How gliding marsupials got their 'wings'
In this episode:00:46 Optical clocks at seaOptical atomic clocks are the most precise timekeeping devices on the planet, but these devices are huge and difficult to work with, limiting their use outside of the lab. Now, researchers have developed a portable optical clock and demonstrated its robustness by sending it on a perilous sea journey. The team hope that this work will pave the way to more practical uses of optical clocks, such as on satellites where they could help improve the accuracy of GPS technologies.Research Article: Roslund et al.News and Views: Robust optical clocks promise stable timing in a portable packa...
Source: Nature Podcast - April 24, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Living on Mars would probably suck — here's why
Humans setting up home in outer space has long been the preserve of science fiction. Now, thanks to advances in technology and the backing of billionaires, this dream could actually be realised. But is it more likely to be a nightmare?Kelly and Zach Weinersmith join us to discuss their new book A City on Mars and some of the medical, environmental and legal roadblocks that may prevent humanity from ultimately settling in space.A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through? Kelly and Zach Weinersmith Particular Books (2023) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...
Source: Nature Podcast - April 19, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Keys, wallet, phone: the neuroscience behind working memory
In this episode:00:46 Mysterious methane emission from a cool brown dwarfThe James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is revealing the makeup of brown dwarfs — strange space objects that blur the line between a planet and a star. And it appears that methane in the atmosphere of one of these objects, named W1935, is emitting infrared radiation. Where the energy comes from is a mystery however, researchers hypothesise that the glow could be caused by an aurora in the object’s atmosphere, perhaps driven by an as-yet unseen moon.Research Article: Faherty et al.10:44 Research HighlightsThe discovery that bitter taste receptors may...
Source: Nature Podcast - April 17, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
The 'ghost roads' driving tropical deforestation
In this episode:00:46 Mapping ‘ghost roads’ in tropical forestsAcross the world, huge numbers of illegal roads have been cut into forests. However, due to their illicit nature, the exact numbers of these roads and their impacts on ecosystems is poorly understood. To address this, researchers have undertaken a huge mapping exercise across the tropical Asia-Pacific region. Their findings reveal over a million kilometers of roads that don’t appear on official maps, and that their construction is a key driver for deforestation.Research Article: Engert et al.10:44 Research HighlightsHow climate change fuelled a record-bre...
Source: Nature Podcast - April 10, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Audio long read: Why are so many young people getting cancer? What the data say
Around the world, rates of cancers that typically affect older adults are increasing in those under 50 years old. Models based on global data predict that the number of early-onset cancer cases like these will increase by around 30% between 2019 and 2030.The most likely contributors — such as rising rates of obesity and early-cancer screening — do not fully account for the increase. To try and understand the reasons behind this trend, many researchers are searching for answers buried in studies that tracked the lives and health of children born half a century ago.This is an audio version of our Feature Why are so many ...
Source: Nature Podcast - April 5, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Pregnancy's effect on 'biological' age, polite birds, and the carbon cost of home-grown veg
In this episode:00:35 Pregnancy advances your ‘biological’ age — but giving birth turns it backGrowing a baby leads to changes in the distribution of certain chemical markers on a pregnant person’s DNA, but new research suggests that after giving birth, these changes can revert to an earlier state.Nature News: Pregnancy advances your ‘biological’ age — but giving birth turns it back08:07 Bird gestures to say 'after you'A Japanese tit (Parus minor) will flutter its wings to invite their mate to enter the nest first. Use of these sorts of gestures, more complex than simply pointing at an object of interest, wer...
Source: Nature Podcast - April 3, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Pregnancy's effect on 'biological' age, polite-birds, and the carbon cost of home-grown veg
In this episode:00:35 Pregnancy advances your ‘biological’ age — but giving birth turns it backGrowing a baby leads to changes in the distribution of certain chemical markers on a pregnant person’s DNA, but new research suggests that after giving birth, these changes can revert to an earlier state.Nature News: Pregnancy advances your ‘biological’ age — but giving birth turns it back08:07 Bird gestures to say 'after you'A Japanese tit (Parus minor) will flutter its wings to invite their mate to enter the nest first. Use of these sorts of gestures, more complex than simply pointing at an object of interest, wer...
