Nature podcast

46:55

The War and Treaty’s Michael and Tanya Trotter grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and Washington, DC, respectively, but both have family roots in the South. They also grew up in the musical traditions of their churches – Tanya in the Black Baptist Church and Michael in the Seventh Day Adventist Church – where they learned the power of song to move people. After becoming a father at a very young age, Michael eventually joined the armed forces and served in Iraq and Germany, where he took up songwriting as a way of dealing with his experiences there. Meanwhile Tanya embarked on a singing and acting career after a breakthrough appearance in Sister Act 2 alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Lauryn Hill. Now, after a long and sometimes traumatic journey, Michael and Tanya are married, touring, winning all sorts of awards, and set to release their fifth album together, and their fourth as The War and Treaty. Sid talks to Michael and Tanya about the new record, Plus One , as well as their collaboration with Miranda Lambert, what it was like to record at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, and how they’re blending country, soul, gospel, and R&B. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

Nature Podcast

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The Nature Podcast brings you the best stories from the world of science each week. We cover everything from astronomy to zoology, highlighting the most exciting research from each issue of the Nature journal. We meet the scientists behind the results and provide in-depth analysis from Nature's journalists and editors.

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861 episodios

Nature Podcast

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

861 episodios

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Nature Podcast

1
Earliest crafted bone tools date back 1.5 million years 29:48

hace 3 días29:48

29:48

00:46 Ancient humans made bone tools 1.5 million years ago A 1.5-million-year-old cache of animal-bone tools reveals that ancient humans systematically crafted with this material much earlier than previously thought. Researchers uncovered 27 bone artefacts in Tanzania honed into sharp tools almost 40 cm long. This discovery pushes back the dedicated manufacture of bone tools by around a million years and could have helped these early humans develop new kinds of technology. “This raises a lot of interesting questions,” says study author Ignacio de la Torre. Research Article: de la Torre et al. 09:11 Research Highlights Cane toads’ remarkable homing abilities, and evidence that the block of rock that makes up southern Tibet originated in what is now Australia. Research Highlight: Take me home, country toads Research Highlight: Lhasa′s rocks reveal an Australian birthplace 11:45 A trove of antibacterial molecules hidden in human proteins To help protect against infection, cells in the body will selectively cut proteins to produce molecules known as antimicrobial peptides, according to new research. A team has found that many potential peptides appear to be locked up within proteins — to get them out, cells shift the activity of a waste-disposal system called the proteasome, known for its role in protein degradation and recycling. In tests, one of these peptides showed efficacy at protecting mice from infection, indicating that these molecules could one day have therapeutic potential. Research Article: Goldberg et al. News and Views: Protein waste turned into antibiotics as a defence strategy of human cells 21:08 Briefing Chat An update on two missions heading to the Moon to look for water, and why fears that a crucial ocean-current system will collapse in the face of climate change may be incorrect. Nature: Meet the ice-hunting robots headed for the Moon right now Nature: Iconic ocean-current system is safe from climate collapse ― for now 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.…

Nature Podcast

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Audio long read: Why kids need to take more risks — science reveals the benefits of wild, free play 16:10

hace 8 días16:10

16:10

Over the past two decades, research has emerged showing that opportunities for risky play are crucial for children's healthy physical, mental and emotional development. However, because play is inherently free-form it has been difficult to study. Now, scientists are using innovative approaches, including virtual reality, to probe the benefits of risky play, and how best to promote it. This is an audio version of our Feature: Why kids need to take more risks — science reveals the benefits of wild, free play Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Nature Podcast

