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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

29:48

Long-awaited ape genomes give new insights into their...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/04/09

00:46 Complete sequencing of ape genomesResearchers have sequenced the complete genomes of six ape species, helping uncover the evolutionary history of our closest relatives and offering insights into what makes humans human. The genomes of chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, Bornean orangutan, Sumatran orangutan and siamang have been sequenced end-to-end, filling in gaps that have long eluded researchers.Research Article:Yoo et al.News:What makes us human? Milestone ape genomes promise clues08:47 Research

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32:27

From Hippocrates to COVID-19: the scientific fight to...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/04/07

Science writer andNew York Timescolumnist Carl Zimmer's latest bookAir-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life we Breathedives into the invisible maelstrom of microbial life swirling in the air around us — examining how it helped shape our world, and the implications that breathing it in can have on human health. Carl joined us to discuss historical efforts to show that diseases could spread large distances through the air, the staunch resistance to this idea, and what the rivalry between these two

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11:32

Trump team removes senior NIH chiefs in shock move

Nature Podcast ·

2025/04/04

In this Podcast Extra, we hear the latest on how decisions by the Trump administration are affecting science in the US. Most recently, a purge of National Institutes of Health (NIH) leadership has seen the chiefs of multiple institutes and centres removed from their posts.Plus, after cancelling nearly all NIH projects studying transgender health, the White House has directed the agency to focus on studying “regret” after a person transitions to align their body with their gender identity.News:‘One

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37:41

World’s tiniest pacemaker could revolutionize heart...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/04/02

00:46 Millimetre-sized pacemaker fits inside syringeResearchers have developed a tiny, temporary pacemaker that dissolves when no longer needed, helping to overcome some of the challenges associated with current devices. Temporary pacemakers are often required after heart surgery but implanting them can require invasive procedures. This new device is injectable, requires no external power and is controlled using light shone through the skin. The tiny pacemaker has shown promise in animal and heart

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17:56

Audio long read: How quickly are you ageing? What...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/03/28

With money pouring in and an unprecedented level of public attention and excitement, scientists are publishing a steady stream of papers on ways to measure how rapidly a person’s body is declining.However, there are mixed feelings ofenthusiasm and apprehension among researchersabout efforts to develop tests that measure the impact of ageing on the body, as theyare often interpretedand presented without a full reckoning of the uncertainties that plague them.This is an audio version of our Feature:How

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32:45

New lasso-shaped antibiotic kills drug-resistant...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/03/26

In this episode:00:46 Newly discovered molecule shows potent antibiotic activityResearchers have identified a new molecule with antibiotic activity against a range of disease-causing bacteria, including those resistant to existing drugs. The new molecule — isolated from soil samples taken from a laboratory technician’s garden — is called lariocidin due to its lasso-shaped structure. The team say that in addition to its potent antibiotic activity, the molecule also shows low toxicity towards human

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31:05

Tiny satellite sets new record for secure quantum...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/03/19

00:46 Microsatellite makes messaging secureA tiny satellite has enabled quantum-encrypted information to be sent between China and South Africa, the farthest distance yet achieved for quantum communication. Using a laser-based system, a team in the city of Hefei was able to beam a ‘secret key’ encoded in quantum states of photons, to their colleagues over 12,000 km away. This key allowed scrambled messages to be decrypted — including one containing a picture of the Great Wall of China. The team’s

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33:12

Sapphire anvils squeeze metals atomically-thin

Nature Podcast ·

2025/03/12

00:46 2D metals made using sapphire pressTaking inspiration from industrial forging, researchers have demonstrated a way to squeeze molten metals into atomically-thin layers, creating relatively large flakes of 2D metals. Using a hydraulic press containing two sapphire anvils, a team was able to create sub-nanometer thick sheets of different metals — these sheets had diameters exceeding 0.1 mm, orders of magnitude larger than other methods have achieved. 2D metals have been theorized to possess

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29:48

Earliest crafted bone tools date back 1.5 million years

Nature Podcast ·

2025/03/05

00:46 Ancient humans made bone tools 1.5 million years agoA 1.5-million-year-old cache of animal-bone tools reveals that ancient humans systematically crafted with this material much earlier than previously thought. Researchers uncovered 27 bone artefacts in Tanzania honed into sharp tools almost 40 cm long. This discovery pushes back the dedicated manufacture of bone tools by around a million years and could have helped these early humans develop new kinds of technology. “This raises a lot of

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16:10

Audio long read: Why kids need to take more risks —...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/02/28

Over the past two decades, research has emerged showing that opportunities for risky play are crucial for children's healthy physical, mental and emotional development. However, because play is inherently free-form it has been difficult to study. Now, scientists are using innovative approaches, including virtual reality, to probe the benefits of risky play, and how best to promote it.This is an audio version of our Feature:Why kids need to take more risks — science reveals the benefits of wild, free

