Nature Podcast
Episodes
Massive Facebook study reveals a key to social mobility
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:47 The economic benefits of social connectionsBy looking at data gathered from billions of Facebook friendships, researchers have shown that having...
Coronapod: the open-science plan to unseat big Pharma and tackle vaccine inequity
29 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Inequity has been a central feature of the COVID19 pandemic. From health outcomes to access to vaccines, COVID has pushed long-standing disparities ou...
How humans adapted to digest lactose — after thousands of years of milk drinking
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:45 Working out how the ability to digest milk spreadHumans have been drinking milk for thousands of years, but it seems that they were doing so lon...
How researchers have pinpointed the origin of 'warm-blooded' mammals
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:46 When did mammals start to regulate their temperature?The evolution of ‘warm bloodedness’ allowed mammals to live in a more diverse range of ...
Ancient mud reveals the longest record of climate from the tropics
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:46 A long-term record of climate in the tropicsTo understand the history of the Earth’s climate, researchers often rely on things like ice cores,...
Higgs boson at 10: a deep dive into the mysterious, mass-giving particle
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this Podcast Extra, Nature's Lizzie Gibney and Federico Levi take a deep-dive into the Higgs boson, describing their experiences of its discovery, ...
Coronapod: detecting COVID variants in sewage
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since early in the pandemic, scientists have searched for signals of SARS-CoV-2 transmission by sampling wastewater. This surveillance method has prov...
Higgs boson turns ten: the mysteries physicists are still trying to solve
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:46 Happy birthday, Higgs boson - looking back at a momentous milestone for physicsTen years ago this week, scientists announced that they’d found...
Ed Yong on the wondrous world of animal senses
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the first episode of our new series Nature hits the books, science journalist Ed Yong joins us to talk about his new book An Immense World, which t...
Norovirus could spread through saliva: a new route for infection?
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:47 Enteric viruses may spread through salivaEnteric viruses, such as norovirus, cause a significant health burden around the world and are generall...
Audio long read: These six countries are about to go to the Moon
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the next year, no fewer than seven missions are heading to the Moon. While NASA's Artemis programme might be stealing most of the limelight, the Un...
Coronapod: USA authorises vaccines for youngest of kids
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After a long wait, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have finally approved two COVID vacc...
How science can tackle inequality
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:38 The science of studying inequalityWe discuss the research looking to understand the root causes and symptoms of inequalities, how they are growi...
How the Black Death got its start
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:46 Uncovering the origins of the Black DeathThe Black Death is estimated to have caused the deaths of up to 60% of the population of Europe. Howeve...
Coronapod: COVID and smell loss, what the science says
11 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most curious symptoms of COVID-19 is the loss of smell and taste. For most, this phenomenon is short lived, but for many around the world t...
Ancient 'giraffes' sported thick helmets for headbutting
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:33 A headbashing relative gives insights into giraffe evolutionHow the giraffe got its long neck is a longstanding question in science. One possibi...
Audio long read: The brain-reading devices helping paralysed people to move, talk and touch
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) implanted in the brains of people who are paralysed are allowing them to control prosthetics that are restoring a r...
Robot exercises shoulder cells for better tissue transplants
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:47 The robot shoulder that exercises cellsRecreating the movements that tendon cells experience as they develop in the human body is necessary for ...
Coronapod: 'A generational loss' - COVID's devastating impact on education
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Despite the devastating loss of life caused by COVID-19, some researchers are arguing that the longest lasting impact of the pandemic will be on educa...
X-ray analysis hints at answers to fossil mystery
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:45 The puzzle of PalaeospondylusOver a hundred years ago, palaeontologists discovered fossils of the aquatic animal Palaeospondylus. But since then...
How galaxies could exist without dark matter
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:47 The mystery of the missing dark matterDark matter makes up most of the matter in the Universe, and is thought to be needed for galaxies to form....
Coronapod: 'viral ghosts' support idea that SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs could be behind long COVID
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Millions of people around the world have been left managing the complex and amorphous syndrome that is long COVID. But the underlying cause of this my...
Retinas revived after donor's death open door to new science
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:57 Reviving retinas to understand eyesResearch efforts to learn more about diseases of the human eye have been hampered as these organs degrade rap...