1
If your heart stops, this smartwatch-AI can call for help 19:58

hace 10 días19:58

19:58

00:47 A ‘smart’ way to quickly detect cardiac arrest Google researchers have developed an AI for a smartwatch that will call for help if its wearer is having a cardiac arrest. Trained, in part, on data gained when patients had their hearts deliberately stopped during a medical procedure, the team’s machine learning algorithm can automatically detect the telltale signs of cardiac arrest. The team think this system could save lives, although more testing is required. "Our hope is that as these capabilities expand it provides a new way to keep people safer,” says Jake Sunshine, one of the researchers behind the study. Research Article: Shah et al. 09:15 Research Highlights Evidence that a low dose of yellow fever vaccine might be enough to provide lasting immunity, and the odd umbrella-shaped tree fossil that suggests that early plants may have been more complex than previously thought. Research Article: Kimathi et al. Research Article: Gastaldo et al. 11:10 Briefing Chat Microsoft’s new AI that helps create video game ‘worlds’, and why dogs blink more when other dogs do the same. Nature: Microsoft builds AI that creates ‘impressive’ video-game worlds Science: Dogs, like people, may use blinking to bond 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.…

Nature Podcast

1
Racist ratings linger in five-star systems — a thumbs up could fix that 31:45

hace 17 días31:45

31:45

01:14 A simple switch to reduce racist ratings A study of almost 70,000 ratings showed that racial discrimination could be eliminated from an online platform by switching from a five-star rating system to a thumbs up or down. The platform connected customers to workers who performed home repair jobs, and prior to the shift people categorised by the study authors as ‘non-white’ had lower ratings and got paid less than their white counterparts. Through follow up studies the authors also showed that the five-star system allowed people to impart their personal opinions, whereas a thumbs up or down just focused them on whether a job was good or bad. The team hopes this could be an easy-to-implement shift to tackle racial discrimination. Research Article: Botelho et al. News and Views: Racial bias eliminated when ratings switch from five stars to thumbs up or down 11:24 Research Highlights Experimental evidence that cockatoos like flavouring their food, and the harsh climate of sixteenth century Transylvania. Research Highlight: Gourmet cockatoos like to fancy up their food Research Highlight: Transylvanian diaries reveal centuries-old climate extremes 14:05 An analysis of retraction hotspots A Nature investigation has revealed where the most retractions come from, with hospitals in China and institutions in India and Pakistan topping the list. Retractions are a normal part of science and may be a sign of necessary scrutiny, but they can also signal misconduct and use of paper mills. Features Editor Richard Van Noorden joins us to discuss what this means for science and tackling sloppy research. Nature: Exclusive: These universities have the most retracted scientific articles 22:43 Briefing Chat Layoffs in the US’s Environmental Protection Agency, reactions to the DEI purge at NASA, and what RFK Jr.’s role as secretary of Health and Human Services could mean for health research. Nature: ‘Targeted and belittled’: scientists at US environmental agency speak out as layoffs begin Nature: NASA embraced diversity. Trump’s DEI purge is hitting space scientists hard Nature: Vaccine sceptic RFK Jr is now a powerful force in US science: what will he do? 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.…

Nature Podcast

1
Record-breaking neutrino detected by huge underwater telescope 34:56

hace 24 días34:56

34:56

In this episode: 00:45 An elusive, cosmic neutrino with a record-breaking energy An enormous array of detectors, deep under the Mediterranean Sea, has captured evidence of the highest-energy neutrino particle ever recorded, although researchers aren’t sure exactly where in the cosmos it originated. Calculations revealed this particle had over 30 times the energy of previously detected neutrinos. The team hopes that further study and future detections will help reveal the secrets of high-energy phenomena like supernovae. Research Article: The KM3NeT Collaboration 11:34 Research Highlights How bonobos adjust their communication to account for what other individuals know, and the discovery of a huge collection of beads adorning the attire of the powerful Copper Age women in Spain. Research Highlight: Bonobos know when you’re in the know ― and when you’re not Research Highlight: Record-setting trove of buried beads speaks to power of ancient women 14:15 US judge puts NIH grant cuts on hold A judge has blocked a policy that would have slashed billions of dollars of funding for US research institutions, which come as part of President Donald Trump’s controversial crackdown on government spending. We discuss the reasoning behind the proposed cuts and the impacts they may have if enacted. We also look at the effects that President Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and funding are having across the US. Nature: ‘Devastating’ cuts to NIH grants by Trump’s team put on hold by US judge Nature: Have Trump’s anti-DEI orders hit private funders? HHMI halts inclusive science programme Nature: Scientists globally are racing to save vital health databases taken down amid Trump chaos 25:50 Briefing Chat Why the latest odds on asteroid 2024 YR4’s chance of impacting Earth are so hard to calculate, and how the latest version of DeepMind's AlphaGeometry AI has reached the gold-medal level in geometry. New York Times: Why the Odds of an Asteroid Striking Earth in 2032 Keep Going Up (and Down) Nature: DeepMind AI crushes tough maths problems on par with top human solvers 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.…

