Nature Podcast

Springer Nature Limited
Nature Podcast

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

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    ‘Stealth flippers’ helped this extinct mega-predator stalk its prey

    In this episode: 00:48 The ancient mega-predator with a ‘stealth mode’The extinct marine mega-predator Temnodontosaurus had specialised adaptations to stealthily hunt its prey, suggests an analysis of a fossil flipper. Although Temnodontosaurus was a member of a well-studied group of marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs, its lifestyle has been a mystery due to a lack of preserved soft tissue. Now, a team have studied the fossil remains of a fore-fin, revealing several anatomical details that likely reduced low-frequency noise as the animal swam. It’s thought that these adaptations helped Temnodontosaurus stalk other ichthyosaurs and squid-like creatures that made up its prey. Research Article: Lindgren et al. 09:46 Research HighlightsResearch shows that future space probes could navigate using two stars as reference points, and how objects are more memorable when people encounter them while feeling positive emotions. Research Highlight: Lonely spacecraft can navigate the stars Research Highlight: Memory gets a boost from positive emotion 12:11 ‘Leaky’ mitochondria could be the root cause of sleepCumulative damage to mitochondria during waking hours could be a key driver for the need to sleep, according to new research. In fruit fly experiments, a team showed that being awake caused damage to mitochondria found in a specific set of neurons. Once this damage reaches a threshold it kicks off a process that ultimately leads to sleep. Although it’s unclear if this process occurs in humans, the researchers think this need for sleep may be an ancient process that coincided with the evolution of organisms with power-hungry nervous systems. Research Article: Sarnataro et al. 23:04 The secret messages used to trick peer-review AIResearchers have been sneaking text into their papers designed to trick AI tools into giving them a positive peer-review report. Multiple instances of these prompts have been found, which are typically hidden using white text or an extremely small font invisible to humans. We discuss the rise in this practice and what is being done to tackle it. Video: Could hidden AI prompts game peer review? Nature: Scientists hide messages in papers to game AI peer review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min

  2. 6 DAYS AGO

    Three weeks in a hide to spot one elusive bear: the life of a wildlife film-maker

    Vianet Djenguet is an award-winning wildlife film-maker and camera operator whose work has featured in a number of major nature documentaries. In this podcast, Vianet joins us to talk about his career, how wildlife film-making have changed, and his experiences working with local researchers to capture footage of endangered animals on the new television series The Wild Ones. The Wild Ones Apple TV+ (2025) Music supplied by SPD/Triple Scoop Music/Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    13 min

  3. 9 JUL

    Ancient DNA reveals farming led to more human diseases

    00:48 The past 35,000 years of diseaseAncient DNA evidence shows that the advent of agriculture led to more infectious disease among humans, with pathogens from animals only showing up 6,500 years ago. The DNA, extracted from human teeth, shows the history of diseases present in Eurasia over tens of thousands of years. The approach used could be a powerful way to understand how illness has shaped humanity, but it is unable to detect some bacteria that enter the bloodstream at low concentrations or some viruses, so future work could seek to fill that gap. Research Article: Sikora et al. News: Animal diseases leapt to humans when we started keeping livestock 10:58 Research HighlightsDNA studies confirm that sardines were a major ingredient of the Roman Empire’s favourite fish sauce, and how analysis of animal manure identified global hotspots for antibiotic-resistance genes. Research Highlight: Ancient DNA helps trace stinky Roman fish sauce to its source Research Highlight: Poo of farm animals teems with drug-resistance genes 13:17 Using whale poo to study toxic algae in the ArcticA 19-year experiment sampling bowhead whale faeces reveals a link between warming Arctic waters and increasing levels of toxic algae, researchers say. While climate change is expected to drive increases in the prevalence of harmful algal blooms, long-term data is lacking. To address this, a team worked with indigenous communities to collect and sample whale poo, showing that increases in algal toxins in the Arctic food chain are linked to rising ocean temperatures. The researchers suggest levels of these toxins need to be closely monitored to protect Arctic communities that depend on marine resources for food. Research Article: Lefebvre et al. 24:06 Briefing ChatAn object from beyond our solar system has been spotted zipping past Jupiter, and evidence that Neanderthals created ‘fat factories’ to extract vital nutrients from animal bones. Nature: Neanderthals boiled bones in ‘fat factories’ to enrich their lean diet Nature: Rare find: interstellar visitor seen blazing through our Solar System 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.

    37 min

  4. 4 JUL

    Audio long read: How to speak to a vaccine sceptic — research reveals what works

    Questions and doubts about vaccines are on the rise worldwide and public-health specialists worry that these trends could worsen. But while the shift in public attitudes towards immunizations can leave scientists, physicians and many others feeling disheartened, a surge of research on vaccine hesitancy is starting to offer ways to address the issue. This is an audio version of our Feature How to speak to a vaccine sceptic: research reveals what works Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    16 min