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19:58

If your heart stops, this smartwatch-AI can call for...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/02/26

00:47 A ‘smart’ way to quickly detect cardiac arrestGoogle researchers have developed an AI for a smartwatch that will call for help if its wearer is having a cardiac arrest. Trained, in part, on data gained when patients had their hearts deliberately stopped during a medical procedure, the team’s machine learning algorithm can automatically detect the telltale signs of cardiac arrest. The team think this system could save lives, although more testing is required. "Our hope is that as these

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31:45

Racist ratings linger in five-star systems — a thumbs...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/02/19

01:14 A simple switch to reduce racist ratingsA study of almost 70,000 ratings showed that racial discrimination could be eliminated from an online platform by switching from a five-star rating system to a thumbs up or down. The platform connected customers to workers who performed home repair jobs, and prior to the shift people categorised by the study authors as ‘non-white’ had lower ratings and got paid less than their white counterparts. Through follow up studies the authors also showed that the

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34:56

Record-breaking neutrino detected by huge underwater...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/02/12

In this episode:00:45 An elusive, cosmic neutrino with a record-breaking energyAn enormous array of detectors, deep under the Mediterranean Sea, has captured evidence of the highest-energy neutrino particle ever recorded, although researchers aren’t sure exactly where in the cosmos it originated. Calculations revealed this particle had over 30 times the energy of previously detected neutrinos. The team hopes that further study and future detections will help reveal the secrets of high-energy

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35:11

From viral variants to devastating storms, how names...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/02/07

In episode 2 of 'What's in a name' we look how choosing names can help, or hinder, attempts to communicate important messages.Categorizing things is central to science. And there are dozens of systems scientists have created to name everything from the trenches on the sea bed to the stars in the sky.But names have consequences. In our series What’s in a name we explore naming in science and how names impact the world — whether the system of naming species remains in step with society, how the names

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34:47

Kids' real-world arithmetic skills don't transfer to...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/02/05

In this episode:00:45 How arithmetic skills don’t transfer between applied and academic environmentsMathematics skills learnt in real-world situations may not translate to the classroom and vice versa, according to a new study. A team surveyed children in India who work in markets, to see whether the skills they learnt there transferred to the classroom. While proficient at solving market-based arithmetic problems, they struggled to solve problems typically used in schools. The reverse was seen for

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16:31

The AI revolution is running out of data. What can...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/01/31

The explosive improvement in artificial intelligence (AI) technology has largely been driven by making neural networks bigger and training them on more data. But experts suggest that the developers of these systems may soon run out of data to train their models. As a result, teams are taking new approaches, such as searching for other unconventional data sources, or generating new data to train their AIs.This is an audio version of our Feature:The AI revolution is running out of data. What can

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34:51

Asteroid Bennu contains building blocks of life

Nature Podcast ·

2025/01/29

In this episode:00:46 Evidence of ancient brine reveals Bennu’s watery pastAnalysis of samples taken from the asteroid Bennu reveal the presence of organic compounds important for life, and that its parent asteroid likely contained salty, subsurface water. Collected by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, these rocks and dust particles give insights into the chemistry of the early Solar System, and suggest that brines may have been an important place where pre-biotic molecules were formed. As brines are found

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32:42

What's the best way to become a professor? The answer...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/01/22

00:56 How the paths to professorship varyA huge analysis of hiring practices has revealed that criteria to get a promotion to full professorship is hugely variable around the world. The authors suggest that this variability results in researchers from countries that value one type of metric being locked out of professor positions in others. They hope that the database of hiring practices created in this study could help institutions adjust their hiring policies to create a more diverse science

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33:52

AI-designed antivenoms could help treat lethal...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/01/15

00:46 Designing new antivenoms to treat snakebitesResearchers have shown that machine learning can quickly design antivenoms that are effective against lethal snake-toxins, which they hope will help tackle a serious public health issue. Thousands of people die as a result of snakebites each year, but treatment options are limited, expensive and often difficult to access in the resource-poor settings where most bites occur. The computer-aided approach allowed researchers to design two proteins that

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25:53

A new-year round-up of the science stories you may...

Nature Podcast ·

2025/01/08

In this episode of theNature Podcast, we catch up on some science stories from the holiday period by diving into theNature Briefing.00:53 The retraction of a controversial COVID study that promoted unproven treatmentA much-critiqued study demonstrating the now-disproven idea that hydroxychloroquine can treat COVID-19 has been retracted — more than four-and-a-half years after it was published.Nature:Controversial COVID study that promoted unproven treatment retracted after four-year saga09:10 The

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