Swapping in a bit of microbial 'meat' has big eco-gains
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:46 How a move to microbial protein could affect emissionsIt’s well understood that the production of meat has large impacts on the environment. T...
Coronapod: COVID and diabetes, what the science says
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The true disability cost of the COVID-19 pandemic is still unknown, but more and more studies are adding to the list of potential fallout from even mi...
How virtual meetings can limit creative ideas
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:56 How video calls can reduce creativityAs a result of the pandemic, workers around the world have become accustomed to meeting colleagues online. ...
Audio long-read: The quest to prevent MS — and understand other post-viral diseases
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Results from a huge epidemiological study found that infection by the Epstein-Barr virus increases the risk of developing multiple sclerosis 32-fold. ...
We could still limit global warming to just 2˚C — but there's an 'if'
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:46 What COP26 promises will do for climateAt COP26 countries made a host of promises and commitments to tackle global warming. Now, a new analysis ...
Coronapod: Infected immune cells hint at cause of severe COVID
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since the beginning of the pandemic there has been a debate amongst researchers about whether the body's immune cells can themselves be infected by SA...
Why do naked mole rats live as long as giraffes?
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:54 How Mammals’ mutation rates affects their lifespanFor biologists, a long-standing question has been why some animals live longer than others. ...
Five years in the coldest fridge in the known Universe
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:46 The very cool experiment looking for a proposed particlePhysics tells us that when matter is created, antimatter should be as well. But while th...
Audio long-read: A more-inclusive genome project aims to capture all of human diversity
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While current maps of the human genome provide researchers with a wealth of information, many argue that they do not adequately capture humanity’s v...
Winding roads could make you a better navigator
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:47 Your ability to find your way may depend on where you grew upResearchers have long been trying to understand why some humans are better at navig...
Milky Way's origin story revealed by 250,000 stars
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode:00:45 Accurately ageing stars reveals the Milky Way’s historyTo understand when, and how, the Milky Way formed, researchers need to ...
Coronapod: How vaccine complacency is plaguing 'COVID zero' strategies
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A handful of states around the world have pursued 'COVID zero' strategies. Through a combination of intensive lockdowns, travel restrictions and compr...
The coin toss of Alzheimer's inheritance
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Marty Reiswig is fit and healthy, but every two weeks he is injected with the experimental drug gantenerumab and has monthly MRI scans. He submits to ...
The vest that can hear your heartbeat
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:45 A flexible, wearable, fabric microphoneInspired by the ear, a team of researchers have developed an acoustic fibre that can be woven into fabric...
The AI that deciphers ancient Greek graffiti
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:46 The AI helping historians read ancient textsResearchers have developed an artificial intelligence that can restore and date ancient Greek inscri...
Coronapod: why stopping COVID testing would be a mistake
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As many countries start to ease or even remove COVID restrictions entirely, there are growing concerns from researchers that this will lead government...
COVID stimulus spending failed to deliver on climate promises
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:47 G20 nations fail to cut emissions in COVID stimulus packagesThe G20 economies spent $14 trillion dollars on recovery packages to escape the glob...
Audio long-read: The race to save the Internet from quantum hackers
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Almost everything we do on the Internet is made possible by cryptographic algorithms, which scramble our data to protect our privacy. However, this pr...
Dinosaur-destroying asteroid struck in spring
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
00:47 Pinpointing the season when an asteroid wiped out the dinosaursAround 66 million years ago, an enormous asteroid struck the Earth, leading to th...
Tongan volcano eruption leaves scientists with unanswered questions
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists scramble to understand the devastating Tongan volcano eruption, and modelling how societal changes might alter carbon emissions.In this epi...
Coronapod: How African scientists are copying Moderna's COVID vaccine
11 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Vaccine inequity continues to be one of the greatest challenges in the pandemic - with only 10% of those in low- and middle-income countries fully vac...
RNA test detects deadly pregnancy disorder early
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
RNA in blood shows signs of pre-eclampsia before symptoms occur, and the issues of urine in our sewage and what can be done about it. Hosted on Acast....
Coronapod: what people get wrong about endemic COVID
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The word endemic is often mistakenly used to describe a rosy end to the pandemic where COVID-19 becomes a mild, but ever-present infection akin to the...
