Nature Podcast
820 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★★★★ - 672 ratingsThe 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.
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Episodes
The Nature Podcast annual holiday spectacular
December 22, 2021 16:00 - 33 minutes - 46.5 MBGames, seasonal science songs, and Nature’s 10. 01:12 "Oh powered flight" In the first of our festive songs, We pay tribute to NASA's Ingenuity craft - which took the first powered flight on another planet earlier this year. Lyrics by Noah Baker and performed by The Simon Langton School choir, directed by Emily Renshaw-Kidd. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the lyrics. Video: Flying a helicopter on Mars: NASA's Ingenuity News: Lift off! First flight on Mars launches new way to explo...
Coronapod: Omicron - your questions answered
December 17, 2021 09:18 - 31 minutes - 43.4 MBSeveral weeks after the Omicron variant was first identified, it has quickly spread across the world. Early data are showing clear signals that the latest variant of concern is able to evade immunity and spread at a rate faster than any other variant to date. But many questions remain unanswered about the severity of infection, the protection afforded by natural and vaccine-derived immunity, and the impact Omicron could have on the global pandemic response. In this episode, we delve into the...
Pluto's strange ice patterns explained by new theory
December 15, 2021 16:00 - 25 minutes - 35.8 MBAn explanation for giant ice structures on Pluto, and dismantling the mestizo myth in Latin American genetics. In this episode: 00:46 The frozen root of Pluto’s polygonal patterns In 2015, NASA’s New Horizons probe sent back some intriguing images of Pluto. Huge polygonal patterns could be seen on the surface of a nitrogen-ice ice filled basin known as Sputnik Planitia. This week, a team put forward a new theory to explain these perplexing patterns. Research article: Morison et al. 06:1...
Coronapod: vaccines and long COVID, how protected are you?
December 10, 2021 17:58 - 17 minutes - 24.6 MBVaccines significantly reduce the risk of developing COVID-19, but scientists are now asking what effect the vaccines might have on long COVID. Long COVID is a somewhat ill-defined, but common, syndrome that can arise from even mild cases of COVID19 - with symptoms ranging from chronic fatigue to breathing difficulties and even neurological deficiency. But little is known about what triggers long COVID, or how to prevent it. As public health experts consider protection measures, the role of ...
How 'megastudies' are changing behavioural science
December 08, 2021 16:31 - 28 minutes - 39 MBSpeeding up comparisons of behavioural interventions, and what to expect from the James Webb Space Telescope. In this episode: 00:45 Identifying effective interventions with a 'megastudy' Comparing single behavioural interventions and identifying which is most effective can be difficult and time consuming, hampering policy-making decisions. This week, a team demonstrate a ‘megastudy’, which allows researchers to compare multiple interventions within the same group of people. Research art...
Coronapod: How has COVID impacted mental health?
December 03, 2021 22:29 - 11 minutes - 16.3 MBStudying mental health in populations is not a simple task, but as the pandemic has continued, mounting concerns have mobilised researchers. Now, researchers have used data from helplines in 20 countries to assess the impacts that COVID, as well as associated political and public health measures like financial assistance programs and lockdowns, have had on mental health. Contrary to expectations, loneliness and concerns about the impacts of the pandemic drove most of the callers, rather tha...
What’s the best diet for people and the planet?
December 01, 2021 16:00 - 26 minutes - 37.5 MBDesigning a nutritious and planet-friendly diet, and an AI that guides mathematicians. In this episode: 00:46 Designing a healthy diet for the planet Researchers are trying to develop diets that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while at the same time providing nutrition. Some of these sustainable diets are now being tested to see if they work in local contexts without damaging livelihoods. Feature: What humanity should eat to stay healthy and save the planet 08:24 Research Highli...
Audio long-read: The chase for fusion energy
November 29, 2021 14:51 - 22 minutes - 31.1 MBA host of private companies are promising commercial fusion reactors in the next decade. After decades of promise, it finally seems that nuclear fusion is approaching commercial viability. Companies around the world are securing huge amounts of funding, and advances in materials research and computing are enabling technologies other than the standard designs to be pursued. This is an audio version of our feature: The chase for fusion energy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...
