Nature Podcast

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been allegations that SARS-CoV-2 could have originated in a Chinese lab. A phase one WHO investigation concluded that a 'lab-leak' was "extremely unlikely" and yet, the theory has seen a resurgence in recent weeks with several scientists wading into the debate.In this episode of Coronapod, we delve into what scientists have been saying and ask how and why the 'lab-leak' hypothesis has gained so much traction. We ask if the way we communicate complex and nuanced science could be fuelling division, and what the fallout could be for international collaboration on ending the pandemic.News: Divisive COVID ‘lab leak’ debate prompts dire warnings from researchersScience: Investigate the origins of COVID-19Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The cross-discipline effort to work our how ancient humans learned to count.In this episode:00:45 Number originsAround the world, archaeologists, linguists and a host of other researchers are trying to answer some big questions – when, and how, did humans learn to count? We speak to some of the scientists at the forefront of this effort.News Feature: How did Neanderthals and other ancient humans learn to count?07:47 Research HighlightsHow sea anemones influence clownfish stripes, and how skin-to-skin contact can improve survival rates for high-risk newborns.Research Highlight: How the clownfish gets its stripesResearch Highlight: Nestling skin-to-skin right after birth saves fragile babies’ lives09:48 Briefing ChatWe discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, an upper limit for human ageing, and could tardigrades survive a collision with the moon?Scientific American: Humans Could Live up to 150 Years, New Research SuggestsScience: Hardy water bears survive bullet impacts—up to a pointSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A vaccine candidate for a neglected tropical disease, and calls to extend the 14-day limit on embryo research.In this episode:00:46 A vaccine candidate for an important livestock diseaseAfrican animal trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease that kills millions of cattle each year, affecting livelihoods and causing significant economic costs in many sub-Saharan countries. Developing a vaccine against the disease has proved difficult as the parasite has a wealth of tricks to evade the immune system. This week however, a team of researchers have created a vaccine candidate that shows early promise in mice.Research Article: Autheman et al.08:27 Research HighlightsA tapeworm infection helps worker ants live longer (at a cost), and how humanity’s shift to farming influenced plant-life in pre-industrial times.Research Highlight: Tapeworm infestation gives lowly ants long lifeResearch Highlight: Our radical changes to Earth’s greenery began long ago — with farms, not factories11:21 New guidelines for stem cell researchFor the first time since 2016, the International Society for Stem Cell Research has updated its guidelines for biomedical research involving human embryos. We discuss the rapid advances in the field over the past five years, and how the new guidelines have had to change to keep pace with them.News: 14-day limit on growing human embryos in lab dropped by advisory bodySubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scientists are trying to figure out whether these pervasive plastic specks are dangerous.Wherever they look – from the bottom of oceans to the top of mountains – researchers are uncovering tiny specks of plastic, known as microplastics.Scientists are trying to understand the potential impacts of ingesting these pervasive plastics but early results are ambiguous, as some experiments might not reflect the diversity of microplastics that exist in the real world.This is an audio version of our feature: Microplastics are everywhere — but are they harmful? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Smouldering fires lay dormant before bursting back into flame in spring.In this episode:00:56 The mysterious overwintering forest firesResearchers have shown that fires can smoulder under snow in frozen northern forests before flaring up the following spring. Understanding how these so-called ‘zombie’ fires start and spread is vital in the fight against climate change.Research Article: Scholten et al.07:39 Research HighlightsAesthetic bias means pretty plants receive the most research attention, and ancient tooth gunk reveals the evolution of the mouth microbiome.Research Highlight: Flashy plants draw outsize share of scientists’ attentionResearch Highlight: Microbes in Neanderthals’ mouths reveal their carb-laden diet10:04 Briefing ChatWe discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, Voyager 1 detects a faint interstellar ‘hum’, and a trove of Neanderthal bones found in an Italian cave.Reuters: Faraway NASA probe detects the eerie hum of interstellar spaceThe Guardian: Remains of nine Neanderthals found in cave south of RomeVideo: Hawaii’s surprise volcanic eruption: Lessons from Kilauea 2018 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past few weeks, India has been experiencing a devastating second wave of COVID-19, recording hundreds of thousands of new cases a day.Evidence is growing that a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus known as B.1.617, first detected in India in October, may be driving this wave.On this