  5. 2 JUL

    3D-printed fake wasps help explain bad animal mimicry

    In this episode: 00:45 Why animals evolve to be imperfect mimicsMany harmless animals mimic dangerous ones to avoid being eaten, but often this fakery is inaccurate. To help explain why evolution sometimes favours imperfect mimicry, a team 3D printed a range of imaginary insects. The novel creatures were designed to mimic wasps with varying degrees of accuracy and the team then presented these models to different predators. They showed that while birds were hard to fool, invertebrate predators were less able to discern between the mimics and accurate wasp models. The results suggest that predator perception plays a key role in the level of accuracy needed to fool them and may help explain the existence of inaccurate mimics in nature. Research article: Taylor et al. News and Views: 3D printing offers a way to study mimicry by insects 12:53 Research HighlightsRitual ‘retirement’ rather than family feud may explain broken statues of a female pharaoh, and how kelp ‘loofahs’ made by killer whales might be the first example of toolmaking by a marine mammal. Research Highlight: The shattered statues of Queen Hatshepsut: the reasons for the wreckage Research Highlight: Killer whales exfoliate each other with home-made scrubbers 15:02 Briefing ChatThe sea slugs that steal chloroplasts to snack on, and the researchers re-enacting a Stone Age sea-voyage. Nature: ‘Wildest thing’: solar-powered slug steals chloroplasts and stores them for emergencies Nature: These scientists re-enacted Stone Age voyage to Japan’s remote islands 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.

    27 min

  6. 25 JUN

    Is AI watching you? The hidden links between research and surveillance

    We’d like to learn more about our listeners, please help us out by filling in this short survey. In this episode: 00:45 Is AI-research being co-opted to keep track of people?A significant amount of research in the AI field of computer vision is being used to analyse humans in ways that support the development of surveillance technologies, according to new research. By analysing the contents of thousands of research papers, the team behind the work showed that 90% of studies, and 86% of patents resulting from them, involved data relating to imaging humans. While there are many positive applications for this technology, such as in medical diagnostics, this work shows evidence of a pipeline from computer-vision research to surveillance. Research article: Kalluri et al. News and Views: Computer-vision research is hiding its role in creating ‘Big Brother’ technologies Video: Is AI powering Big Brother? Surveillance research is on the rise News: Wake up call for AI: computer-vision research increasingly used for surveillance Editorial: Don’t sleepwalk from computer-vision research into surveillance 09:38 Research HighlightsA minuscule robot that can manipulate liquid droplets, and the sensors that can identify hydrothermal explosions at Yellowstone National Park. Research Highlight: This tiny robot moves mini-droplets with ease Research Highlight: Sensors pinpoint the exact time of a Yellowstone explosion 12:12 The first images from the world’s largest digital cameraThis week, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has unveiled the first images from its 3,200 megapixel digital camera. We discuss the images, and how the facility will help researchers learn more about the Universe. News: First images from world’s largest digital camera leave astronomers in awe 19:18 Briefing ChatHow scientists created hexanitrogen, a new molecule made of six nitrogen atoms, and the why researchers are excited about the first confirmed skull of an extinct Denisovan. Chemistry World: Most energetic molecule ever made is stable – in liquid nitrogen Nature: First ever skull from ‘Denisovan’ reveals what ancient people looked like Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min

  7. 18 JUN

    Flight simulator for moths reveals they navigate by starlight

    We’d like to learn more about our listeners, please help us out by filling in this short survey. In this episode: 00:45 The tiny moths that use the stars to navigateBogong moths use the stars to help them navigate during their enormous migration across Australia, according to new research. Every year, billions of these nocturnal moths travel up to 1,000 km to cool caves in the Australian Alps, despite having never been there before. By placing moths in a flight-simulator that also acted as a planetarium, the team behind the work showed that moths could use the bright Milky Way to help them fly in the correct direction. Research article: Dreyer et al. 10:17 Research HighlightsNigeria's pangolins are under threat because their meat is delicious, and how the gravitational pull of other galaxies may prevent the Milky Way colliding with Andromeda. Research Highlight: Why pangolins are poached: they’re the tastiest animal around Research Highlight: A long-predicted cosmic collision might not happen after all 12:37 How humans expanded their habitats before migrating out of AfricaNew research suggests that shortly before modern humans successfully migrated out of Africa, they massively expanded the range of ecosystems they lived in. By combining climate modelling with data from archaeological sites across the African continent, researchers put forward evidence that 70,000 years ago, humans expanded the ecosystems they lived in to include diverse habitat types from forests to deserts. The authors suggest this ability to live in different places may have helped the later humans that migrated out of the continent around 50,000 years ago. Research article: Hallet et al. 21:59 Briefing ChatBlowing bubble-rings could be humpback whales' way of trying to communicate with humans, and the research suggesting that everyone’s breathing pattern is unique. Science Alert: Humpback Whale Bubble Rings May Be an Attempt to Communicate With Us Nature: How you breathe is like a fingerprint that can identify you 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.

    31 min

  8. 13 JUN

    Hundreds of physicists on a remote island: we visit the ultimate quantum party

    According to legend, physicist Werner Heisenberg formulated the mathematics behind quantum mechanics in 1925 while on a restorative trip to the remote North Sea island of Heligoland. To celebrate the centenary of this event, several hundred researchers have descended on the island to take part in a conference on all things quantum physics. Nature reporter Lizzie Gibney was also in attendance, and joined us to give an inside track on the meeting. News: Happy birthday quantum mechanics! I got a ticket to the ultimate physics party Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    9 min
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About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Springer Nature Limited
  • Years Active
    2005 - 2025
  • Episodes
    816
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Springer Nature Limited
  • Show Website
    Nature Podcast

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