Nature Podcast

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From viral variants to devastating storms, how names shape the public's reaction to science 35:11

hace 29 días35:11

35:11

In episode 2 of 'What's in a name' we look how choosing names can help, or hinder, attempts to communicate important messages. Categorizing things is central to science. And there are dozens of systems scientists have created to name everything from the trenches on the sea bed to the stars in the sky. But names have consequences. In our series What’s in a name we explore naming in science and how names impact the world — whether the system of naming species remains in step with society, how the names of diseases can create stigma, or even how the names of scientific concepts can drive the direction of research itself. In episode two, we're looking at how the names chosen by scientists help, or hinder, communication with the public. Well chosen names can quickly convey scientific concepts or health messages — in emergency situations they can even save lives. We'll hear how the systems of naming tropical storms and Covid-19 variants came to be, and how they took different approaches to achieve the same outcome. We'll also consider the language used to talk about climate change, and how the ways of describing it have been used to deliberately introduce uncertainty and confusion. Listen to the first episode Should offensive species names be changed? The organisms that honour dictators, racists and criminals For a list of sources please visit the the episode's webpage Music credits Premiumaudio/Pond5 Richard Smithson/Triple Scoop Music/Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Nature Podcast

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Kids' real-world arithmetic skills don't transfer to the classroom 34:47

hace 4 weeks34:47

34:47

In this episode: 00:45 How arithmetic skills don’t transfer between applied and academic environments Mathematics skills learnt in real-world situations may not translate to the classroom and vice versa, according to a new study. A team surveyed children in India who work in markets, to see whether the skills they learnt there transferred to the classroom. While proficient at solving market-based arithmetic problems, they struggled to solve problems typically used in schools. The reverse was seen for children enrolled in schools with no market-selling experience. The authors hope this finding could help adjust teaching curricula and bridge the gap between intuitive and formal maths. Research Article: Banerjee et al. 12:38 Research Highlights Wolverine populations rebound in Sweden and Norway, and why wobbly arrows launch faster than rigid ones. Research Highlight: Who’s the new furry neighbour? It might be a wolverine Research Highlight: How a wobbly arrow can achieve superpropulsion 14:59 The unexpected movements seen in super-dense crowds A study has revealed that when packed crowds reach a certain density, large groups of people suddenly start to move in circular patterns — a finding that could be used to identify dangerous overcrowding. By assessing footage of the densely-packed San Fermín festival, a team observed this spontaneous phenomenon, and modelled the physics underlying it. Studying the movements of giant crowds has been difficult, and the team hope this work could help event organisers to identify and respond to situations where people could get hurt. Research Article: Gu et al. News and Views: Crowds start to spin when their densities hit a threshold Sound effects: Crowd Cheering - Ambience by GregorQuendel via CC BY 4.0 Cupinzano sounds by Europa Press - Footage News via Getty Images 24:00 Briefing Chat An update on the US National Science Foundation’s scrutinizing of grants to comply with President Trump’s directives, and why scratching an itch may have unexpected antibacterial properties. Nature: Exclusive: how NSF is scouring research grants for violations of Trump’s orders Nature: Why it feels good to scratch that itch: the immune benefits of scratching 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.…

Nature Podcast

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The AI revolution is running out of data. What can researchers do? 16:31

hace 5 weeks16:31

16:31

The explosive improvement in artificial intelligence (AI) technology has largely been driven by making neural networks bigger and training them on more data. But experts suggest that the developers of these systems may soon run out of data to train their models. As a result, teams are taking new approaches, such as searching for other unconventional data sources, or generating new data to train their AIs. This is an audio version of our Feature: The AI revolution is running out of data. What can researchers do? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Nature Podcast

