Nature Podcast
Springer Nature Limited
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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Categories: Science & Medicine
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In this episode:
01:28 Inflammation’s role in memory
How memories are stored is an ongoing question in neuroscience. Now researchers have found an inflammatory pathway that responds to DNA damage in neurons has a key role in the persistence of memories. How this pathway helps memories persist is unclear, but the researchers suggest that how the DNA damage is repaired may play a role. As inflammation in the brain is often associated with disease, the team were surprised by this finding, which they hope will help uncover ways to better preserve our memories, especially in the face of neurodegenerative disorders.
Research Article: Jovasevic et al.
News and Views: Innate immunity in neurons makes memories persist
08:40 Research Highlights
The effect of wind turbines on property values, and how waste wood can be used to 3D print new wooden objects.
Research Highlight: A view of wind turbines drives down home values — but only briefly
Research Highlight: Squeeze, freeze, bake: how to make 3D-printed wood that mimics the real thing
11:14 How melting ice is affecting global timekeeping
Due to variations in the speed of Earth’s rotation, the length of a day is rarely exactly 24 hours. By calculating the strength of the different factors affecting this, a researcher has shown that while Earth’s rotation is overall speeding up, this effect is being tempered by the melting of the polar ice caps. As global time kept by atomic clocks occasionally has to be altered to match Earth’s rotation, human-induced climate change may delay plans to add a negative leap-second to ensure the two align.
Research article: Agnew
News and Views: Melting ice solves leap-second problem — for now
20:04 Briefing Chat
An AI for antibody development, and the plans for the upcoming Simons observatory.
Nature News: ‘A landmark moment’: scientists use AI to design antibodies from scratch
Nature News: ‘Best view ever’: observatory will map Big Bang’s afterglow in new detail
Subscribe to Nature Briefing: AI and robotics
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781 - Could this one-time ‘epigenetic’ treatment control cholesterol? Wed, 28 Feb 2024 - 0h
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780 - Audio long read: Chimpanzees are dying from our colds — these scientists are trying to save them Mon, 26 Feb 2024 - 0h
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779 - How whales sing without drowning, an anatomical mystery solved Fri, 23 Feb 2024 - 0h
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778 - Why are we nice? Altruism's origins are put to the test Wed, 21 Feb 2024 - 0h
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777 - Smoking changes your immune system, even years after quitting Wed, 14 Feb 2024 - 0h
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776 - Why we need to rethink how we talk about cancer Fri, 09 Feb 2024 - 0h
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775 - Cancer's power harnessed — lymphoma mutations supercharge T cells Wed, 07 Feb 2024 - 0h
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774 - Cervical cancer could be eliminated: here's how Sun, 04 Feb 2024 - 0h
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773 - Ancient DNA solves the mystery of who made a set of stone tools Wed, 31 Jan 2024 - 0h
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772 - Audio long read: Long COVID is a double curse in low-income nations — here’s why Fri, 26 Jan 2024 - 0h
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771 - Toxic red mud could be turned into 'green' steel Wed, 24 Jan 2024 - 0h
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770 - This AI just figured out geometry — is this a step towards artificial reasoning? Wed, 17 Jan 2024 - 0h
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769 - The science stories you missed over the holiday period Wed, 10 Jan 2024 - 0h
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767 - Audio long read: A new kind of solar cell is coming — is it the future of green energy? Fri, 29 Dec 2023 - 0h
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766 - The Nature Podcast highlights of 2023 Wed, 27 Dec 2023 - 0h
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763 - Navigating planets, plays and prejudice — a conversation with Aomawa Shields Fri, 15 Dec 2023 - 0h
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762 - Inhaled vaccine prevents COVID in monkeys Thu, 14 Dec 2023 - 0h
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761 - Cat parasite Toxoplasma tricked to grow in a dish Wed, 13 Dec 2023 - 0h
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760 - The world’s smallest light-trapping silicon cavity Wed, 06 Dec 2023 - 0h
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759 - Sanitary products made from plants could help tackle period poverty Thu, 30 Nov 2023 - 0h
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758 - Why COP28 probably won't keep the 1.5 degree dream alive Wed, 29 Nov 2023 - 0h
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757 - Audio long read: Apple revival — how science is bringing historic varieties back to life Fri, 24 Nov 2023 - 0h
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756 - Polio could be eradicated within 3 years — what happens then? Wed, 22 Nov 2023 - 0h
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755 - Dust: the tiny substance with enormous power Fri, 17 Nov 2023 - 0h
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754 - How to 3D print fully-formed robots Wed, 15 Nov 2023 - 0h
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753 - How to tame a toxic yet life-saving antifungal Wed, 08 Nov 2023 - 0h
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752 - Nature's Take: How will ChatGPT and generative AI transform research? Fri, 03 Nov 2023 - 0h
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751 - A new hydrogel can be directly injected into muscle to help it regenerate Wed, 01 Nov 2023 - 0h
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750 - Audio long read: Why BMI is flawed — and how to redefine obesity Mon, 30 Oct 2023 - 0h
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749 - Martian sounds reveal the secrets of the red planet's core Fri, 27 Oct 2023 - 0h
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748 - Sounds of recovery: AI helps monitor wildlife during forest restoration Wed, 25 Oct 2023 - 0h
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747 - An anti-CRISPR system that helps save viruses from destruction Wed, 18 Oct 2023 - 0h
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746 - Gene edits move pig organs closer to human transplantation Wed, 11 Oct 2023 - 0h
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745 - 'This doesn't just fall on women': computer scientists reflect on gender biases in STEM Tue, 10 Oct 2023 - 0h
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744 - Astronomers are worried by a satellite brighter than most stars Wed, 04 Oct 2023 - 0h
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743 - Audio long read: These animals are racing towards extinction. A new home might be their last chance Fri, 29 Sep 2023 - 0h
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742 - This isn't the Nature Podcast — how deepfakes are distorting reality Wed, 27 Sep 2023 - 0h
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741 - Why does cancer spread to the spine? Newly discovered stem cells might be the key Wed, 20 Sep 2023 - 0h
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740 - A mussel-inspired glue for more sustainable sticking Wed, 13 Sep 2023 - 0h
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739 - Our ancestors lost nearly 99% of their population, 900,000 years ago Wed, 06 Sep 2023 - 0h
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738 - Physicists finally observe strange isotope Oxygen 28 – raising fundamental questions Wed, 30 Aug 2023 - 0h
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737 - Audio long read: Medicine is plagued by untrustworthy clinical trials. How many studies are faked or flawed? Fri, 25 Aug 2023 - 0h
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736 - Brain-reading implants turn thoughts into speech Wed, 23 Aug 2023 - 0h