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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 Nature journal. We meet the scientists behind the results and providing in-depth analysis from Nature's journalists and editors.
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Nature Podcast
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Norway's prime minister reveals plans to protect the world's oceans
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Erna Solberg on fisheries, fossil fuels and the future of the oceans. This week, world leaders are announcing a series of pledges to protect and sustainably use the world’s oceans. The pledges form the crowning achievement of the ‘High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy’ a multinational group formed back in 2018. The panel has sought to br…
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Cellular ageing: turning back the clock restores vision in mice
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A trio of genes may be key to making cells young again, and ultra precise measurement of a fundamental physics constant. In this episode: 00:47 Reversing ageing Researchers claim to have identified a method to revert cells in mice eyes back to a younger state. Research article: Lu et al. News and Views: Sight restored by turning back the epigenetic…
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Neutrinos give insights into the workings of the Sun’s core
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Scientists have finally confirmed the existence of a CNO cycle fusion reaction in the Sun, and why women’s contraception research needs a reboot. In this episode: 00:47 Detection of CNO neutrinos Since the 1930s it has been theorised that stars have a specific fusion reaction known as the CNO cycle, but proof has been elusive. Now, a collaboration …
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Coronapod: What could falling COVID death rates mean for the pandemic?
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In this episode: 00:44 An increase in survival rates The COVID-19 mortality rate is falling around the world. We discuss the reasons behind this – the role of new drugs, the treatment strategies the have been learned, or re-learned, and the ever-present worry that these hard won victories could be undone by rising infection rates. News Feature: Why…
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The troubling rise of facial recognition technology
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Scientists have grave concerns over ethical and societal impacts of facial-recognition technology. In this surveillance special, we dig into the details. In this episode: 03:24 Standing up against ‘smart cities’ Cities across the globe are installing thousands of surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition technology. Although marketed as…
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Audio long-read: The enigmatic organisms of the Ediacaran Period
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New fossil finds and new techniques reveal evidence that early animals were more complex than previously thought. The Cambrian explosion, around 541 million years ago, has long been regarded as a pivotal point in evolutionary history, as this is when the ancient ancestors of most of today’s animals made their first appearances in the fossil record.…
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Revealed: the impact of noise and light pollution on birds
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Researchers try to unpick the complex relationship between sensory pollutants and bird reproduction, and how to combat organised crime in fisheries. In this episode: 00:46 Sensory pollution and bird reproduction Light- and noise-pollution have been shown to affect the behaviour of birds. However, it’s been difficult to work out whether these behavi…
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A powerful radio burst from a magnetic star
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Astronomers pin down the likely origins of mysterious fast radio bursts, and the latest on what the US election means for science. In this episode: 00:46 The origins of mysterious fast radio bursts The detection of a brief but enormously-powerful radio burst originating from within the Milky Way could help researchers answer one of astronomy’s bigg…
Science and politics are not easy bedfellows - "Stick to the science" is a three part series which aims to find out why. In the third and final episode we try to get to the bottom of how journalists, communicators and policymakers influence how science is perceived. We discuss the danger of politicization and ask the question - can science be part …
Science and politics are not easy bedfellows - "Stick to the science" is a three part series which aims to find out why. In this episode we're asking how politics shapes the life of a working scientist. Be it through funding agendas, cultural lobbies or personal bias, there's a myriad of ways in which politics can shape the game; influencing the di…
Science and politics are not easy bedfellows - "Stick to the science" is a three part series which aims to find out why. In this episode we delve into the past, and uncover the complicated relationship between science, politics and power. Along the way, we come up against some pretty big questions: what is science? Should science be apolitical? And…
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Lab–grown brains and the debate over consciousness
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The chances of mini-brains becoming sentient, and a UK government decision threatens gender diversity in academia. In this episode: 00:59 The ethics of creating consciousness Brain organoids, created by culturing stem cells in a petri dish, are a mainstay of neuroscience research. But as these mini-brains become more complex, is there the chance th…
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The science behind an 'uncrushable' beetle’s exoskeleton
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The structure of a beetle’s super-strong exoskeleton could open up new engineering applications, and efforts to address diversity and equality imbalances in academia. In this episode: 01:17 Insights into an armoured insect The diabolical ironclad beetle has an exoskeleton so strong, it can survive being run over by a car. Researchers have identifie…
A high pressure experiment reveals the world’s first room-temperature superconductor, and a method to target ecosystem restoration. In this episode: 00:44 Room-temperature superconductivity For decades, scientists have been searching for a material that superconducts at room temperature. This week, researchers show a material that appears to do so,…
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Audio long-read: What animals really think
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Researchers are aligning data on animal neuronal activity with behavioural information recorded on millisecond timescales, to uncover the signatures of internal brain states associated with things like moods and motivation. This is an audio version of our feature: Inside the mind of an animal See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out informatio…
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Trump vs. Biden: what's at stake for science?