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Asteroid Bennu contains building blocks of life 34:51

hace 5 weeks34:51

34:51

In this episode: 00:46 Evidence of ancient brine reveals Bennu’s watery past Analysis of samples taken from the asteroid Bennu reveal the presence of organic compounds important for life, and that its parent asteroid likely contained salty, subsurface water. Collected by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, these rocks and dust particles give insights into the chemistry of the early Solar System, and suggest that brines may have been an important place where pre-biotic molecules were formed. As brines are found throughout the Solar System, this finding raises questions about whether similar molecules will be found in places like Jupiter’s moon Europa. Research Article: McCoy et al. Research Article: Glavin et al. News: Asteroid fragments upend theory of how life on Earth bloomed 14:22 Research Highlights How seaweed farms could capture carbon, and why chimps follow each other to the bathroom. Research Highlight: Seaweed farms dish up climate benefits Research Highlight: All together now: chimps engage in contagious peeing 16:31 How maize may have supported a civilization Researchers have found evidence of intensive maize agriculture that could help explain how a mysterious South American society produced enough food to fuel a labour-force big enough to build enormous earth structures. It appears that the Casarabe people, who lived in the Amazon Basin around 500-1400 AD, restructured the landscape to create water conserving infrastructure that allowed for year-round production of maize. While this work provides new insights into how the Casarabe may have established a complex monument-building culture, these people vanished around 600 years ago, and many questions remain about their lives. Research Article: Lombardo et al. Research Article: Hermenegildo et al. 25:52 DeepSeek R1 wows scientists A new AI model from a Chinese company, DeepSeek, rivals the abilities of OpenAI’s o1 — a state-of-the art ‘reasoning’ model — at a fraction of the cost. The release of DeepSeek has thrilled researchers, asked questions about American AI dominance in the area, and spooked stock markets. We discuss why this large language model has sent shockwaves around the world and what it means for the future of AI. News: China’s cheap, open AI model DeepSeek thrills scientists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Nature Podcast

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What's the best way to become a professor? The answer depends on where you are 32:42

hace 6 weeks32:42

32:42

00:56 How the paths to professorship vary A huge analysis of hiring practices has revealed that criteria to get a promotion to full professorship is hugely variable around the world. The authors suggest that this variability results in researchers from countries that value one type of metric being locked out of professor positions in others. They hope that the database of hiring practices created in this study could help institutions adjust their hiring policies to create a more diverse science workforce. Research Article: Lim et al. News: Want to become a professor? Here’s how hiring criteria differ by country 09:36 Research Highlights Lasers reveal hidden tattoos on ancient mummified-skin, and a new pill that cuts flu symptoms and viral levels in the body. Research Highlight: Hidden tattoos on mummy skin emerge under a laser’s light Research Highlight: Got flu? Promising drug shortens symptoms 12:13 Cancer cells’ broken mitochondria could poison immune cells Researchers have shown that cancer cells can slip their dysfunctional mitochondria into T cells, limiting the immune system’s cancer-fighting capabilities. Cancer cells are known to steal healthy mitochondria from immune cells to help tumours survive and thrive. Now, researchers have shown mitochondria can move in the opposite direction too, with the donor T cells showing signs of various stress responses that make them less effective when inside a tumour. The team showed that blocking this transfer limited this effect, and hopes that this mechanism could offer a new avenue for boosting the immune system’s response to cancer. Research Article: Ikeda et al. News & Views: Mitochondrial swap from cancer to immune cells thwarts anti-tumour defences 21:12 Science and the Gaza conflict Noah Baker and Ehsan Masood turn to the war in Gaza, and discuss what comes next for science as a ceasefire comes into force. 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.…

