
577 episodes

Nature Podcast Springer Nature Limited
-
- Science
-
-
4.4 • 146 Ratings
-
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.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
-
Coronapod: USA authorises vaccines for youngest of kids
After a long wait, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have finally approved two COVID vaccines for use in children between the ages of six months and five years old. But despite a unanimous decision amongst regulators, parents still have questions about whether to vaccinate their young children, with survey data suggesting that the majority do not intend to accept vaccines right away. In this episode of Coronapod, we dig into the trials, the statistics and the regulators decision making process, in search of clarity around what the data are saying.
News: FDA authorizes COVID vaccines for the littlest kids: what the data say
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. -
How science can tackle inequality
00:38 The science of studying inequalityWe discuss the research looking to understand the root causes and symptoms of inequalities, how they are growing, and how a cross-disciplinary approach may be the key to tackling them.
Editorial: Equity must be baked into randomized controlled trials
News Feature: How COVID has deepened inequality — in six stark graphics
Career Feature: The rise of inequality research: can spanning disciplines help tackle injustice?
07:26 The randomised trials helping to alleviate povertyFor decades, researchers have been running randomised trials to assess different strategies to lift people out of poverty. Many of these trials centre on providing people with cash grants – we hear how these trials have fared, efforts to improve on them, and the difficulties of scaling them up.
News Feature: These experiments could lift millions out of dire poverty
21:23 Why breast cancers metastasize differently at different types of dayA team of researchers have found that breast cancer tumours are more likely to metastasize while people are asleep. By studying mice, the team suggest that hormone levels that fluctuate during the day play a key role, a finding they hope will change how cancer is monitored and treated.
Research article: Diamantopoulou et al.
News and Views: Cancer cells spread aggressively during sleep
28:46 The inequality of opportunityA comment article in Nature argues that one of the most pernicious types of inequality is inequality of opportunity – based on characteristics over which people have no control. We discuss some of the data behind this and what can be done about it.
Comment: Not all inequalities are alike
Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. -
How the Black Death got its start
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. However, despite extensive research, the origin of this wave of disease has remained unclear. Now, by using a combination of techniques, a team have identified a potential starting point in modern day Kyrgyzstan.
Research article: Spyrou et al.
06:57 Research HighlightsThe cocktails of toxins produced by wriggling ribbon worms, and a tiny thermometer the size of a grain of sand.
Research Highlight: A poisonous shield, a potent venom: these worms mean business
Research Highlight: Mighty mini-thermometer detects tiny temperature changes
09:22 Researchers race to understand monkeypoxAround the world, there have been a number of outbreaks of monkeypox, a viral disease that has rarely been seen in countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa. Although infection numbers are small, researchers are racing to find out what’s driving these outbreaks and the best way to contain them. We get an update on the situation, and the questions scientists are trying to answer.
Nature News: Monkeypox vaccination begins — can the global outbreaks be contained?
19:20 Briefing ChatWe discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, doubts over claims that a Google chat bot has become sentient, and the automated cloud labs that let researchers perform experiments remotely.
New Scientist: Has Google's LaMDA artificial intelligence really achieved sentience?
The Washington Post: The Google engineer who thinks the company’s AI has come to life
Nature News: Cloud labs: where robots do the research
Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. -
Coronapod: COVID and smell loss, what the science says
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 the symptom can persist for months or even years after the infection has cleared. Once a tell-tale sign of infection, this sensory disruption is now becoming characterised as a chronic problem and scientists are only recently getting clear answers about the mechanisms behind it. In this episode of Coronapod, we dig into the most recent studies on the causes of smell loss after infection with SARS-CoV-2, as well as the treatments scientists are proposing to tackle it.
News: COVID and smell loss: answers begin to emerged
Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. -
Ancient 'giraffes' sported thick helmets for headbutting
00:33 A headbashing relative gives insights into giraffe evolutionHow the giraffe got its long neck is a longstanding question in science. One possibility is that giraffes evolved longer necks for sexual competition, with males engaging in violent neck-swinging fights. Now, a team have described fossils of an ancient giraffoid species with a thick headpiece adapted for fighting, which could add weight to this hypothesis.
Nature News: How the giraffe got its neck: ‘unicorn’ fossil could shed light on puzzle
05:18 A wave of resignations signals discontent in academiaAround the world, the ‘great resignation’ has seen huge numbers of workers re-evaluating their careers and lifestyles and choosing to leave their jobs following the pandemic. Academia is no exception, with many scientists deciding to leave the sector in the face of increased workloads, systemic biases and pressure to publish.
Nature Careers: Has the ‘great resignation’ hit academia?
10:34 An emergency fix gets MAVEN back on trackEarlier this year, NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft, which has been orbiting Mars since 2014, developed some serious equipment issues that prevented it from keeping its correct orientation in space. In a race against time, a team on Earth fixed the problem by developing a system that allowed the spacecraft to navigate by the stars.
Space.com: NASA's Mars MAVEN spacecraft spent 3 months on the brink of disaster
14:28 The Perseverance rovers continues its rock collectionNASA’s Perseverance rover has arrived at an ancient Martian river delta where it will spend the next few months exploring, while scientists assess where to drill and extract rock samples. It’s thought that rocks from this region have the best chance of containing evidence of Martian life, and plans are being developed to return them to Earth in the future.
Nature News: NASA’s Perseverance rover begins key search for life on Mars
Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. -
Audio long read: The brain-reading devices helping paralysed people to move, talk and touch
Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) implanted in the brains of people who are paralysed are allowing them to control prosthetics that are restoring a range of skills.
Although the field is relatively young, researchers are making rapid advances in the abilities that these implants can restore. In the past few years, commercial interest in BCIs has soared, but many hurdles remain before these implants can be brought to market.
This is an audio version of our Feature: The brain-reading devices helping paralysed people to move, talk and touch
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Customer Reviews
Good way to get the latest scientific updates
Thank you for keeping the main podcast and the Coronavirus podcast separate!
Muzak
Wish it didn’t have those annoying pseudo music sounds drifting about behind the dialogue. No confidence in the dialogue alone? Ruins it for me…could be good without that.
A Podcast For Burning
Very closed-minded.