Nature Podcast
Episodes
Coronapod: The Surgisphere scandal that rocked coronavirus drug research
12 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode:00:52 Testing disparitiesAs testing capacities increase, it is clear that not everyone has equal access. But grassroots organisations ...
The quantum space lab
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the spaceborne lab that allows investigation of quantum states, and the debate surrounding how mountain height is maintained.Shutdown StemO...
#ShutDownSTEM and the Nature Podcast
09 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On the tenth of June, Nature will be joining #ShutdownStem #strike4blacklives. We will be educating ourselves and defining actions we can take to help...
Coronapod: The heavy toll on people of colour
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode:00:45 Black Lives MatterThe killing of George Floyd, a black man, by police in Minnesota has sent a shockwave of anger around the glob...
Lab-made skin grows its own hair
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a new method to grow hairy skin in a dish, and new research takes aim at the RNA world hypothesis.In this episode:00:45 Hairy SkinResearche...
Coronapod: The divisive hydroxychloroquine study that's triggering mass confusion
29 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
00:59 Chloroquine on rocky groundPresident Trump's preferred coronavirus treatment is the focus of a new study suggesting it could cause more harm tha...
Super-efficient catalyst boosts hopes for hydrogen fuel
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, perfecting catalysts that split water using light, and the mystery of missing matter in the Universe.In this episode:00:44 Water splittingA...
Coronapod: Hope and caution greet vaccine trial result, and Trump vs the WHO
22 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
01:38 Trump vs the WHOPresident Trump has given the WHO an ultimatum in a tweet, threatening to pull out of the organisation within 30 days unless unc...
A synthetic eye that 'sees' like a human
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, crafting an artificial eye with the benefits of a human's, and understanding how disk-galaxies formed by peering back in time.In this episo...
Coronapod: The misinformation pandemic, and science funding fears
15 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With questionable coronavirus content flooding airwaves and online channels, what’s being done to limit its impact? In this episode: 00:57...
The super-sleuth who spots trouble in science papers, and the puzzle of urban smog
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Elisabeth Bik tells us about her work uncovering potential image manipulation, and a new route for particulate pollution formation.In this ...
Coronapod: The dangers of ignoring outbreaks in homeless shelters, plus coronavirus and drug abuse
08 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Outbreaks among those unable to isolate are spreading under the radar. We hear about the researchers scrambling to get a handle on the situation.In th...
07 May 2020: Galileo and the science deniers, and physicists probe the mysterious pion
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a new way to study elusive subatomic particles - pions, and the story of Galileo remains relevant in a time of modern science denialism.In ...
Coronapod: What use are contact tracing apps? And new hopes for coronavirus drug remdesivir
01 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Coronapod team pick through the latest news, plus we hear from the researchers making lemonade out of lockdown lemons.In this episode:01:10 Can co...
30 April 2020: A sniff test for consciousness, and how to cut antibiotics use — with vaccines
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, how the ‘sniff-response’ can help clinicians determine a patient's state of consciousness, and how vaccines could help drive down antib...
Coronapod: The race to expand antibody testing
24 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss the role of antibody tests in controlling the pandemic, and how public-health spending could cur...
23 April 2020: Denisovan DNA in modern Europeans, and the birth of an unusual celestial object
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, evidence of ancient hominin DNA in modern human genomes, and the origin of a snowman-shaped object at the edge of the solar system.In this ...
Coronapod: Troubling news
17 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss Trump withholding funds from the WHO, and how COVID-19 kills. We also hear about controlling mis...
Coronapod: An untapped resource
10 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss the labs struggling to get involved in diagnostic testing, and should you be wearing a mask?In t...
09 April 2020: A plastic-recycling enzyme, and supercooled molecules
08 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a new enzyme speeds up the breakdown of plastic bottles, and a method to cool molecules to a fraction above absolute zero.In this episode:0...