Coronapod: everything we know about the new COVID variant
November 26, 2021 15:50 - 9 minutes - 13 MBIn a quickly developing story a new variant, first detected in Botswana, is triggering rapid action among researchers. The variant - currently named B.1.1.529 has more than 30 changes to the spike protein - and the concern is that these mutations may result in increased transmissibility, severity of disease or even antibody evasion. In this episode of Coronapod, we discuss what we know so far, how scientists are searching for answers and what this could mean for the pandemic. News: Heavily...
Researcher careers under the microscope: salary satisfaction and COVID impacts
November 24, 2021 16:00 - 22 minutes - 31.8 MBThe Nature salary and satisfaction survey reveals researchers' outlook, and NASA’s test of planetary defences. In this episode: 00:45 Salary and satisfaction survey Like all aspects of life, scientific careers have been impacted by the pandemic. To get an insight into how researchers are feeling, Nature has conducted a salary and satisfaction survey. We hear from some of the respondents. Careers Feature: Stagnating salaries present hurdles to career satisfaction 09:07 Research Highligh...
Sea squirts teach new lessons in evolution
November 17, 2021 16:00 - 24 minutes - 33.8 MBSpineless sea squirts shed light on vertebrate evolution, and an iodine-fuelled engine powering a satellite in space. In this episode: 00:45 A story of sea squirts, ancient vertebrates and missing genes When a PhD student set out to study the developmental pathways of a strange sea creature, he hoped to shed light on the origins of vertebrate animals. Instead, researchers found themselves investigating a strange case of missing genes. We hear why gene loss could be a more significant fact...
Coronapod: new hope from COVID antiviral drugs
November 12, 2021 20:51 - 18 minutes - 24.9 MBTwo new anti-viral pills have been shown to be safe and effective against COVID in clinical trials, according to recent press releases. The drugs, molnupiravir, developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, and Paxlovid, developed by Pfizer both appear to significantly reduce hospitalisation in people with early COVID. Some researchers are quietly hopeful that these new weapons in the anti-COVID arsenal could have a big impact, in particular in parts of the world where vaccines are still...
The past and future of the Earth's climate
November 10, 2021 16:45 - 18 minutes - 25.1 MBReassessing 24,000 years of global temperatures, and on the ground at COP26. In this episode: 01:21 Reassessing Earth’s climate over the past 24,000 years The ~20,000 year period from the Last Glacial Maximum to the pre-industrial era saw huge changes to the Earth’s climate. But characterising how temperatures changed during this time has been difficult, with different methods producing different results. Now, a team have combined two techniques, which they hope will provide new insights ...
Audio long-read: How dangerous is Africa’s explosive Lake Kivu?
November 08, 2021 13:56 - 20 minutes - 27.9 MBLake Kivu, nestled between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, is a geological anomaly that holds 300 cubic kilometres of dissolved carbon dioxide and 60 cubic kilometres of methane. The lake has the potential to explosively release these gases, which could fill the surrounding valley, potentially killing millions of people. Researchers are trying to establish the likelihood of such an event happening, and the best way to safely siphon the gases from the lake. This is an audi...
Podcast special: onboard the climate train to COP26
November 03, 2021 17:19 - 19 minutes - 27.2 MBLast weekend, hundreds of young people boarded a specially chartered train in Amsterdam to travel to Glasgow ahead of the United Nations COP26 climate summit. Among them were scientists, activists and policy makers. In a Nature Podcast special, we boarded the train to catch up with some of them - to talk about their science, their motivations and their message. News: All aboard the climate train! Scientists join activists for COP26 trip Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily r...
China’s COVID vaccines have been crucial — now immunity is waning
October 29, 2021 17:35 - 15 minutes - 20.7 MBMore that 3 billions doses of China's CoronaVac and Sinopharm vaccines have been administered across the globe, playing an especially important role in Latin America and South East Asia, as well as China. These vaccines use inactivated virus particles to expose the immune system to Sars-CoV-2, but they do not appear to generate the same levels of neutralising antibodies as other vaccine platforms such as those based on mRNA. Now studies are suggesting that this protection may be waning more ...
