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PODCAST

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.

science

All Episodes

31:53

Sun-powered flyers could explore the mysterious...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/08/13

00:46 Tiny solar flyerResearchers have used a phenomenon known as thermal transpiration to create a solar-powered flying device that can stay aloft without any moving parts. The diminutive device, just one centimetre across, consists of two thin, perforated membranes that allow air to flow through the device, generating lift. Although only a proof-of-concept, the team hope that a scaled-up version of the device could be used to measure conditions in the mesosphere, a particularly hard-to-study part

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28:14

Underwater glue shows its sticking power in rubber...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/08/06

00:45 Researchers develop a new glue and test it on a rubber duckAided by machine learning, researchers have developed a super-sticky compound that works as an underwater adhesive. Inspired by animals like barnacles, the team developed a new kind of a material called a hydrogel. The material is capable of securely fastening objects together even when immersed in salty water— a challenge for existing adhesives. To show off its properties the researchers applied it to a rubber duck, which stuck firmly

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33:03

Earth's deepest ecosystem discovered six miles below...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/07/30

00:45 The deepest ecosystem ever discoveredResearchers have dived down to more than 9,000 metres below the surface of the Pacific and discovered surprisingly complex communities of life living in deep ocean trenches. The new research shows an array of animal life that appears to be using methane as a source of energy. The researchers are planning more dives to learn more about this mysterious ecosystem and how these animals can thrive despite the extreme pressure they face.Research Article:Peng et

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35:38

Giant laser heats solid gold to 14 times its melting...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/07/23

00:46 How hot can solid gold get?A new study suggests that gold can be superheated far beyond its melting point without it becoming a liquid. Using an intense burst from a laser, a team heated a gold foil to 14 times its melting point, far beyond a theoretical limit put forward in previous studies. The team suggest that the speed at which they heated the gold allowed them to shoot past this limit, but there is scepticism about whether the team actually achieved the level of heating they

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49:19

AI, bounties and culture change, how scientists are...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/07/21

A simple methodological error meant that for years researchers considered drinking moderate amounts of alcohol to be healthy. Now plenty of evidence suggests that isn't the case, but errors like this still plague the scientific literature. So, how can the scientific literature become more error-free?In the first episode of this two-part series, to determine what steps can be taken to help clean up science we explore peer review, replications, AI and even paying people to detect errors.This episode

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32:50

‘Stealth flippers’ helped this extinct mega-predator...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/07/16

In this episode:00:48 The ancient mega-predator with a ‘stealth mode’The extinct marine mega-predatorTemnodontosaurushad specialised adaptations to stealthily hunt its prey, suggests an analysis of a fossil flipper. AlthoughTemnodontosauruswas a member of a well-studied group of marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs, its lifestyle has been a mystery due to a lack of preserved soft tissue. Now, a team have studied the fossil remains of a fore-fin, revealing several anatomical details that likely

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12:47

Three weeks in a hide to spot one elusive bear: the...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/07/11

Vianet Djenguet is an award-winning wildlife film-maker and camera operator whose work has featured in a number of major nature documentaries.In this podcast, Vianet joins us to talk about his career, how wildlife film-making have changed, and his experiences working with local researchers to capture footage of endangered animals on the new television seriesThe Wild Ones.The Wild Ones Apple TV+ (2025)Music supplied by SPD/Triple Scoop Music/Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for

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37:06

Ancient DNA reveals farming led to more human diseases

Nature Podcast ·

2025/07/09

00:48 The past 35,000 years of diseaseAncient DNA evidence shows that the advent of agriculture led to more infectious disease among humans, with pathogens from animals only showing up 6,500 years ago. The DNA, extracted from human teeth, shows the history of diseases present in Eurasia over tens of thousands of years. The approach used could be a powerful way to understand how illness has shaped humanity, but it is unable to detect some bacteria that enter the bloodstream at low concentrations or

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16:13

Audio long read: How to speak to a vaccine sceptic —...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/07/04

Questions and doubts about vaccines are on the rise worldwide and public-health specialists worry that these trends could worsen. But while the shift in public attitudes towards immunizations can leave scientists, physicians and many others feeling disheartened, a surge of research on vaccine hesitancy is starting to offer ways to address the issue.This is an audio version of our FeatureHow to speak to a vaccine sceptic: research reveals what works Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

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27:19

3D-printed fake wasps help explain bad animal mimicry

Nature Podcast ·

2025/07/02

In this episode:00:45 Why animals evolve to be imperfect mimicsMany harmless animals mimic dangerous ones to avoid being eaten, but often this fakery is inaccurate. To help explain why evolution sometimes favours imperfect mimicry, a team 3D printed a range of imaginary insects. The novel creatures were designed to mimic wasps with varying degrees of accuracy and the team then presented these models to different predators. They showed that while birds were hard to fool, invertebrate predators were

