Nature Podcast

In this episode of the Nature Podcast, we catch up on some science stories from the holiday period by diving into the Nature Briefing.We chat about: an extra-warm sweater inspired by polar bear fur; the fossil find revealing what a juvenile tyrannosaur liked to snack on; why scientists are struggling to open OSIRIS-REx’s sample container; how 2023 was a record for retractions; and how cats like to play fetch, sometimes.Nature News: Polar bear fur-inspired sweater is thinner than a down jacket — and just as warmScientific American: Tyrannosaur’s Stomach Contents Have Been Found for the First TimeNature News: ‘Head-scratcher’: first look at asteroid dust brought to Earth offers surprisesNature News: More than 10,000 research papers were retracted in 2023 — a new recordScientific American: Cats Play Fetch, Too—But Only on Their Own TermsSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

In this episode, reporter Miryam Naddaf joins us to talk about the big science events to look out for in 2024. We'll hear about the mass of the neutrino, the neural basis of consciousness and the climate lawsuits at the Hague, to name but a few.News: the science events to look our for in 2024 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Perovskites are cheap, abundant photovoltaic materials that some have hailed as the future of green energy.Around the world, companies are layering perovskites on top of traditional silicon to develop so-called tandem solar cells that some think could deliver at least 20% more power than a silicon cell alone.However, there remain multiple issues to overcome before these products are ready for widespread uptake in the notoriously competitive solar-power market.This is an audio version of our Feature A new kind of solar cell is coming: is it the future of green energy? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode:00:54 Franklin’s real roleWhen it comes to the structure of DNA, everyone thinks they know Rosalind Franklin’s role in its discovery. The story goes that her crucial data was taken by James Watson without her knowledge, helping him and Francis Crick solve the structure. However, new evidence has revealed that this wasn’t really the case. Rosalind Franklin was not a ‘wronged heroine’, she was an equal contributor to the discovery.Nature Podcast: 25 April 2023Comment: What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure14:37 An automated way to monitor wildlife recoveryTo prevent the loss of wildlife, forest restoration is key, but monitoring how well biodiversity actually recovers is incredibly difficult. Now though, a team has collected recordings of animal sounds to determine the extent of the recovery. However, while using these sounds to identify species is an effective way to monitor, it’s also labour intensive. To overcome this, they trained an AI to listen to the

Many AIs are 'black box' in nature, meaning that part of all of the underlying structure is obfuscated, either intentionally to protect proprietary information, due to the sheer complexity of the model, or both. This can be problematic in situations where people are harmed by decisions made by AI but left without recourse to challenge them.Many researchers in search of solutions have coalesced around a concept called Explainable AI, but this too has its issues. Notably, that there is no real consensus on what it is or how it should be achieved. So how do we deal with these black boxes? In this podcast, we try to find out.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode:01:55 “Oh GPT”In the first of our festive songs, we pay homage to LLMs, the generative AI chat bots which have taken 2023 by storm. 05:32 Twenty questionsIn this year’s festive game, our competitors try to guess some of the biggest science stories of the year, solely by asking yes/no questions.24:40 “Warming night”In our final song this year, we take stock as 2023 is named the hottest year since records began. As worsening climate change continues to threaten lives, can science provide hope for the future?28:24 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 2023 list.News feature: Nature’s 10Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest episode of Nature hits the books, astronomer Aomawa Shields discusses her memoir Life on Other Planets: A Memoir of Finding My Place in the Universe.The book tracks her career path as a scientist and a classically-trained actor, explores her experiences as an African American woman in STEM, and interrogates science’s place in culture — some of the things we discussed in this podcast.Life on Other Planets: A Memoir of Finding My Place in the Universe Aomawa Shields Constable (2023)Music supplied by Airae/Epidemic Sound/Getty images. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Current COVID-19 vaccines offer great protection from serious illness, but they don't prevent people from becoming infected in the first place. Because of this, researchers have been searching for ways to boost mucosal immunity — the immune response on mucosal surfaces — as this is where the virus is first encountered by the body. Now a team have shown that mucosal immunity can be improved enough to block infection in rhesus macaques by administering booster vaccines directly into their lungs, through inhalation. They hope this could offer a way to stop humans getting COVID-19 in the future.Research Article: McMahan et al.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode:00:48 A new way to grow a tricky parasite in the labToxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes the zoonotic disease toxoplasmosis, has a complex, multi-stage life cycle. Some of these stages will only grow in the intestines of cats, making it difficult to study. Now, a team has found a way to grow one of these stages in vitro for the first time, which they hope will help researchers learn more about this parasite, estimated to have infected around 30% of the world’s population.Research Article: Antunes et al.08:50 Research HighlightsThe tiny VR goggles designed for mice, and how a squirt of water could give coffee a bigger kick.Research Highlight: Wee VR googles give mice a true immersive experienceResearch Highlight: Why coffee particles clump and make a mess during grinding11:25 Briefing ChatGenetic searches reveal a potential super-sized protein, and the rise of ‘non-stop’ authors who publish a science paper every five daysNature News: The world’s largest proteins? These mega-molecules tur