Genomics unwraps mystery of the Tarim mummies
October 27, 2021 15:00 - 27 minutes - 38.3 MBThe unexpected origins of a 4000-year-old people, protecting your ‘digital presence’ and what to expect from COP26. In this episode: 00:48 The origins of the mysterious Tarim mummies For decades there has been debate about the origins of a group of 4000-year-old individuals known as the Tarim Basin mummies. Their distinct appearance and clothing has prompted scientists to hypothesise they had migrated from the North or West. Now, a team of researchers have used modern genomics to shed new...
Coronapod: can scientists harness COVID super-immunity?
October 25, 2021 12:46 - 16 minutes - 22.1 MBPeople that have recovered from COVID are seeing stronger immune responses after vaccination than those that never contracted the virus. Researchers are now racing to unpick what is behind this powerful 'hybrid immunity'. In this episode of Coronapod, we discuss a series of studies which are offering up some possibile explanations, and ask how this might inform publish health policy in the future. News: COVID super-immunity: one of the pandemic’s great puzzles Subscribe to Nature Briefing...
Viking presence in the Americas pinpointed by ancient solar storm
October 20, 2021 15:00 - 35 minutes - 48 MBAn ancient solar storm helps pinpoint when Vikings lived in the Americas, and using magnets to deftly move non-magnetic metals. In this episode: 00:53 Pinpointing Viking presence in North America It’s well-understood that Vikings went to North America around a thousand years ago. However, working out a precise date has proven difficult. Now, thanks to an ancient solar storm, researchers have been able to identify an individual year when Vikings were definitely living on the continent. R...
Coronapod: the COVID scientists facing violent threats
October 18, 2021 12:26 - 17 minutes - 23.7 MBHundreds of scientists have responded to a survey asking about harassment and abuse during the pandemic. The results paint a picture which is as concerning as it is shocking. In this episode of Coronapod we discuss the kinds of abuse scientists are facing, try to pick apart where it is comes from and ask what can be done about it? News Feature: ‘I hope you die’: how the COVID pandemic unleashed attacks on scientists Careers feature: Real-life stories of online harassment — and how scientis...
How electric acupuncture zaps inflammation in mice
October 13, 2021 15:00 - 25 minutes - 35.2 MBThe neurons behind acupuncture’s effect on inflammation, and how antibiotics affect gut bacteria. In this episode: 00:54 The neuronal basis for acupuncture’s effect on inflammation In mice, electroacupuncture has been shown to reduce inflammation, but only when certain points on the body are stimulated. Why this is has puzzled scientists, but now, researchers have identified the specific neurons that are involved. They hope that this knowledge could be used in future to help treat certain...
Coronapod: new data affirms the benefits of air filters and masks
October 10, 2021 14:17 - 10 minutes - 14.4 MBNew data suggests that inexpensive, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can effectively scrub SARS-CoV-2 particles from the air in hospital COVID wards. The result validates previous studies carried out in controlled conditions. Currently, HEPA filters are not routinely used in hospital settings, but researchers suggest they could could help mitigate the risk of tramission of airborne viruses. In addition a new study has demonstrated the effectiveness of mask wearing, with surgic...
The AI that accurately predicts the chances of rain
October 06, 2021 17:00 - 26 minutes - 36.1 MBAI weather forecasters, mapping the human brain and the 2021 science Nobel prizes. In this episode: 00:52 Improving the accuracy of weather forecasts with AI Short-term rain predictions are a significant challenge for meteorologists. Now, a team of researchers have come up with an artificial-intelligence based system that weather forecasters preferred to other prediction methods. Research article: Ravuri et al. 08:02 Research Highlights The vaping robot that could help explain why some...