week’s Coronapod we talk about the race to learn more about B.1.617, with early results suggesting it may be more transmissible and could cause more severe disease.News: Coronavirus variants are spreading in India — what scientists know so far Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new neural interface lets people type with their mind, and a crafting journey into materials science.In this episode:00:45 A brain interface to type out thoughtsResearchers have developed a brain-computer interface that is able to read brain signals from people thinking about handwriting, and translate them into on-screen text. The team hope this technology could be used to help people with paralysis to communicate quicker than before.Research Article: Willett et al.News and Views: Neural interface translates thoughts into typeVideo: The BCI handwriting system in action07:37 Research HighlightsLight-sensitive cells help headless worms ‘see’ with their bodies, and a wearable device that monitors itchiness.Research Highlight: How headless worms see the light to steerResearch Highlight: How itchy are you? A new device knows precisely10:26 The science of everyday materialsMaterials scientist Anna Ploszajski joins us to talk about her new book Handmade, which details how her journey into craft helped shape her materials research.Book review: From spoons to semiconductors — we are what we make18:26 Briefing ChatWe discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, the genomes of some viruses that contain a very unusual DNA nucleobase, and the smouldering nuclear reactions that remain in the wreckage of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.Nature: Weird viral DNA spills secrets to biologistsScience: ‘It’s like the embers in a barbecue pit.’ Nuclear reactions are smoldering again at Chernobyl Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In surprise news this week, the US government announced its support for waiving patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines, in an effort to boost supplies around the world.As fewer than 1% of people living in low-income countries have received COVID-19 vaccines, it is hoped that this move is a major step towards addressing this inequity by allowing manufacturers to legally produce generic versions of vaccines. We discuss the next steps that need to be taken to make this a reality, and why there is opposition to the plan.Also on the podcast, we look at another aspect of coronavirus inequity: the sharing of genomic data. Around the world, researchers are racing to upload SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences to repositories, to help in the fight against the pandemic. One popular data repository, GISAID, requires users to sign in and acknowledge those whose data they analyse. Although a growing faction of scientists from wealthy nations are calling for the removal of gatekeeping requirements, scientists in the global south are pushing back, arguing that this will deprive them of credit and chances to participate in big-data analyses.News: In shock move, US backs waiving patents on COVID vaccinesNews: Why some researchers oppose unrestricted sharing of coronavirus genome dataNews: Scientists call for fully open sharing of coronavirus genome dataScience: Coronavirus sequence trove sparks frustrationNew York Times: Pfizer Reaps Hundreds of Millions in Profits From Covid VaccineWashington Post: Poor countries may not be vaccinated until 2024. Here’s how to prevent that. Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The earliest evidence of deliberate human burial in Africa, and a metal-free rechargeable battery.Listen to our mini-series ‘Stick to the Science’: when science gets political and vote for the show in this year’s Webby Awards.In this episode:00:44 Human burial practices in Stone Age AfricaThe discovery of the burial site of a young child in a Kenyan cave dated to around 78 thousand years ago sheds new light on how Stone Age populations treated their dead.Research Article: Martinón-Torres et al.News and Views: A child’s grave is the earliest known burial site in Africa09:15 Research HighlightsHow warming seas led to a record low in Northwestern Pacific typhoons, and the Arctic bird that maintains a circadian rhythm despite 24 hour sunlight.Research Highlight: Warming seas brought an eerie calm to a stormy regionResearch Highlight: The world’s northernmost bird is a clock-watcher11:35 A metal-free rechargeable batteryLithium-ion batteries have revolutionised portable electronics, but there are significant issues surrounding their recyclability and the mining of the metals within them. To address these problems, a team of researchers have developed a metal-free rechargeable battery that breaks down to its component parts on demand.Research Article: Nguyen et al. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For more than a century, public health researchers have demonstrated how poverty and discrimination drive disease and the coronavirus pandemic has only reinforced this.In a Coronapod special, Nature reporter Amy Maxmen takes us with her through eight months of reporting in the San Joaquin valley, a part of rural California where COVID's unequal toll has proven deadly.News: Inequality's deadly tollThis piece was supported by grants from the Pulitzer Center and the MIT Knight Science Journalism fellowship.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.