Nature Podcast

This week, using an algorithm to find properties in materials science, and the global consequences of sand-mining.In this episode:00:47 Predicting propertiesA word-association algorithm is reading millions of abstracts to discover new properties of materials. Research article: Tshitoyan et al.; News and Views: Text mining facilitates materials discovery08:28 Research HighlightsTiny robot-jellyfish, and genome mutation hot-spots. Research Article:Multi-functional soft-bodied jellyfish-like swimming; Research Highlight:How DNA ‘hotspots’ snarl the search for cancer genes10:48 Sand under strainResearchers warn that the mining of sand is unsustainable. Comment:Time is running out for sand15:44 News ChatThe results of a bullying survey, and the spread of microbial disease through opioid use. News: Germany’s prestigious Max Planck Society conducts huge bullying survey; News: The US opioid epidemic is driving a spike in infectious diseases Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This year, Nature celebrates its 150th birthday. To mark this anniversary we’re rebroadcasting episodes from our PastCast series, highlighting key moments in the history of science.According to the fables of early explorers, the gorilla was a terrible, man-eating monster. It was also thought to be man’s closest relative in the animal kingdom. Naturally, scientists and the public alike wanted to see these fierce beasts for themselves. But in the mid-nineteenth century, as the evolution debate heated up, getting a live gorilla to Europe from Africa was extremely difficult. In 1876, the pages of Nature report the arrival in England of a young specimen.This episode was first broadcast in June 2013. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, how going barefoot affects what your feet can feel, and uncovering history with ancient proteins.In this episode:00:44 A sole sensationA study of people who do and don't wear shoes looks into whether calluses make feet less sensitive. Research article: Holowka et al.; News and Views: Your sensitive sole08:50 Research HighlightsMagma moving quickly, and twice-transforming 4D materials. Research Highlight: Volcano’s magma hit top speed; Research Article: Wang et al.11:09 Dating fossils with proteinsArchaeologists turn to proteins to answer questions DNA cannot. News Feature: Move over, DNA: ancient proteins are starting to reveal humanity’s history19:38 News ChatA special report from the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the ongoing Ebola crisis. News: The doctor who beat Ebola — and inspires other survivors to care for the sick; News: Meet the Ebola workers battling a virus in a war zone; News: World Health Organization resists declaring Ebola emergency — for third time Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, what makes birds invasive, and a robotic fish powered by a blood-like battery.In this episode:00:44 How do alien bird species establish themselves?Researchers have been looking at how bird species settle in non-native locations. Research article: Redding et al.08:22 Research HighlightsCrafting the perfect crêpe, and anti-fungal wasp eggs. Research Highlight: Physicists tackle a delicate challenge: making the ideal crêpe; Research article: Strohm et al.10:09 Robot bloodMultipurpose battery fluid both moves and powers a robot fish. Research article: Aubin et al.; News: Robo-fish powered by battery ‘blood’16:30 News ChatResearchers reviewing misconduct investigations, and redefining pressure. News: What universities can learn from one of science’s biggest frauds Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, a record-breaking magnetic field, and aerosols’ potential effects on the atmosphere.In this episode:00:45 Making massive magnetsResearchers have created the world’s strongest direct current magnetic field. Research article: S. Hahn et al.08:38 Research HighlightsMacaques’ musicality and human consumption of microplastics. Research Article: Divergence in the functional organization of human and macaque auditory cortex revealed by fMRI responses to harmonic tones; Research Highlight: What a bottled-water habit means for intake of ‘microplastics’10:55 Aerosols’ impacts on the climateThere’s a still a lot to learn about how aerosols affect the climate. Comment: Soot, sulfate, dust and the climate — three ways through the fog17:03 News ChatThe launch of an X-ray space telescope, and a Russian researcher’s plans to CRISPR-edit human embryos. News:Space telescope to chart first map of the Universe in high-energy X-rays; News: Russian biologist plans more CRISPR-edited babies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, how gut microbes might be affecting drugs, and a new theory on the beginning of plate tectonics.In this episode:00:45 Microbes metabolising drugsResearchers are investigating whether the gut microbiota can alter the activity of medicinal drugs.Research article: Zimmermann et al. 06:40 Research HighlightsElephants counting with smell, and audio activity monitoring.Research Highlight: Elephants have a nose for portion sizeResearch Highlight: Deep learning monitors human activity based on sound alone08:57 The origin of plate tectonics?A new theory suggests that sediment may have lubricated the Earth’s tectonic plates, allowing them to move.Research article: Sobolev and BrownNews and Views: Earth’s evolution explored 14:14 News ChatScientists protest in Hungary, and a trial of a new post-review process to test reproducibility.News: Hungarians protest against proposed government takeover of scienceNews: Reproducibility trial publishes two conclusions for one paper Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This year, Nature celebrates its 150th birthday. To mark this anniversary we’re rebroadcasting episodes from our PastCast series, highlighting key moments in the history of science.The discovery of the ozone hole in the mid-1980s was a shock. Scientists suspected that man-made gases called CFCs were damaging the ozone layer, but they didn’t expect to see such a dramatic decline. Nor did they expect the discovery to be made by a small group of British scientists in Antarctica. In this podcast, we hear from the ‘little voice’ in the background whose persistence led to the reporting of the reduced ozone in Nature in May 1985. But how did it become known as the ‘ozone hole’? And what lessons are there for climate change scientists today? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, looking back at cold fusion, a ranking of gender balance in universities, and measuring the impact of wildfires. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, how climate change has affected plankton, the future of European science, and evidence of an ancient fungus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, rewriting the script of life, and a trip to the far side of the Moon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.