Nature Podcast

Springer Nature Limited

The Nature Podcast brings you the best stories from the world of science each week. We cover everything from astronomy to zoology, highlighting the most exciting research from each issue of the Nature journal. We meet the scientists behind the results and provide in-depth analysis from Nature's journalists and editors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Bowhead whales can live for more than 200 years – this protein might be why

    00:47 How bowhead whales live so longResearchers have uncovered a protein that enhances DNA repair and may explain how bowhead whales can live more than 200 years. The protein, cold-induced RNA-binding protein, was shown to enhance repair of double stranded DNA breaks, a particularly troublesome kind of damage. The team showed that this protein could also extend the lives of Drosophila flies and enhance repair in human cells. More needs to be understood about how this protein works, but the researchers hope that it could, one day, help prevent cancer and ageing in humans. Research Article: Firsanov et al. News: This whale lives for centuries: its secret could help to extend human lifespan 11:22 Research HighlightsA precise way to grow crystals, with lasers — plus, the specialist organ that allows stinkbugs to protect their eggs from wasps. Research Highlight: How to grow crystals when and where you want them Research Highlight: Stinkbug ‘ear’ actually hosts parasite-fighting fungi 13:31 An antivenom against a broad range of snakebitesResearchers have used ‘nanobodies’ to create an antivenom that works against 17 snake species’ venom. Snakebites kill millions each year, so getting the right antivenom can be life or death. But they are difficult to produce and often are very specific. Now, using nanobodies from llamas, researchers created an antivenom against a broad range of snake species’ venom. The new antivenom can now even be produced without the llamas, and the team hope it will pave the way for a more universal antivenom. Research Article: Ahmadi 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.

    23 min

  2. 6 DAYS AGO

    Audio long read: How to get the best night’s sleep — what the science says

    Advice on how to get good sleep is everywhere, with the market for sleep aids worth more than US$100 billion annually. However, scientists warn that online hacks and pricey tools aren’t always effective, and suggest that lessons learnt about the workings of a network of biological clocks found in the human body could ultimately lead to improved sleep. This is an audio version of our Feature: How to get the best night’s sleep: what the science says Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    16 min

  3. 22 OCT

    Honey, I ate the kids: how hunger and hormones make mice aggressive

    00:48 How hunger, hormones and aggression interact in mouse brainsResearchers have uncovered the neural mechanisms that underlie an aggressive behaviour in mice prompted by hunger and hormonal state. Virgin female mice can become aggressive towards mouse pups when they are food deprived, but it seems that the relevant amounts of pregnancy hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, also played a role. By investigating the neurons involved, neuroscientists showed how hunger and hormones are integrated by the brain to lead to aggressive behaviour. This could help researchers understand more about how multiple stimuli are interpreted by the brain, something much harder to study than single stimulus effects. Research Article: Cao et al. 09:35 Research HighlightsThe overlooked environmental costs of wastewater treatment facilities — plus, an ancient communal hunting system that lasted well into the eighteenth century. Research Highlight: Wastewater treatment produces surprising amounts of greenhouse gases Research Highlight: Andean peoples hunted and gathered long after they embraced farming 11:53 What generative AI could mean for higher educationAround the world, universities and students are scrambling to adapt to the use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. And while there is optimism that these tools could improve education, there are also concerns about the ways they could stifle independent, critical thought. We hear about the studies trying to unpick the potential impact of this new technology. News Feature: Universities are embracing AI: will students get smarter or stop thinking? 21:26 Briefing ChatA blood test for Alzheimer’s, and what should be the next ‘test’ for AI after the Turing test? Nature: Blood tests are now approved for Alzheimer’s: how accurate are they? Nature: AI language models killed the Turing test: do we even need a replacement? 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.

    34 min

  4. 15 OCT

    New bird flu vaccine could tackle multiple variants with one shot

    00:46 A multi-variant avian flu vaccine that could enhance pandemic preparednessA vaccine capable of protecting against multiple strains of avian influenza virus might be a step closer, according to new research. The H5 subtype of avian influenza viruses has spilled over into mammals and is particularly concerning to researchers because of the risk that one of its variants may evolve to cause a pandemic. But because there are multiple variants of these viruses, it has been hard to pre-prepare vaccines. Now, a team has used information on how H5 viruses changed over time to design a vaccine that in animal studies provided protection against different H5 variants. They hope their approach could be applied to create stockpiles of a vaccine that could be used in the event of a pandemic, regardless of the variant that causes it. Research Article: Kok et al. 10:53 Research HighlightsMaking muon beams without a huge particle accelerator — plus, the bats hunting migrating birds in mid-air. Research Highlight: Portable muon beam could accelerate archaeology scans Research Highlight: European bats capture migrating birds and eat them on the wing 13:34 Briefing ChatA new search engine that can sift through the staggering volumes of biological data, and the multiple failings revealed by an assessment of 25 years of carbon offsetting data. Nature: ‘Google for DNA’ brings order to biology’s big data The Guardian: Carbon offsets fail to cut global heating due to ‘intractable’ systemic problems, study says​​​​​​​ 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.