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31:30

Is AI watching you? The hidden links between research...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/06/25

We’d like to learn more about our listeners, please help us out byfilling in this short survey.In this episode:00:45 Is AI-research being co-opted to keep track of people?A significant amount of research in the AI field of computer vision is being used to analyse humans in ways that support the development of surveillance technologies, according to new research. By analysing the contents of thousands of research papers, the team behind the work showed that 90% of studies, and 86% of patents

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30:37

Flight simulator for moths reveals they navigate by...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/06/18

We’d like to learn more about our listeners, please help us out byfilling in this short survey.In this episode:00:45 The tiny moths that use the stars to navigateBogong moths use the stars to help them navigate during their enormous migration across Australia, according to new research. Every year, billions of these nocturnal moths travel up to 1,000 km to cool caves in the Australian Alps, despite having never been there before. By placing moths in a flight-simulator that also acted as a

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9:07

Hundreds of physicists on a remote island: we visit...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/06/13

According to legend, physicist Werner Heisenberg formulated the mathematics behind quantum mechanics in 1925 while on a restorative trip to the remote North Sea island of Heligoland.To celebrate the centenary of this event, several hundred researchers have descended on the island to take part in a conference on all things quantum physics.Naturereporter Lizzie Gibney was also in attendance, and joined us to give an inside track on the meeting.News:Happy birthday quantum mechanics! I got a ticket to

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36:55

This stretchy neural implant grows with an axolotl's...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/06/11

00:45 A flexible neural-implant that grows with the brainResearchers have developed a soft electronic implant that can measure brain activity of amphibian embryos as they develop. Understanding the neural activity of developing brains is a key aim for neuroscientists, but conventional, rigid probes can damage growing brains. To overcome this, a team have developed a flexible mesh that stretches with the brain and tested it by monitoring single neuron activity during development of frog and axolotl

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11:47

Trump wants to put humans on Mars: what scientists...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/06/06

In this Podcast Extra, we examine President Donald Trump's calls for NASA to land humans on Mars. Although the White House has proposed spending some US$1 billion in 2026 on Mars plans, critics say the final cost will likely be hundreds of billions of dollars spread over a number of years.This call comes amidst plans to drastically reduce NASA's funding, and the proposed cancelling of dozens of the space agency's missions, including projects to study Earth, Mars and Venus.News:Trump wants to put

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30:08

Male mice can grow female organs — if their mothers...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/06/04

00:45 Iron’s role in mice sex determinationIron deficiency in mice mothers can sometimes result in their offspring developing female sex organs despite having male sex genes, according to new research. While genetics has been thought to be the primary factor in determining offspring sex in mammals, the new work shows that a lack of iron disrupts an enzyme involved in the development of testes, leading to some mice with male sex-determining genes being born with female genitalia and ovaries. This

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15:59

Audio long read: Three ways to cool Earth by pulling...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/05/30

With the world looking likely to blow past the temperature targets laid out in the2015 Paris climate agreement, a growing number of voices are saying that carbon removal technologieswill be necessary if humanity is to achieve its long-term climate goals.If these approaches succeed, they could help nations and corporations to meet their climate commitments — and help the world to halt global warming.However, questions remain about the financial viability of these technologies, and whether they can

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20:11

AI linked to boom in biomedical papers, infrared...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/05/28

00:33 Was a boom in papers driven by AI?A spike in papers formulaically analysing a public data set has sparked worries that AI is being used to generate low quality and potentially misleading analyses.Nature:AI linked to explosion of low-quality biomedical research papers08:07 Lenses that give humans infrared visionResearchers in China have created contact lenses that can allow humans to see infrared light, which could help with search and rescue missions, sending secret messages and even

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31:40

These malaria drugs treat the mosquitos — not the people

Nature Podcast ·

2025/05/21

00:45 Treating mosquitoes for malariaResearchers have developed two compounds that can kill malaria-causing parasites within mosquitoes, an approach they hope could help reduce transmission of the disease. The team showed that these compounds can be embedded into the plastics used to make bed nets, providing an alternative to insecticide-based malaria-control measures, which are losing efficacy in the face of increased resistance.Research article:Probst et al.10:42 Research HighlightsThe

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30:31

How to transport antimatter — stick it on the back of...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/05/14

00:46 An antimatter delivery van takes its first road tripResearchers have developed a portable antimatter containment device and tested it by putting it in a truck and driving it around CERN. Their system could represent a big step forward in efforts to take particles made at CERN’s ‘antimatter factory’ and transport them to other labs, something currently impossible due to antimatter being destroyed upon contact with matter. The team showed the feasibility of their approach by using the system to

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841 results

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