Coronapod: Ramping up responses
03 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss the latest on the British response, and what low- and middle-income countries have done to prepa...
02 April 2020: Dating an ancient hominid skull, and an ancient Antarctic rainforest
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, reassessing the age of the ‘Broken Hill skull’, and unearthing evidence of an ancient forest near the South Pole.In this episode:01:25 ...
Coronapod: Old treatments and new hopes
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss efforts to develop treatments for COVID-19.In this episode:02:00 A push for plasmaIn New York, h...
25 March 2020: Ultra-fast electrical switches, and computing heart health
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a speedy, yet simple switch, and a video-based AI helps assess heart health.In this episode:01:57 Speedy switchesResearchers have developed...
Podcast Extra: Rosamund Pike on portraying Marie Curie
21 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Radioactive is a new biopic on Marie Skłodowska Curie with Rosamund Pike taking on the role of Curie. This Podcast Extra is an extended version ...
Coronapod: “Test, test, test!”
20 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the first of our new podcast series, Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss the epidemiology needed to control the Covid-19 outbreak...
19 March 2020: Rosamund Pike in Radioactive, and the resurgence of Russian science
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we speak to Rosamund Pike about her experience portraying Marie Skłodowska Curie, and we find out how science in Russia is changing after ...
Podcast Extra: Coronavirus - science in the pandemic
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this Podcast Extra, we hear from epidemiologists, genomicists and social scientists about how they're working to tackle the coronavirus and what th...
Long Read Podcast: Are feelings more than skin deep?
13 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Research in the 1960s and 1970s suggested that emotional expressions – smiling when happy, scowling when angry, and so on – were universal. This i...
12 March 2020: An ancient bird trapped in amber, and life beneath the ocean floor
11 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a newly discovered bird species from the time of the dinosaurs, and microbes hundreds of metres below the ocean floor.In this episode:00:44...
05 March 2020: Ultrafast machine vision, and quicker crystal creation
04 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, improving computers’ image identification, and a new method for growing crystals.00:44 Upgrading computer sightResearchers have designed ...
Backchat: Covering coronavirus
28 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of Backchat we take a deep dive into Nature's coverage of coronavirus. As cases climb, what are some of the challenges involved in rep...
27 February 2020: Mapping fruit flies’ neural circuitry, and perfecting the properties of metallic glass
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the brain pathways of egg laying in fruit flies, and preventing fractures in metallic glass.In this episode:00:46 Working out the wiring be...
Podcast Extra: ‘There is lots of anxiety’: a scientist’s view from South Korea
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In recent days, the number of coronavirus cases have surged in South Korea.In this Podcast Extra Nick Howe speaks to Bartosz Gryzbowski, a researcher ...
20 February 2020: Improving battery charging, and harnessing energy from the air
19 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, machine learning helps batteries charge faster, and using bacterial nanowires to generate electricity from thin air.In this episode:00:46 B...
13 February 2020: The puzzling structures of muddled materials, and paving the way for the quantum internet
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, uncovering the structure of materials with useful properties, and quantum entanglement over long distances.In this episode:00:45 Analysing ...
06 February 2020: Out-of-office emails and work-life-balance, and an update on the novel coronavirus outbreak
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, how setting an out-of-office email could help promote a kinder academic culture.In this episode:00:47 Being truly out of officeLast year, a...
30 January 2020: Linking Australian bushfires to climate change, and Asimov's robot ethics
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, establishing the role of climate change in Australian bushfires, and revisiting Isaac Asimov’s ethical rules for robots.In this episode:0...
23 January: How stress can cause grey hair, and the attitude needed to tackle climate change
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, why stress makes mice turn grey, and how to think about climate change.In this episode:00:45 Going greyAnecdotal evidence has long suggeste...
16 January 2020: Strange objects at the centre of the galaxy, and improving measurements of online activity
15 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: 00:45 Observing the centre of the galaxyResearchers have uncovered a population of dust-enshrouded objects orbiting the supermas...