Starting up in science: behind the scenes
September 29, 2021 15:38 - 23 minutes - 32.5 MBStarting up in science: behind the scenes In this bonus episode, the four Nature reporters behind Starting up in science discuss how the project came about, what it was like to follow two scientists for three years, and what the series has achieved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Starting up in science: Episode 4
September 29, 2021 15:36 - 18 minutes - 25.1 MBEpisode 4 Ali interviews for a critical grant. While she is waiting for the result, the pandemic throws their labs into chaos. Then comes a personal crisis. Read a written version of Starting up in science Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Starting up in science: Episode 3
September 29, 2021 15:30 - 12 minutes - 17.7 MBEpisode 3 As newly-minted principal investigators, Ali and Dan have grand plans for their research – but science is slow, especially when other demands loom large: hiring staff, mentoring and teaching students and, of course, the race to secure funding. Read a written version of Starting up in science Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Starting up in science: Episode 2
September 29, 2021 15:23 - 12 minutes - 17.5 MBEpisode 2 Ali and Dan have landed positions as the heads of their very own labs. But how did they get to the starting line? Every scientist’s journey is different, and in this episode we hear Ali and Dan’s, which covers years, thousands of miles, and some very difficult decisions. Read a written version of Starting up in science Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Starting up in science: Episode 1
September 29, 2021 15:18 - 10 minutes - 14.8 MBEvery year, thousands of scientists struggle to launch their own labs. For three years, a reporting team from Nature documented the lives of married couple Alison Twelvetrees and Daniel Bose as they worked to get their fledgling research groups off the ground. Frustrations over funding, a global pandemic, and a personal trauma have made this journey anything but simple for Ali and Dan. Listen to their story in Starting up in science. Episode 1 What does it take to start up in science? Mee...
Audio long-read: Can artificially altered clouds save the Great Barrier Reef?
September 27, 2021 15:43 - 15 minutes - 21.5 MBAustralian scientists are developing new technologies to help protect coral from climate change. Earlier this year, a team of researchers used a mist-machine to artificially brighten clouds in order to block sunlight above Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The project is the world’s first field trial of marine cloud brightening and is among a number of techniques and technologies being developed to save the country’s reefs from the worst effects of climate change. This is an audio version of...
Coronapod: solving the COVID vaccine manufacturing problem
September 25, 2021 10:11 - 20 minutes - 28.2 MBLess than 1% of those in low income countries are fully vaccinated, and that number only rises to 10% in low-middle income countries. Meanwhile more than half of the population in wealthier countries have received a double dose with several now rolling out third dosess. In this episode of Coronapod we look at the role of pharmaceutical manufacturers. Drug companies are facing increased pressure to partner with manufacturing firms in the global south but most are reluctant to relinquish cont...
The floating sensors inspired by seeds
September 22, 2021 15:13 - 19 minutes - 26.5 MBHow tiny seed-like sensors could monitor the environment, and the latest from the Nature Briefing. In this episode: 00:45 Spinning seeds inspire floating electronics Researchers have developed miniature electronic-chips with wings that fall like seeds, which could be a new way to monitor the environment. Research article: Kim et al. Video: Seed-inspired spinners ride the wind and monitor the atmosphere 06:02 Research Highlights How humans can adjust to an energy-efficient walking pace...
How to help feed the world with 'Blue Foods'
September 15, 2021 15:08 - 22 minutes - 30.8 MBHow aquatic foods could help tackle world hunger, and how Australian wildfires spurred phytoplankton growth in the Southern Ocean. In this episode: 00:45 The role of aquatic food in tackling hunger Ahead of the UN’s Food Systems Summit, Nature journals are publishing research from the Blue Food Assessment, looking at how aquatic foods could help feed the world's population in a healthy, sustainable and equitable way. We speak to Ismahane Elouafi, Chief Scientist at the Food and Agricultu...
The billion years missing from Earth’s history
September 08, 2021 15:00 - 13 minutes - 18.6 MBA new theory to explain missing geological time, the end of leaded petrol, and the ancient humans of Arabia. In this episode: 00:29 Unpicking the Great Unconformity For more than 150 years, geologists have been aware of ‘missing’ layers of rock from the Earth’s geological record. Up to one billion years appear to have been erased in what’s known as the Great Unconformity. Many theories to explain this have been proposed, and now a new one suggests that the Great Unconformity may have i...
