old hominin skull, and using CRISPR to make ‘smart’ materials.News: Rare 3.8-million-year-old skull recasts origins of iconic ‘Luc