09 January 2020: A look ahead at science in 2020
08 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Nature reporter Davide Castelvecchi joins us to talk about the big science events to look out for in 2020. Hosted on A...
01 January 2020: Our reporters’ top picks of 2019
01 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this special round-up episode of the Nature Podcast, our reporters choose their favourite podcast piece of 2019.In this episode:00:33 A sole sensat...
Nature PastCast, December 1920: The Quantum Theory
27 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This year, Nature celebrates its 150th birthday. To mark this anniversary we’re rebroadcasting episodes from our PastCast series, highlighting key m...
Podcast Extra: From climate lawyer to climate activist
23 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
2019 will likely go down as a pivotal year for public discourse on climate change. It was the year of Greta Thunberg, the climate school strikes, and ...
Podcast Extra: Epigenetics
20 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As part of Nature's 150th anniversary celebrations, Nick Howe dives into the topic of epigenetics.Since its origin in 1942, the term 'epigen...
19 December 2019: The three-body problem, and festive fun
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve launched our 2019 listener survey. We want to know what you think of the show to help us make a great podcast. You can find the survey he...
Long Read Podcast: How to save coral reefs as the world warms
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Research groups around the world are exploring new ways of protecting coral reefs from climate change.This is an audio version of our feature: These c...
12 December 2019: Social priming, and acoustic science
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We recently launched our 2019 listener survey. We want to hear your views on the show to help us make it even better, so please help us by filling in ...
05 December 2019: Genomic sequencing and the source of solar winds
04 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We recently launched our 2019 listener survey. We want to hear your views on the show to help us make it even better. You can find the survey here. Th...
Nature Pastcast, November 1869: The first issue of Nature
29 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This year, Nature celebrates its 150th birthday. To mark this anniversary we’re rebroadcasting episodes from our PastCast series, highlighting key m...
28 November 2019: Nature’s 2019 PhD survey, and older women in sci-fi novels
27 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, delving into the results of the latest graduate student survey, and assessing ageism in science fiction literature. Hosted on Acast. See ac...
21 November 2019: A new antibiotic from nematode guts, grant funding ‘lotteries’, and butterfly genomes
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, an antibiotic that targets hard-to-treat bacteria, and a roundup of the latest science news.In this episode:00:49 Discovering darobactinRes...
14 November 2019: A rapid, multi-material 3D printer, and a bacterium’s role in alcoholic hepatitis
13 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a new 3D printer allows quick shifting between many materials, and understanding the link between gut microbes and liver disease.00:46 A ne...
Backchat: Nature's 150th anniversary
07 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week marks 150 years since the first issue of Nature was published, on 4 November 1869. In this anniversary edition of Backchat, the panel take a...
07 November 2019: The fossil of an upright ape, science in 150 years, and immunization progress around the world
06 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, insights into the evolution of walking upright, how science needs to change in the next 150 years, and the unfinished agenda for vaccines.I...
Nature Pastcast, October 1993: Carl Sagan uses Galileo to search for signs of life
31 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This year, Nature celebrates its 150th birthday. To mark this anniversary we’re rebroadcasting episodes from our PastCast series, highlighting key m...
31 October 2019: An AI masters the video game StarCraft II, and measuring arthropod abundance
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a computer beats the best human players in StarCraft II, and a huge study of insects and other arthropods.In this episode:00:45 Learning to...
Podcast Extra: Detecting gravitational waves
28 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As part of Nature's 150th anniversary celebrations, we look back at an important moment in the history of science. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...
24 October 2019: Quantum supremacy and ancient mammals
23 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a milestone in quantum computing, and rethinking early mammals.In this episode:00:43 A quantum computing milestoneA quantum computer is rep...
17 October 2019: Mapping childhood mortality, and evolving ‘de novo’ genes
16 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, investigating child mortality rates at a local level, and building genes from non-coding DNA.In this episode:00:43 A regional view of child...
