Nature Podcast A mysterious ancient fingerprint and a lemon-shaped planet — the stories you’ve missed
Jan 7, 2026
Nick Petrich Howe, a journalist and science storyteller, dives into remarkable discoveries. He discusses how undersea cables can function as seismic detectors, enhancing earthquake monitoring. An exploration of a 2,400-year-old boat reveals an ancient fingerprint, hinting at its unexpected origins. The podcast also uncovers fascinating plant behavior, where cycads heat up to lure beetles for pollination. Plus, listeners learn about a bizarre lemon-shaped exoplanet with extreme conditions. It’s a thrilling journey through science’s quirks!
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Undersea Cables As Seismic Arrays
- Researchers can turn active undersea fibre-optic telecom cables into dense seismic detector arrays by sending a different-wavelength laser and measuring backscatter from tiny imperfections.
- A 4,400 km cable can act like ~44,000 sensors spaced ~100 m apart, offering broad seafloor seismic coverage without building new infrastructure.
Cost‑Effective Global Seismic Coverage
- Using legacy cables avoids hundreds of millions in new detector costs and leverages existing global infrastructure for tsunami and seismic monitoring.
- Practical deployment faces security, commercial and access hurdles because cable locations and usage are often restricted.
Fingerprint Found In Ancient Boat Caulking
- A 2,400‑year‑old Hjortspring boat sank after a failed raid and was preserved in low‑oxygen bog conditions, leaving materials in museum collections.
- Researchers located unpreserved caulking tar containing a fingerprint and chemical clues pointing to a Baltic origin.