Weirdly flowing water finally has an explanation: 'quantum friction'
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How quantum friction explains water’s strange flows in carbon nanotubes, and the latest from the Nature Briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...
Coronapod: Why T cells have been overlooked
28 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Much of the coverage of COVID immunity often focuses on antibody response and for good reason - these small, y-shaped proteins can detect, and in some...
How can battery-powered aircraft get off the ground?
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Getting electric planes to take off, and the latest from the Nature Briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Audio long read: Is precision public health the future — or a contradiction?
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The burgeoning field of precision public health is a tech-centric approach that looks to target public-health interventions to the specific people who...
Coronapod: COVID death toll is likely millions more than official counts
21 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As of January 2022, the WHO reports that 5.5 million people have lost their lives to the pandemic. However, many research groups suggests that this nu...
Why mutation is not as random as we thought
19 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Challenging the dogma of gene evolution, and how chiral nanoparticles could give vaccines a boost. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...
Podcast Extra: Recreating the lost sounds of spring
14 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As our environments change, so too do the sounds they make — and this change in soundscape can effect us in a whole host of ways, from our wellbeing...
Webb Space Telescope makes history after tense launch
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Nature Podcast, we catch up on the biggest science stories from the holiday period by diving into the Nature Briefing. Hosted o...
Science in 2022: what to expect this year
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Nature reporter Davide Castelvecchi joins us to talk about the big science events to look out for in 2022. We'll hear about vaccines,...
Audio long-read: The secret lives of cells — as never seen before
31 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Cutting-edge microscopy techniques are letting researchers visualize biological molecules within cells, rather than studying them in isolation. This a...
Our podcast highlights of 2021
29 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Nature Podcast team select some of their favourite stories from the past 12 months. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Nature Podcast annual holiday spectacular
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Games, 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 ...
Coronapod: Omicron - your questions answered
17 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Several weeks after the Omicron variant was first identified, it has quickly spread across the world. Early data are showing clear signals that the la...
Pluto's strange ice patterns explained by new theory
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An 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...
Coronapod: vaccines and long COVID, how protected are you?
10 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Vaccines significantly reduce the risk of developing COVID-19, but scientists are now asking what effect the vaccines might have on long COVID. Long C...
How 'megastudies' are changing behavioural science
08 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Speeding up comparisons of behavioural interventions, and what to expect from the James Webb Space Telescope.In this episode:00:45 Identifying effecti...
Coronapod: How has COVID impacted mental health?
03 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Studying mental health in populations is not a simple task, but as the pandemic has continued, mounting concerns have mobilised researchers.Now, resea...
What’s the best diet for people and the planet?
01 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Designing a nutritious and planet-friendly diet, and an AI that guides mathematicians.In this episode:00:46 Designing a healthy diet for the planetRes...
Audio long-read: The chase for fusion energy
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A host of private companies are promising commercial fusion reactors in the next decade.After decades of promise, it finally seems that nuclear fusion...
Coronapod: everything we know about the new COVID variant
26 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In a quickly developing story a new variant, first detected in Botswana, is triggering rapid action among researchers. The variant - currently named B...
Researcher careers under the microscope: salary satisfaction and COVID impacts
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Nature salary and satisfaction survey reveals researchers' outlook, and NASA’s test of planetary defences.In this episode:00:45 Salary and sa...
Sea squirts teach new lessons in evolution
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Spineless 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 ...
Coronapod: new hope from COVID antiviral drugs
12 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Two new anti-viral pills have been shown to be safe and effective against COVID in clinical trials, according to recent press releases. The drugs, mol...
The past and future of the Earth's climate
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Reassessing 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 y...
Audio long-read: How dangerous is Africa’s explosive Lake Kivu?
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lake Kivu, nestled between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, is a geological anomaly that holds 300 cubic kilometres of dissolved carbo...
Podcast special: onboard the climate train to COP26
03 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Last weekend, hundreds of young people boarded a specially chartered train in Amsterdam to travel to Glasgow ahead of the United Nations COP26 climate...
China’s COVID vaccines have been crucial — now immunity is waning
29 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
More that 3 billions doses of China's CoronaVac and Sinopharm vaccines have been administered across the globe, playing an especially important role i...