10 October 2019: Estimating earthquake risk, and difficulties for deep-learning
09 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a method for predicting follow-up earthquakes, and the issues with deep learning systems in AI.In this episode:00:47 Which is the big quake...
Podcast Extra: Q&A with Nobel Prize winner John B Goodenough
09 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this Podcast Extra, we speak to John B Goodenough, from the University of Texas at Austin, in the US. Today, John was announced as one of...
Podcast Extra: Q&A with Nobel Prize winner Didier Queloz
08 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this Podcast Extra, we speak to physicist Didier Queloz, who was announced today as one of the joint winners of the 2019 Nobel Prize in P...
03 October 2019: Leapfrogging speciation, and migrating mosquitoes
02 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, how new species may form by sexual imprinting, and a previously unknown way for mosquitoes to migrate.In this episode:00:43 New species by ...
Nature PastCast, September 1963: Plate tectonics – the unifying theory of Earth sciences
27 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This year, Nature celebrates its 150th birthday. To mark this anniversary we’re rebroadcasting episodes from our PastCast series...
26 September 2019: Mysteries of the ancient mantle, and the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
25 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, diamond-containing rocks may help uncover secrets of the Earth’s mantle, and a reflection on science since the Hitchhikers Guide to the G...
Podcast Extra: Absurd scientific advice
21 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems is the new book from XKCD cartoonist Randall Munroe. In this Podcast Extra, Randall ta...
Backchat: Covering Climate Now
19 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode:00:44 A global media collaborationThis week, Nature is taking part in the Covering Climate Now project. What is it, and why has Nature...
19 September 2019: XKCD, and Extinction Rebellion
18 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, absurd advice from XKCD’s Randall Munroe, and a conversation with climate lawyer turned activist Farhana Yamin.In this episode: 00:4...
12 September 2019: Modelling early embryos, and male-dominated conferences
11 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, modelling embryonic development, and an analysis of male dominated conferences.In this episode:00:44 Imitating implantationResearchers have...
05 September 2019: Persistent antibiotic resistance, and modelling hot cities
04 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Salmonella spreading antibiotic resistance, and the drivers of urban heat islands.In this episode: 00:46 Antibiotic resistance reservo...
Nature PastCast, August 1975: Antibodies’ ascendency to blockbuster drug status
30 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This year, Nature celebrates its 150th birthday. To mark this anniversary we’re rebroadcasting episodes from our PastCast series, highlighting key m...
29 August 2019: Carbon-based computing, and depleting ancient-human genomes
28 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a computer chip based on carbon nanotubes, and the potential pitfalls of sequencing ancient-human remains.In this episode: 00:45 A nan...
22 August 2019: Combating online hate speech, and identifying early fossils
21 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the resilience of internet hate groups, and searching for early life.In this episode:00:46 Tackling internet hateResearchers have been mode...
15 August 2019: Atomic espionage in the Second World War, and exploring the early Universe
14 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, spilling nuclear secrets, and a mysterious period in the Universe’s history.In this episode:00:46 "The most dangerous spy in history"We h...
08 August 2019: A mindset for success, and mercury in fish
07 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a mindset to improve school performance, and the complex story of how mercury accumulates in fish.In this episode:00:46 Growth MindsetHow a...
01 August 2019: The placental microbiome, and advances in artificial intelligence
31 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, whether the placenta is lacking microbes, and new hardware for artificial intelligence.In this episode:00:43 Microbe-free placentas?New res...
Nature PastCast, July 1942: Secret science in World War 2
26 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was first broadcast in July 2013.This year, Nature celebrates its 150th birthday. To mark this anniversary we’re rebroadcasting episode...
25 July 2019: The history of climate change, and making vaccines mandatory
24 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, how the climate has changed throughout history, and why enforcing vaccination should be done with care.In this episode:00:39 Climate throug...