    23 min

  5. 8 OCT

    How stereotypes shape AI – and what that means for the future of hiring

    00:48 The stereotypes hidden in Internet imagesStereotyped assumptions about women’s ages and their perceived job suitability are enhanced by Internet imagery, according to new research. A study of hundreds of thousands of online images shows that women appear younger than men. This stereotype extends to the jobs that people perceive women do, with men being associated with roles such as CEO or head of research, while women were linked to occupations like cook or nurse. The research shows that these biases have been embedded into the training data for AI models and could affect future hiring. The researchers caution that society is at risk of creating a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ where these stereotypes shape the real world. Research Article: Guilbeault et al. News and Views: Distorted representations of age and gender are reflected in AI models 13:24 Research HighlightsA very hungry planet — plus, how climate change is leading to larger trees in the Amazon. Research Highlight: ‘Rogue’ planet is fastest-growing ever observed Research Highlight: Trees of the Amazon are becoming even mightier 15:49 Astronomers name their favourite exoplanetThirty years ago, astronomers announced the discovery of the first exoplanet around a Sun-like star, sparking a renewed passion into spotting these planets that lie beyond our Solar System. In celebration, Nature asked researchers to tell us about their favourites. News: These alien planets are astronomers’ favourites: here’s why Hear the music of a distant planetary system 25:51 Nobel newsFlora Graham from the Nature Briefing joins us to talk about the winners of this year’s science Nobel prizes. Nature: Medicine Nobel goes to scientists who revealed secrets of immune system ‘regulation’ Nature: Groundbreaking quantum-tunnelling experiments win physics Nobel Nature: Chemistry Nobel for scientists who developed massively porous ‘super sponge’ materials Nature: Will AI ever win its own Nobel? Some predict a prize-worthy science discovery soon 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.

    36 min

  6. 1 OCT

    Ancient viral DNA helps human embryos develop

    00:50 How ancient viruses drive modern human developmentResearch suggests that ancient viral-DNA embedded in the human genome is playing a key role in early embryo development. Around 8% of our genome consists of endogenous retrovirus DNA — the remnants of ancient infections, but knowledge of their activity is limited. Now, a team show that these sequences are required for the correct development of lab-derived embryo analogues, and for the switching on of human-specific genes. Research Article: Fueyo et al. News and Views: Ancient viral DNA in the human genome shapes early development 10:39 Research HighlightsLonger whale mothers are more likely to give birth to daughters — plus, how the stink of the corpse flower waxes and wanes to attract pollinators. Research Highlight: Big mother whales have more daughters than sons Research Highlight: Corpse flowers waft out stinky compounds as fast as landfills do 13:05 How heat can fuel DNA computersResearchers have developed a way to use heat to recharge DNA-based computer circuits, which could help overcome one of the stumbling blocks preventing this technology from being scaled up. Although DNA strands have been used to perform computational tasks for some time, current methods can run out of energy or build up waste products, preventing their continued use. Now, using just heat a team have demonstrated a reuseable neural network based on DNA. They hope that ultimately this could be a step in the development of bigger and more powerful DNA computers that could be used to power targeted clinical therapies. Research Article: Song & Qian 22:20 Briefing ChatA one-time gene therapy for Huntington’s disease show promise at slowing the brain disorder’s progression — plus, how mitochondria throw out ‘tainted’ DNA. Nature: Huntington’s disease treated for first time using gene therapy Nature: Mitochondria expel tainted DNA — spurring age-related inflammation 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.

    34 min

  7. 26 SEPT

    Audio long read: Autism is on the rise — what’s really behind the increase?

    In April, Robert F. Kennedy Jr held a press conference about rising diagnoses of autism, and said he would soon be announcing a study to find the responsible agent. Although Kennedy said that environmental factors are the main cause of autism, research has shown that genetics plays a bigger part. Also, the rise in prevalence, many researchers say, is predominantly caused by an increase in diagnoses rather than a true rise in the underlying symptoms and traits. Although the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a US$50 million to fund studies on the causes of autism, many researchers were dismayed that these developments seemed to ignore decades of work on the well-documented rise in diagnoses and on causes of the developmental condition. This is an audio version of our Feature: Autism is on the rise — what’s really behind the increase? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min

  8. 24 SEPT

    How a dangerous tick-borne virus sneaks into the brain

    00:48 New insights into tick-borne encephalitisResearchers have identified a key protein that helps tick-borne encephalitis virus enter the brain. In rare cases an infection can lead to serious neurological symptoms, but little was known about how the virus interacts with human cells. Now, a team show that a protein found on the outside of cells plays an important role in infection. In mouse experiments, they show that blocking the ability of the virus to bind to this protein protected the mice from disease. Currently no treatments exist, but the team hopes that this research will ultimately lead to a viable drug for this disease. Research Article: Mittler et al. 08:47 Research HighlightsThe squirming robot that speeds up the insertion of an emergency breathing tube — plus, the 10,000-year-old remains that could be the oldest intentionally preserved mummies Research Highlight: Soft robot steers itself down the human airway Research Highlight: Smoke-dried mummies pre-date Egypt’s embalmed bodies 11:21 How might cancelled NIH grants affect the future of US science?To assess the potential impact of cuts to funding by the Trump administration, Nature trained a machine-learning bot to try and reproduce the NIH’s method of cancelling grants and applied it to science that was successfully funded around ten years ago. This thought experiment shows that highly impactful science and medical research might have been at risk had a similar process been followed a decade ago, revealing the potentially broad-reaching consequences of these actions today. Nature Index: What research might be lost after the NIH’s cuts? Nature trained a bot to find out News: Are the Trump team’s actions affecting your research? How to contact Nature 20:54 Briefing ChatWhat researchers understand about chatbot-induced psychosis, and the AI designed viruses capable of killing E. coli bacteria. Nature: Can AI chatbots trigger psychosis? What the science says Nature: World’s first AI-designed viruses a step towards AI-generated life 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.

    33 min
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About

The Nature Podcast brings you the best stories from the world of science each week. We cover everything from astronomy to zoology, highlighting the most exciting research from each issue of the Nature journal. We meet the scientists behind the results and provide in-depth analysis from Nature's journalists and editors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Springer Nature Limited
  • Years Active
    2005 - 2025
  • Episodes
    840
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Springer Nature Limited
  • Show Website
    Nature Podcast

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