Dead trees play an under-appreciated role in climate change
September 01, 2021 15:00 - 29 minutes - 41.1 MBHow insects help release carbon stored in forests, and the upcoming biodiversity summit COP 15. In this episode: 00:44 Fungi, insects, dead trees and the carbon cycle Across the world forests play a huge role in the carbon cycle, removing huge amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But when those trees die, some of that carbon goes back into the air. A new project studies how fast dead wood breaks down in different conditions, and the important role played by insects. Research Ar...
Audio long-read: why sports concussions are worse for women
August 25, 2021 19:33 - 13 minutes - 19.1 MBAs women’s soccer, rugby and other sports gain in popularity a growing body of evidence suggests that female athletes are at a greater risk of traumatic brain injury than men - what's more they tend to fare worse after a concussion and take longer to recover. Now researchers are racing to get to the bottom of why and ask how treatment might need to change. This is an audio version of our feature: Why sports concussions are worse for women Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...
Coronapod: How Delta is changing the game
August 21, 2021 13:52 - 13 minutes - 19.2 MBDelta has quickly become the dominant COVID variant in many countries across the world, in this episode we ask why. Over the past few weeks, a slew of studies have started to shed more light on how the Delta variant differs from its cousins and even the mechanisms behind its rampant spread. We dig into studies on the epidemiology and molecular biology of Delta to ask some key questions surrounding its transmissibility, lethality and what all this might mean for vaccine roll outs. News: The ...
What’s the isiZulu for dinosaur? How science neglected African languages
August 18, 2021 16:08 - 32 minutes - 44.8 MBA team is creating bespoke words for scientific terms in African languages, and the sustainability of the electric car boom. 00:46 Creating new words for scientific terms Many words that are common to science have never been written in some African languages, or speakers struggle to agree what the right term is. Now a new project aims to change that, by translating 180 research papers into six languages spoken by millions of people across the continent of Africa. News: African languages t...
Coronapod: COVID boosters amidst global vaccine inequity
August 14, 2021 13:39 - 18 minutes - 25.5 MBSeveral wealthy nations have announced plans to give third vaccine doses in a bid to help increase the protection of their most vulnerable citizens - but the science is not clear on whether this strategy will be effective or indeed necessary. Meanwhile with limited vaccine supplies - billions around the world still have no access to vaccines at all. In this episode of Coronapod we discuss the science of boosters, the stark reality of vaccine disparity and what this means for the future of th...
The brain cells that help animals navigate in 3D
August 11, 2021 15:00 - 26 minutes - 36.5 MBResearchers uncover how grid cells fire in a 3D space to help bats navigate, and a fabric that switches between being stiff and flexible. In this episode: 00:47 Mapping a bat’s navigation neurons in 3D Grid cells are neurons that regularly fire as an animal moves through space, creating a pattern of activity that aids navigation. But much of our understanding of how grid cells work has involved rats moving in a 2D plane. To figure out how the system works in a 3D space, researchers have m...
Coronapod: Ivermectin, what the science says
August 06, 2021 19:29 - 12 minutes - 17.4 MBIvermectin is a cheap, widely available, anti-parasitic drug that has been proposed by many as a possible treatment for COVID-19. Dozens of trials have been started, but results have been far from clear, with inconsistent results further confused by high profile paper retractions. Nonetheless many countries have recommended the use of Ivermectin, despite WHO advice to the contrary. Now a group of researchers have found suspect data in another influential paper which claimed a Ivermectin cau...
Flood risk rises as people surge into vulnerable regions
August 04, 2021 15:00 - 31 minutes - 44 MBSatellite imaging has shown population increases are 10x higher in flood prone areas than previously thought, and a new way to introduce fairness into a democratic process. In this episode: 00:47 Calculating how many people are at risk of floods. Researchers have used satellite imagery to estimate the number of people living in flood-prone regions. They suggest that the percentage of people exposed to floods has increased 10 times more than previously thought, and with climate change that...
Has the world’s oldest known animal been discovered?
July 28, 2021 15:00 - 23 minutes - 31.9 MBResearchers debate whether an ancient fossil is the oldest animal yet discovered, and a new way to eavesdrop on glaciers. In this episode: 01:04 Early sponge This week in Nature, a researcher claims to have found a fossil sponge from 890-million-years-ago. If confirmed, this would be more than 300-million-years older than the earliest uncontested animal fossils but not all palaeontologists are convinced. Research Article: Turner 10:13 Research Highlights A caffeine buzz appears to imp...