Source: Nature Podcast - April 3, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
How climate change is affecting global timekeeping
In this episode:01:28 Inflammation’s role in memoryHow memories are stored is an ongoing question in neuroscience. Now researchers have found an inflammatory pathway that responds to DNA damage in neurons has a key role in the persistence of memories. How this pathway helps memories persist is unclear, but the researchers suggest that how the DNA damage is repaired may play a role. As inflammation in the brain is often associated with disease, the team were surprised by this finding, which they hope will help uncover ways to better preserve our memories, especially in the face of neurodegenerative disorders.Research Arti...
Source: Nature Podcast - March 27, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
AI hears hidden X factor in zebra finch love songs
In this episode:00:48 How mysterious skyrmions could power next-generation computersSkyrmions are tiny whirlpools of magnetic spin that some researchers believe have useful properties that could unlock new kinds of computing. However getting skyrmions to perform useful computational tasks has been tricky. Now researchers have developed a method to create and manipulate skyrmions in a way that is compatible with existing computing technology, allowing them to read and write data at a fraction of the energy cost of conventional systems. The team think this shows that skyrmions could be a viable part of the next generation of...
Source: Nature Podcast - March 20, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Killer whales have menopause. Now scientists think they know why
In this episode:00:45 Making a map of the human heartThe human heart consists of multiple, specialised structures that all work together to enable the organ to beat for a lifetime. But exactly which cells are present in each part of the heart has been difficult to ascertain. Now, a team has combined molecular techniques to create an atlas of the developing human heart at an individual cell level. Their atlas provides insights into how cell communities communicate and form different structures. They hope that this knowledge will ultimately help in the treatment of congenital heart conditions, often caused by irregular devel...
Source: Nature Podcast - March 13, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
These tiny fish combine electric pulses to probe the environment
In this episode:00:48 Bumblebees can learn from each other new tricksOne behaviour thought unique to humans is the ability to learn something from your predecessors that you couldn’t figure out on your own. However, researchers believe they have shown bumblebees are also capable of this ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’ approach to learning. Bees that were taught how to complete a puzzle too difficult to solve on their own, were able to share this knowledge with other bees, raising the possibility that this thought-to-be human trait could be widespread amongst animals.Research article: Bridges et al.News and View...
Source: Nature Podcast - March 6, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Could this one-time ‘epigenetic’ treatment control cholesterol?
In this episode:00:49 What caused the Universe to become fully transparent?Around 13 billion years ago, the Universe was filled with a dense ‘fog’ of neutral hydrogen that blocked certain wavelengths of light. This fog was lifted when the hydrogen was hit by radiation in a process known as reionisation, but the source of this radiation has been debated. Now, researchers have used the JWST to peer deep into the Universe’s past and found that charged particles pouring out from dwarf galaxies appear to be the the main driver for reionization. This finding could help researchers understand how some of the structures we n...
Source: Nature Podcast - February 28, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Audio long read: Chimpanzees are dying from our colds — these scientists are trying to save them
The phenomenon of animals catching diseases from humans, called reverse zoonoses, has had a severe impact on great ape populations, often representing a bigger threat than habitat loss or poaching.However, while many scientists and conservationists agree that human diseases pose one of the greatest risks to great apes today there are a few efforts under way to use a research-based approach to mitigate this problem.This is an audio version of our Feature Chimpanzees are dying from our colds — these scientists are trying to save them Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. (Source: Nature Podcast)
Source: Nature Podcast - February 26, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
How whales sing without drowning, an anatomical mystery solved
The deep haunting tones of the world's largest animals, baleen whales, are iconic - but how the songs are produced has long been a mystery. Whales evolved from land dwelling mammals which vocalize by passing air through a structure called the larynx - a structure which also helps keep food from entering the respiratory system. However toothed whales like dolphins do not use their larynx to make sound, instead they have evolved a specialized organ in their nose. Now a team of researchers have discovered the structure used by baleen whales - a modified version of the larynx. Whales like Humpbacks and Blue whales are abl...
Source: Nature Podcast - February 23, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
Why are we nice? Altruism's origins are put to the test
In this episode:00:45 Why are humans so helpful?Humans are notable for their cooperation and display far more altruistic behaviour than other animals, but exactly why this behaviour evolved has been a puzzle. But in a new paper, the two leading theories have been put the test with a model and a real-life experiment. They find that actually neither theory on its own leads to cooperation but a combination is required for humans to help one another.Research article: Efferson et al.News and Views: Why reciprocity is common in humans but rare in other animals10:55 Research HighlightsThe discovery of an ancient stone wall hidden...
Source: Nature Podcast - February 21, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Springer Nature Limited Source Type: podcasts