Backchat July 2019: Breaking news, audience-led journalism and human gene editing
19 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode:01:01 Breaking NewsThe first image of a black hole took the world by storm, but what was it like reporting such a quickly developing s...
18 July 2019: Quantum logic gates in silicon, and moving on from lab disasters
17 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a new advance in silicon based quantum computing and experiences of how to recover when disaster strikes.In this episode:00:45 Quantum logi...
11 July 2019: The moon, past, present, and future
10 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, an extended chat about all things lunar with Alex Witze.Instead of a regular edition of the Nature Podcast, this week we’re celebrat...
04 July 2019: Machine learning in materials science, and sand’s sustainability
03 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, using an algorithm to find properties in materials science, and the global consequences of sand-mining.In this episode:00:47 Predicting pro...
Nature PastCast, June 1876: Gorillas, man-eating monsters?
28 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This year, Nature celebrates its 150th birthday. To mark this anniversary we’re rebroadcasting episodes from our PastCast series, highlighting key m...
27 June 2019: Callused feet, and protein-based archaeology
26 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, how going barefoot affects what your feet can feel, and uncovering history with ancient proteins.In this episode:00:44 A sole sensationA st...
20 June 2019: Non-native species, and a blood-inspired robot battery
19 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, what makes birds invasive, and a robotic fish powered by a blood-like battery.In this episode:00:44 How do alien bird species establish the...
13 June 2019: Mighty magnets, and aerosols in the atmosphere
12 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a record-breaking magnetic field, and aerosols’ potential effects on the atmosphere.In this episode:00:45 Making massive magnetsResearche...
06 June 2019: Microbes modifying medicine and kickstarting plate tectonics
05 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, how gut microbes might be affecting drugs, and a new theory on the beginning of plate tectonics.In this episode:00:45 Microbes metabolising...
Nature PastCast May 1983: Discovering the ozone layer hole
31 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This year, Nature celebrates its 150th birthday. To mark this anniversary we’re rebroadcasting episodes from our PastCast series, highlighting key m...
30 May 2019: Cold fusion, gender parity in universities, and studying wildfires
30 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, looking back at cold fusion, a ranking of gender balance in universities, and measuring the impact of wildfires. Hosted on Acast. See acast...
23 May 2019: Pre-industrial plankton populations, European science, and ancient fungi.
22 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, how climate change has affected plankton, the future of European science, and evidence of an ancient fungus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...
16 May 2019: Recoding genomes, and material from the Moon's far side
15 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, rewriting the script of life, and a trip to the far side of the Moon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
09 May 2019: Urban vs Rural BMI, and the health of rivers
08 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, body mass increases around the world, and river connections in decline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
02 May 2019: China's growing science network, and talking brain signals
01 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and translating brain patterns into speech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...
Nature PastCast April 1953: The other DNA papers
26 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This year, Nature celebrates its 150th birthday. To mark this anniversary we’re rebroadcasting episodes from our PastCast series, highlighting key m...
25 April 2019: Tiny earthquakes, the genetics of height, and how US-China politics is affecting research
25 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week we’ve got an extended News Chat between presenter Benjamin Thompson and Nature's European Bureau Chief Nisha Gaind. They discuss a new way...
18 April 2019: Reviving brains, lightning, and spring books
17 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, restoring function in dead pig brains, spring science books, and the structure of lightning.If you have any questions about the partly-revi...
Podcast Extra: The first image of a black hole
11 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, researchers released the first image of a black hole at the centre of the M87 galaxy. In this special News Chat, Nature reporter Davide Cas...
11 April 2019: Heart failure and vacuum field fluctuations.
10 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a new mouse model for heart failure and characterising energy fluctuations in empty space. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more ...
04 April 2019: MDMA and the malleable mind, and keeping skin young
03 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, why MDMA could make social interactions more rewarding, and how your skin keeps itself youthful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...