This week, a new way to study elusive subatomic particles - pions, and the story of Galileo remains relevant in a time of modern science denialism.In this episode:00:46 Probing pionsPions are incredibly unstable and difficult-to-study subatomic particles. Now researchers have come up with a clever way to examine them - by sticking them into helium atoms. Research Article: Hori et al.08:28 Research HighlightsA colourful way to cool buildings, and the rapid expansion of cities. Research Highlight: A rainbow of layered paints could help buildings to keep their cool; Research Highlight: Urban sprawl overspreads Earth at an unprecedented speed10:46 The life of GalileoA new biography of Galileo Galilei examines some of the myths about his life and draws parallels with problems facing scientists today. Books and Arts: Galileo’s story is always relevant16:42 Pick of the BriefingWe pick our highlights from the Nature Briefing, including botanical graffiti, and rock-eating bacteria. The Guardian: 'Not just weeds': how rebel botanists are using graffiti to name forgotten flora; Scientific American: Scientists Waited Two and a Half Years to See whether Bacteria Can Eat RockSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Other linksVote for us to win a webby! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Coronapod team pick through the latest news, plus we hear from the researchers making lemonade out of lockdown lemons.In this episode:01:10 Can contact-tracing apps help?Governments around the world are banking on smartphone apps to help end the spread of the coronavirus. But how effective might these apps might be? What are the risks? And how should they fit into wider public health strategies?Editorial: Show evidence that apps for COVID-19 contact-tracing are secure and effective13:30 Antiviral remdesivir shows promiseEarly results from a US trial of the antiviral drug remdesivir suggest it shortens recovery time for patients with COVID-19. We unpick the findings.News: Hopes rise for coronavirus drug remdesivir16:52 One good thingOur hosts pick out things that have made them smile in the last week, including blooming trust in scientists, cooking experiments, and a neighbourhood coming together to clap for healthcare workers.21:34 Unexpected opportunitiesWe hear from three researchers making the most of lockdown, studying tiny earthquakes, building balcony-based citizen science projects, or enlisting gamers to fight the coronavirus.Fold-it, the protein-folding computer gameVote for us in the 2020 Webby awards!Nature Podcast: Callused feet, and protein-based archaeology Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, how the ‘sniff-response’ can help clinicians determine a patient's state of consciousness, and how vaccines could help drive down antibiotic use.In this episode:00:45 Sniffing out consciousnessResearchers have found that the sniff reflex can indicate whether a patient is in a vegetative state, and even the likelihood that they will recover consciousness. Research Article: Arzi et al.08:37 Research HighlightsThe stupefying effect of carbon dioxide, and a chameleon gemstone that tricks your eyes. Research Highlight: Rising carbon dioxide levels will make us stupider; Research Highlight: How a chameleon gemstone changes from red to green11:12 Vaccination and antibiotic usageLooking at data from low- and middle-income countries, researchers have determined that vaccination could prevent millions of infections currently treated by antibiotics. Research Article: Lewnard et al.16:49 Pick of the BriefingWe pick our highlights from the Nature Briefing, including the forgotten mother of climate change science, and a new global study on insect declines. Chemistry World: Eunice Foote: the mother of climate change; Science: Meta-analysis reveals declines in terrestrial but increases in freshwater insect abundancesSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Other linksShamini’s latest video on a newly discovered Spinosaurus skeleton, which suggests that it had a fin-like tail that would have helped it swim and hunt.We've been nominated for a Webby award! You can vote for us here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss the role of antibody tests in controlling the pandemic, and how public-health spending could curtail an economic crisis. Also on the show, the open hardware community's efforts to produce medical equipment.In this episode:02:08 Betting on antibodiesAntibody tests could play a key role in understanding how the virus has spread through populations, and in ending lockdowns. We discuss concerns over their reliability, how they could be used, and the tantalising possibility of immunity.News: The researchers taking a gamble with antibody tests for coronavirus10:25 Economy vs public health, a false dichotomyJim Yong Kim, former president of the World Bank, argues that strong investment in public health is crucial to halt the ongoing pandemic and to prevent a global financial crisis. We discuss his work with US governors to massively increase contact tracing, and his thoughts on how researchers can help steer political thinking.News Q&A: Why the World Bank ex-chief is on a mission to end coronavirus transmission19:00 One good thing this weekOur hosts talk about staying positive, and pick a few things that have made them smile in the last 7 days, including a tiny addition to the team, a newspaper produced by children in lockdown, and a gardening update.Six Feet of Separation, the newspaper staffed by kids22:51 Open hardwareResearchers are stepping up efforts to design and produce ventilators and personal protective equipment for frontline medical staff. We hear how the open hardware movement is aiding these efforts, and the regulations that teams need to consider if their designs are to make it into use.Technology Feature: Open science takes on the coronavirus pandemicSubscribe 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.