In this episode:00:48 A gap for trapping lightConfining photons within materials opens up potential applications in quantum computing and telecommunications. But capturing light requires nanoscale cavities, which are difficult to make. This week, a team has created the smallest silicon gap yet for this purpose, just two nano-metres wide, by exploiting the intermolecular forces that are usually an obstacle when creating such small structures. They show this gap can trap light effectively, but they also believe that their method could be used to create tiny cavities for use in a range of different fields.Research Article: Babar et al.News and Views: Self-assembling structures close the gap to trap light07:28 Research HighlightsResearchers head into the wilderness to search for dark matter, and the discovery that bottlenose dolphins can sense weak magnetic fields.Research Highlight: The hunt for dark-matter particles ventures into the wildResearch Highlight: Dolphins have a feel for electric fields09:54 The envi

Around 500 million people are estimated to be in period poverty, lacking adequate access to sanitary products. Many of these people rely on donations, but this is far from a long-term solution. To tackle this researchers have developed a method to extract absorbent materials for menstrual pads from a common plant, Agave sisalana. The researchers say that their method can be performed using local techniques and has a lower environmental impact than the manufacture of other period products. They're aiming to scale-up this approach to help those in period poverty.Research Article: Molina et al.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode:00:49 What to expect at COP28.The UN’s annual climate change conference is starting soon in Dubai. This time will be the first time that humanity formally assesses its progress under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, so we ask if this challenge of keeping warming below 1.5 ˚C can be met and what needs to happen at COP28 to make it a reality. News Feature: Is it too late to keep global warming below 1.5 °C? The challenge in 7 charts10:49 Research HighlightsFalcons show off their smarts, and how smoke from California wildfires made Europe cloudy.Research Highlight: These falcons excel at problem-solving — and outdo some of the world’s smartest birdsResearch Highlight: Huge California wildfires seeded cirrus clouds half a world away12:59 Briefing ChatThe mystery surrounding a powerful cosmic ray, and how to make super hot plasma easily.Nature News: The most powerful cosmic ray since the Oh-My-God particle puzzles scientistsResearch Article: Xie et al.Video: Super hot plasma made easy with stabili

Researchers have been resurrecting apple trees to revive forgotten varieties of the fruit. They hope that sequencing these apples' genomes could uncover mutations that influence flavour, colour, crispness and other characteristics. This knowledge could help unlock the next blockbuster fruit, and develop trees that are more resistant to disease, climate change and other environmental pressures.This is an audio version of our Feature Apple revival: how science is bringing historic varieties back to life Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode:00:46 What happens after polio is eradicatedSince 1988, cases of polio have fallen by more than 99%, and many observers predict that the disease could be eradicated within the next three years. However, eradication isn’t the same as extinction, so the next challenge is for researchers to make sure the disease won’t return. We discuss what a post-polio future may look like, and how to ensure that the disease is gone for good.News Feature: Polio is on the brink of eradication. Here's how to keep it from coming back09:48 Research HighlightsBotulinum toxin shows promise in treating a common disorder in older people, and how safeguarding seabirds may require significantly larger conservation-areas than previously thought.Research Highlight: Botox’s paralysing effects can relieve an uncontrolled head tremorResearch Highlight: Seabirds’ lonely travels pose a conservation challenge12:21 Briefing ChatHow demand for research monkeys is fuelling an illegal trade in smuggled animals, and the surprisi