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A conversation about the US election and the possible fallout for science, and are maternal behaviours learned or innate? In this episode: 00:46 US election In the United States the presidential race is underway, and Nature is closely watching to see what might happen for science. We speak to two of our US based reporters to get their insight on th…
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Greenland's ice will melt faster than any time in the past 12,000 years
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How current and future ice loss in Greenland compares to the past, and using graphene to make ultra-sensitive radiation detectors. In this episode: 00:45 Greenland’s historic ice loss Climate change is accelerating the loss of ice and glaciers around the world leading to unprecedented levels of disappearance. Researchers have drilled samples from d…
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After decades of trying, scientists coax plastic particles into a diamond-like structure
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Coaxing tiny colloid particles into a diamond structure, and manipulating cell death and homeostasis in neurodegenerative disease. In this episode: 00:45 Creating colloidal crystals For decades, researchers have attempted to create crystals with a diamond-like structure using tiny colloid particles. Now, a team thinks they’ve cracked it, which coul…
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Genes chart Vikings' spread across Europe
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Mapping the migration of the Vikings, and the world’s smallest ultrasound device. In this episode: 00:45 Following the Viking footprint across Europe To better understand who the Vikings were, and where they went, researchers have mapped genomes from hundreds of archaeological artifacts. Research Article: Margaryan et al. 08:00 Coronapod Phase III …
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A new way to cool computer chips — from within
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Keeping electronics from overheating, and how to include minority populations in genetic analyses. In this episode: 00:46 Cool computers Keeping components cool is a major hurdle when it comes to increasing electronic power. This week, we find out about a new way to integrate tiny microfluidic channels directly into circuits, to help keep them cool…
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Revealed: A clearer view of how general anaesthetics actually work
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Engineering yeast to produce medicines, and the mechanism of anaesthetic action. In this episode: 00:44 Making medicine with yeast The tropane alkaloids are an important class of medicine, but they are produced agriculturally leaving them vulnerable to extreme weather and world events. Now, researchers have engineered yeast to produce these importa…
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The challenge of reproducing results from ten-year-old code
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Protecting delicate quantum bits, and a competition to replicate findings from ancient computer code. In this episode: 01:04 Quantum computers vs ionizing radiation The quantum bits, or ‘qubits’, central to the operation of quantum computers are notoriously sensitive. Now, researchers have assessed the damaging effects that ionizing radiation can h…
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3D-printing some of the world's lightest materials
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A new way to produce aerogels opens up their use, and understanding how sulfur can change state between two liquids. In this episode: 01:05 Printing aerogels Aerogels are materials with impressive insulating properties, but they’re difficult to handle, due to their innate fragility. Now, researchers have shown a new way to 3D print the most common …
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The chemical that turns locusts from Jekyll into Hyde
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Triggering swarming behaviour in locusts, and new insights into how humans synchronize. In this episode: 01:56 Understanding swarming behaviour Swarms of migratory locusts regularly devastate crops across the world, but why these swarms form has been a mystery. Now, a team of researchers have identified a compound that causes solitary locusts to co…
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Audio long-read: Pluto’s dark side is overflowing with secrets
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In 2015, after a nine-and-a-half-year journey, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft raced past Pluto, beaming images of the dwarf planet back to Earth. Five years after the mission, researchers are poring over images of Pluto’s far-side, which was shrouded in shadow during New Horizon’s flypast. They hope that these images will help give a better underst…