This week, evidence of ancient hominin DNA in modern human genomes, and the origin of a snowman-shaped object at the edge of the solar system.In this episode:00:45 Intermixing of ancient homininsBy combing through the DNA of over 27,000 modern day Icelanders, researchers have uncovered new insights about the ancient hominin species who interbred with Homo sapiens. Research Article: Skov et al.08:05 Research HighlightsThe scent of lemur love, a hidden Viking trade route, and ‘gargantuan’ hail. Research Highlight: Lemurs’ love language is fragrance; Research Highlight: Vikings’ lost possessions mark a long-hidden early trade route; Research Highlight: Enormous hailstones inspire a new scientific size category: ‘gargantuan’11:44 The origin of ArrokothIn 2019, the New Horizon Spacecraft took images of Arrokoth - an unusual, bi-lobal object found in the Kuiper belt. Now, researchers believe they’ve figured out how it formed. Research Article: Grishin et al.17:29 Pick of the BriefingWe pick some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This week we discuss why the Universe may be lopsided, and why water could actually be two different liquid states. Scientific American: Do We Live in a Lopsided Universe?; Chemistry World: The weirdness of waterSubscribe 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.

Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss Trump withholding funds from the WHO, and how COVID-19 kills. We also hear about controlling misinformation while communicating risk.In this episode:01:15 Understanding bottlenecksAfter listening to last week's episode of Coronapod, researchers in the USA were inspired to start collecting data about the challenges facing labs carrying out testing. After more than 4,000 responses to their online survey, we discuss their goals.03:08 A hole in the WHO’s fundingUS President Donald Trump has announced plans to withhold funding for the WHO, pending a review of the organization’s handling of the pandemic. We discuss the decision and ask what it means for the global response to COVID-19.News: Nature's rolling coronavirus news blog05:55 Responding to the immune systemWe investigate the role of the immune system in the death of COVID-19 patients and what this could mean for treatments. Could some therapeutics actually be undermining the body’s ability to fight the virus?News: How does COVID-19 kill? Uncertainty is hampering doctors’ ability to choose treatments13:54 One good thing this weekOur hosts pick out things that have made them smile in the last 7 days, including seasonal memories from Sierra Leone, a trip to the supermarket, and the 99-year old war veteran who has raised millions for charity.BBC News: Coronavirus: Capt Tom Moore's NHS fundraiser hits £17m18:33 Communicating complex dataClearly communicating risks and evidence is key for governments and other organisations if they are to best inform the public during the pandemic. But what is the best way to do it? We hear the methods that communications experts and behavioural scientists recommend to keep the public informed, and keep misinformation at bay.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.

Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss the labs struggling to get involved in diagnostic testing, and should you be wearing a mask?In this episode:02:07 A drive to diagnoseMany research labs are pivoting from their normal work to offer diagnostic testing for COVID-19. We discuss how to go about retooling a lab, the hurdles researchers are facing and why, in some cases, tests are not being taken up.News: Thousands of coronavirus tests are going unused in US labs14:18 Masking the issue?There has been conflicting advice on whether people should wear masks to protect themselves during the pandemic. We look at some of the take home messages from the debate.Research article: Leung et al.News: Is the coronavirus airborne? Experts can’t agree18:36 One good thing this weekOur hosts pick out things they’ve seen that have made them smile in the last 7 days, including a local superhero, and a caring choir who have release their first song.Reuters: Spider-Man to the rescue! Superhero jogger cheers kids in EnglandVideo: The Isolation Choir sing Wild Mountain Thyme22:08 Accelerating vaccine developmentAround the world, research groups are rushing to create a vaccine against the coronavirus. We hear about one group’s effort, and how vaccine development is being sped up, without sacrificing safety steps.News: If a coronavirus vaccine arrives, can the world make enough?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.

This week, a new enzyme speeds up the breakdown of plastic bottles, and a method to cool molecules to a fraction above absolute zero.In this episode:01:18 A PET recycling enzymeResearchers have engineered an enzyme that effectively breaks down the plastic PET into its constituent monomers. This could allow for more complete recycling of bottles and clothes. Research Article: Tournier et al.06:41 Research HighlightsThe shocking lengths humans will go to to satisfy their curiosity, and the reasons for elevated methane emissions at Oktoberfest. Research Highlight: Humans opt to brave electric shock to satisfy their curiosity; Research Highlight: Munich’s Oktoberfest is a real gas09:15 Supercool moleculesResearchers have used a technique called ‘collision cooling’ to chill molecules to a few millionths of a degree above absolute zero, which could allow observations of difficult-to-study quantum mechanics. Research Article: Son et al.14:46 Research HighlightsNeither supermassive, nor super small, the mystery of the elusive intermediate sized black-hole has been solved. Research Highlight: Elusive middle-weight black hole is caught shredding a starSubscribe 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.

Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss the latest on the British response, and what low- and middle-income countries have done to prepare for the pandemic.In this episode:01:33 Testing in the UKThis week, the UK health secretary announced plans to further ramp up testing for COVID-19, with the aim of preforming 100,000 tests a day in England by the end of April. We discuss these plans and why testing remains a key weapon in the fight against the virus.11:37 Pandemic preparation in poorer countriesCOVID-19 cases have started to be reported in many low- and middle-income countries. We hear how a few of these nations are preparing and what might happen if these efforts fail.News article: How poorer countries are scrambling to prevent a coronavirus disaster26:43 One good thing this weekAs our hosts end another week of working from home, they pick out things they’ve seen that have made them smile in the last 7 days.Video: Samuel L. Jackson reads Stay the F*** at homeEvening Standard: Medical fetish site says it's giving scrubs to NHS hospital amid coronavirus crisisNPR: U.K. Family's Lockdown-Themed Rendition Of 'Les Mis' Is A Delight Twitter: Patrick Stewart reads one of Shakespeare’s sonnets each day28:54 The effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on research animalsWith stay-at-home orders in effect in many parts of the world, scientists are making difficult decisions to safeguard the welfare of their lab animals. We hear from one researcher who plans to care for his fruit flies at home, and another who has had to euthanize many of the mouse colonies used in his institution’s research.News: Cull, release or bring them home: Coronavirus crisis forces hard decisions for labs with animalsSubscribe 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.

This week, reassessing the age of the ‘Broken Hill skull’, and unearthing evidence of an ancient forest near the South Pole.In this episode:01:25 A skull’s place in historyAfter nearly a century scientists believe they’ve finally pinned down an age for the ‘Broken Hill skull’ hominid specimen. Research Article: Grun et al.07:44 Research HighlightsA simple way to detect early signs of cancer, and 3D printed soft brain implants. Research Highlight: A blood test finds deadly cancers before symptoms start; Research Article: Yuk et al.09:51 Ancient Antarctic rainforestDigging deep below the sea-floor, researchers have uncovered evidence of a verdant forest that existed on Antarctica around 90 million years ago. Research Article: Klages et al.15:47 Research HighlightsWalking more, regardless of the intensity, may improve health. Research Highlight: More steps a day might keep the doctor awaySubscribe 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.