In the latest episode of Nature hits the books, writer and researcher Jay Owens joins us to discuss her book Dust: The Modern World in a Trillion Particles. Much like dust itself, Jay’s book travels the globe, looking at the impacts that these microscopic particles are having on the world, our health and environment, as well as exploring the role that humanity has played in creating them.Dust: The Modern World in a Trillion Particles Jay Owens Hodder & Stoughton (2023)Music supplied by Airae/Epidemic Sound/Getty images. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode:00:46 Machine vision enables multi-material 3D printing3D printers are capable of producing complex shapes, but making functioning objects from multiple materials in a single print-run has proved challenging. To overcome this, a team has combined inkjet printing with an error-correction system guided by machine vision, to allow them to print sophisticated multi-material objects. They used this method to make a bio-inspired robotic hand that combines soft and rigid plastics to make mechanical bones, ligaments, and tendons, as well as a pump based on a mammalian heart.Research article: Buchner et al.News & Views: Multi-material 3D printing guided by machine visionVideo: The 3D printer that crafts complex robotic organs in a single run07:49 Research HighlightsCitizen-scientists help identify an astronomical object that blurs the line between asteroid and comet, and how a Seinfeld episode helped scientists to distinguish the brain regions involved in understanding and appreciating humour.Resea

In this episode:00:46 Modifying a fungal drug to make it less toxicAmphotericin B is a drug used to treat life-threatening fungal infections. But while it is effective against many fungal species, it is also extremely toxic to kidneys, meaning it is mostly used as a drug of last-resort. This week, a team has unpicked the mechanism behind the drug’s toxicity, allowing them to modify it and reduce side effects in human kidney cells. The researchers hope this new version of the drug could become a useful tool in fighting fungal diseases.Research article: Maji et al.09:00 Research HighlightsReconstructing woolly rhino DNA using samples from fossilized hyena dung, and a soft robot that can perform surgery inside a beating heart.Research Highlight: Woolly-rhino genome emerges from cave hyena’s fossilized pooResearch Highlight: A robot performs heart surgery with a strong but delicate touch11:26 Phosphorus found at the edge of our GalaxyPhosphorus is a vital element for life and for planet formation, but although ab

In the past year, generative AIs have been taking the world by storm. ChatGPT, Bard, DALL-E and more, are changing the nature of how content is produced. In science, they could help transform and streamline publishing. However, they also come with plenty of risks.In this episode of Nature's Take we discuss how these AIs are impacting science and what the future might hold.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode:00:46 An injectable gel for healing musclesSevere muscle injury can be debilitating, with long recuperation periods. Now, researchers have developed a material that can be directly injected into injured muscle, helping to stimulate and heal damaged tissue. The team showed this approach could rapidly restore walking ability in severely injured rats and regenerate muscles within four weeks. They hope that this solution could one day help humans with similar injuries, and overcome some of the limitations of current recuperation strategies.Research article: Jin et al.News and Views: Hydrogel implant rehabilitates muscles through electrical stimulation10:02 Research HighlightsAncient human genomes fill in a missing link between Europe’s first humans and later arrivals, and how ferns are inspiring pest-resistant crops.Research Highlight: Ancient DNA reveals traces of elusive first humans in EuropeResearch Highlight: Fierce ferns make insect-fighting proteins12:43 Briefing ChatLargest release of Wolb

For decades, BMI — calculated by dividing weight by height squared — has been as an international standard to determine healthy weights.However, BMI does not measure body fat, and ignores many other factors that can affect how healthy someone it.Now, a small but growing movement of reseachers and clinicians are calling for other metrics to be used in conjunction with BMI when diagnosing and treating obesity.This is an audio version of our Feature: Why BMI is flawed — and how to redefine obesity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.