Genomics unwraps mystery of the Tarim mummies
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The unexpected origins of a 4000-year-old people, protecting your ‘digital presence’ and what to expect from COP26.In this episode:00:48 The origi...
Coronapod: can scientists harness COVID super-immunity?
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
People that have recovered from COVID are seeing stronger immune responses after vaccination than those that never contracted the virus. Researchers a...
Viking presence in the Americas pinpointed by ancient solar storm
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An ancient solar storm helps pinpoint when Vikings lived in the Americas, and using magnets to deftly move non-magnetic metals.In this episode:00:5...
Coronapod: the COVID scientists facing violent threats
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hundreds of scientists have responded to a survey asking about harassment and abuse during the pandemic. The results paint a picture which is as conce...
How electric acupuncture zaps inflammation in mice
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The neurons behind acupuncture’s effect on inflammation, and how antibiotics affect gut bacteria.In this episode:00:54 The neuronal basis for acupun...
Coronapod: new data affirms the benefits of air filters and masks
10 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
New data suggests that inexpensive, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can effectively scrub SARS-CoV-2 particles from the air in hospital...
The AI that accurately predicts the chances of rain
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
AI weather forecasters, mapping the human brain and the 2021 science Nobel prizes.In this episode:00:52 Improving the accuracy of weather forecasts wi...
Starting up in science: behind the scenes
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Starting up in science: behind the scenesIn this bonus episode, the four Nature reporters behind Starting up in science discuss how the project came a...
Starting up in science: Episode 4
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 4Ali interviews for a critical grant. While she is waiting for the result, the pandemic throws their labs into chaos. Then comes a personal cr...
Starting up in science: Episode 3
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 3As newly-minted principal investigators, Ali and Dan have grand plans for their research – but science is slow, especially when other de...
Starting up in science: Episode 2
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 2Ali 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...
Starting up in science: Episode 1
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, thousands of scientists struggle to launch their own labs. For three years, a reporting team from Nature documented the lives of married c...
Audio long-read: Can artificially altered clouds save the Great Barrier Reef?
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Australian scientists are developing new technologies to help protect coral from climate change.Earlier this year, a team of researchers used a mist-m...
Coronapod: solving the COVID vaccine manufacturing problem
25 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Less 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 t...
The floating sensors inspired by seeds
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How tiny seed-like sensors could monitor the environment, and the latest from the Nature Briefing.In this episode:00:45 Spinning seeds inspire floatin...
How to help feed the world with 'Blue Foods'
15 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How aquatic foods could help tackle world hunger, and how Australian wildfires spurred phytoplankton growth in the Southern Ocean.In this episode:00:4...
The billion years missing from Earth’s history
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A 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 ...
Dead trees play an under-appreciated role in climate change
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How insects help release carbon stored in forests, and the upcoming biodiversity summit COP 15.In this episode:00:44 Fungi, insects, dead trees and th...
Audio long-read: why sports concussions are worse for women
25 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As 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 traum...
Coronapod: How Delta is changing the game
21 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Delta 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...
What’s the isiZulu for dinosaur? How science neglected African languages
18 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A team is creating bespoke words for scientific terms in African languages, and the sustainability of the electric car boom.00:46 Creating new words f...
Coronapod: COVID boosters amidst global vaccine inequity
14 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Several wealthy nations have announced plans to give third vaccine doses in a bid to help increase the protection of their most vulnerable citizens - ...
The brain cells that help animals navigate in 3D
11 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers 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 episo...
Coronapod: Ivermectin, what the science says
06 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ivermectin is a cheap, widely available, anti-parasitic drug that has been proposed by many as a possible treatment for COVID-19. Dozens of trials hav...
Flood risk rises as people surge into vulnerable regions
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Satellite imaging has shown population increases are 10x higher in flood prone areas than previously thought, and a new way to introduce fairness into...
Has the world’s oldest known animal been discovered?
28 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers debate whether an ancient fossil is the oldest animal yet discovered, and a new way to eavesdrop on glaciers.In this episode:01:04 Earl...
Audio long-read: How ancient people fell in love with bread, beer and other carbs
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Archaeological evidence shows that ancient people ate carbs, long before domesticated crops.While the idea that early humans subsisted mainly on me...