Nature Podcast

1
AI-designed antivenoms could help treat lethal snakebites 33:52

hace 7 weeks33:52

33:52

00:46 Designing new antivenoms to treat snakebites Researchers have shown that machine learning can quickly design antivenoms that are effective against lethal snake-toxins, which they hope will help tackle a serious public health issue. Thousands of people die as a result of snakebites each year, but treatment options are limited, expensive and often difficult to access in the resource-poor settings where most bites occur. The computer-aided approach allowed researchers to design two proteins that provided near total protection against individual snake toxins in mouse experiments. While limited in scope, the team behind the work believe these results demonstrate the promise of the approach in designing effective and cheaper treatments for use in humans. Research Article: Vázquez Torres et al. 11:28 Research Highlights How male wasp spiders use hairs on their legs to sniff out mates, and how noradrenaline drives waves of cleansing fluid through the brain. Research Highlight: Male spiders smell with their legs Research Highlight: How the brain cleans itself during deep sleep 13:53 Earth breaches 1.5 °C climate limit for the first time News broke last week that in 2024, Earth’s average temperature climbed to more than 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels for the first time. Although this is only a single year so far, we discuss what breaking this significant threshold means for the 2015 Paris climate agreement and what climate scientists understand about the speed that Earth is heating up. Nature: Earth breaches 1.5 °C climate limit for the first time: what does it mean? 23:39 Briefing Chat NASA delays deciding its strategy for collecting and returning Mars rocks to Earth, and why papers on a handful of bacterial species dominate the scientific literature. Nature: NASA still has no plan for how to bring precious Mars rocks to Earth Nature: These are the 20 most-studied bacteria — the majority have been ignored 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.…

Nature Podcast

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A new-year round-up of the science stories you may have missed 25:53

hace 8 weeks25:53

25:53

In this episode of the Nature Podcast , we catch up on some science stories from the holiday period by diving into the Nature Briefing . 00:53 The retraction of a controversial COVID study that promoted unproven treatment A much-critiqued study demonstrating the now-disproven idea that hydroxychloroquine can treat COVID-19 has been retracted — more than four-and-a-half years after it was published. Nature: Controversial COVID study that promoted unproven treatment retracted after four-year saga 09:10 The skin’s unexpected immune system Researchers have discovered that healthy skin — once thought to be a passive barrier — can actually produce antibodies that fight off infections. It’s hoped that the finding could one day lead to the development of needle-free vaccines that can be applied to the skin. Nature: The skin’s ‘surprise’ power: it has its very own immune system 13:02 Researchers fear Europa’s icy crust may be much thicker than thought New estimates, based on data collected by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, suggest that the ice on the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa may be significantly thicker than previously thought. If these estimates prove accurate it could reduce the chances of Europa being habitable for extraterrestrial life. Science: Surprisingly thick ice on Jupiter’s moon Europa complicates hunt for life 20:11 Modelling the running prowess of our ancient relatives 3D computer simulations of Australopithecus afarensis — an ancient hominin that lived more than three million years ago — reveals that while our relatives could run on two legs, they likely did so at a far slower pace than modern humans. Nature: Humans evolved for distance running — but ancestor ‘Lucy’ didn’t go far or fast 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.…

Nature Podcast

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Science in 2025: what to expect this year 11:24

hace 9 weeks11:24

11:24

In this episode, reporter Miryam Naddaf joins us to talk about the big science events to look out for in 2025. We’ll hear about: the latest Moon missions, 30 years of the United Nations' COP climate summits, the return of Donald Trump, and more. Nature: Science in 2025: the events to watch for in the coming year Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Nature Podcast

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Audio long read: How a silly science prize changed my career 11:55

hace 10 weeks11:55

11:55

Marc Abrahams created the Ig Nobel prizes in 1991, after years of collecting examples of weird research that he included in the Journal of Irreproducible Results . The aim of these satirical awards is to honour achievements that “make people laugh, then think”. While the initial response from the scientific community was mixed, last year the prize received more than 9,000 nominations. Several researchers who have won an ‘Ig’ say that it has improved their careers by helping them to reach wider audiences, and spend more time engaging with the public about their work. This is an audio version of our Feature: How a silly science prize changed my career Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Nature Podcast

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The Nature Podcast highlights of 2024 49:40

hace 10 weeks49:40