Audio long-read: How ancient people fell in love with bread, beer and other carbs
July 26, 2021 11:00 - 24 minutes - 33 MBArchaeological evidence shows that ancient people ate carbs, long before domesticated crops. While the idea that early humans subsisted mainly on meat persists, archaeologists are increasingly understanding that ancient people have actually long been in love with carbs, even before the advent of agriculture. This is an audio version of our feature: How ancient people fell in love with bread, beer and other carbs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Coronapod: the latest on COVID and sporting events
July 24, 2021 13:49 - 15 minutes - 21 MBEarly in 2021 the United Kingdom, along with several other countries, allowed mass gatherings as part of a series of controlled studies aimed at better understanding the role events could play in the pandemic. The goal was to inform policy - however early results have provided limited data on viral transmission. As the Olympic games kick off in Tokyo, we delve into the research, asking what the limitations have been, if more data will become available and whether policy makers are likely t...
How the US is rebooting gun violence research
July 21, 2021 15:00 - 26 minutes - 37.2 MBFunding for gun violence research in the US returns after a 20-year federal hiatus, and the glass sponges that can manipulate ocean currents. In this episode: 00:45 Gun violence research is rebooted For 20 years there has been no federally-funded research on gun violence in the US. In 2019, $25 million a year was allocated for this work. We speak to some of the researchers that are using these funds, and the questions they are trying to answer about gun violence. News Feature: Gun violen...
Coronapod: Does England's COVID strategy risk breeding deadly variants?
July 16, 2021 11:36 - 20 minutes - 28.3 MBThe UK government has announced that virtually all COVID restrictions will be removed in England on Monday 18th July. This will do away with social distancing requirements, allow businesses to re-open to full capacity and remove legal mask mandates. This decision comes, however, amidst soaring infections rates in the country, driven by the delta variant. Now scientists are questioning the wisdom of this policy and asking whether the combination of high transmission and a partially vaccinate...
How deadly heat waves expose historic racism
July 14, 2021 15:00 - 36 minutes - 51.5 MBWhy heat waves disproportionately impact minorities in US cities, and the researcher that critiqued his whole career on Twitter. In this episode: 00:45 How heat waves kill unequally Researchers are beginning to unpick how historic discrimination in city planning is making the recent heat waves in North America more deadly for some than others. News Feature: Racism is magnifying the deadly impact of rising city heat 11:59 Research Highlights A graphene layer can protect paintings from a...
Coronapod: Will COVID become a disease of the young?
July 09, 2021 19:14 - 10 minutes - 14 MBFor much of the pandemic, the greatest burden of disease has been felt by older generations. But now, for the first time, vaccine roll outs are starting to skew the average age of those infections towards the young. This has led many researchers to ask what this might mean for the future of the pandemic. In this episode of Coronapod we discuss what we know and what we don't know about this change in the demographic profile of COVID infections. We ask how this might impact global vaccination ...
Food shocks and how to avoid them
July 07, 2021 15:00 - 29 minutes - 41.3 MBAddressing the problem of sudden food scarcity in US cities, and the up-and-coming field of computational social science. In this episode: 00:45 Food shocks Climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and geopolitical crises can cause food shortages. To tackle this issue, Alfonso Mejia and colleagues have modelled how to best mitigate these food shocks in US cities. Alfonso tells us about the new analyses and what steps cities could take in the future. Research Article: Gomez et al. News an...
Coronapod: the biomarker that could change COVID vaccines
July 02, 2021 13:43 - 15 minutes - 20.7 MBSince the beginning oft he pandemic, researchers have searched for a biomarker which indicates immune protection from COVID-19 known as a correlate of protection. Now, the team developing the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have published the first results of their so-called 'breakthrough study' which indicated puts forwards thresholds of neutralising antibodies that they suggest correlate with protection. The hope is that, should these results be confirmed, such biomarkers could speed u...