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Nature Podcast
30 episodes
Briefing Chat: Anthropic rolls out new AI watermark — will it make a difference?
Aug 14, 2026 · 17 min
In this episode: 00:29 What does Anthropic’s new watermark mean for research?Nature: Can Anthropic’s invisible watermarks curb ‘AI slop’? Researchers remain sceptical 10:57 Ticklishness is a distinct, specialized body sensation, research findsNature: Where are you ticklish? Researchers map the sensation across cultures 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…
The probiotic bacteria engineered to treat diabetes
Aug 12, 2026 · 20 min
Genetically modified bacteria lower high blood-sugar in animal trials — plus, how to safely watch a solar eclipse. 00:45 A living diabetes treatmentResearch article: Guan et al. 08:03 Research HighlightsNature: Pumas are drivers’ guardian angels Nature: How a steady drip-drip can erode the hardest stone 10:29 What eclipses might reveal about the Sun’s coronaNature: Solar eclipse offers rare chance to solve Sun’s magnetic-field mysteries Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up…
Briefing Chat: Is DNA repair the secret to a long life? Whales and mole-rats offer tantalizing hints
Aug 7, 2026 · 14 min
Nature staff discuss how animal studies are starting to uncover how DNA repair could prolong life, and how COVID-19 can reawaken dormant viruses. 00:25 Could reawakened viruses have a link to long-COVID? Nature: COVID can wake up a slew of dormant viruses inside you 05:57 DNA damage can cause ageing, could boosting repair boost longevity? Nature: Could mending damaged DNA prolong life? Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis…
Junk plastic turns into high-value commodity with chemistry trick
Aug 5, 2026 · 13 min
Researchers untangle the chemistry behind turning PVC into high-grade motor lubricant — plus, how engineered yeast can help make a cancer drug. 00:45 The chemistry behind converting PVC into lubricant Research article: Munyaneza et al. 09:15 Research Highlights Nature: Engineered yeast that make cancer drugs could spare a rare flower Nature: Sickle-cell disease linked to prematurely aged stem cells in mice Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science…
Briefing Chat: Orcas smashed a sunfish to bits — researchers aren't sure why
Jul 31, 2026 · 14 min
In this episode: 00:24 The quest to count the Amazon's insectsNature: Tiny patch of Amazon likely holds 40,000 insect species — many new to science 07:31 The orcas that exploded a sunfishThe Guardian: Orcas seen ramming prey so hard it explodes may be playing game Tiktok: Orcas vs sunfish 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.
Earthworks spotted in the Amazon hint at huge ancient civilization
Jul 29, 2026 · 21 min
In this episode: 00:45 Ancient structures hidden beneath the Amazon’s canopyResearch article: Pärssinen et al. 09:15 Research HighlightsNature: It’ll grow on you: live fungi formed into sustainable fashion Physical Review Fluids: Gourmandie et al. 11:48 Tiny fossils represent the earliest-known squid ancestorResearch article: Song et al. 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.co…
Briefing Chat: Baby T. rex were killers from birth, suggest new fossils
Jul 24, 2026 · 13 min
Nature staff discuss the young but deadly dinosaur kings, the prowess of ancient Egyptian princesses, and how London is becoming the world’s AI safety capital. 00:34 London is transforming into an AI-safety hubNature: A global capital for AI safety is emerging — and it’s not in Silicon Valley 05:52 Bones reveal that ancient Egyptian princesses weren’t pamperedScientific American: Ancient Egyptian princesses were ‘powerful’ weapon users, new analysis suggests 9:30 T. rex was born ready to killDis…
What counts as a moon? Huge ‘exosatellite’ sparks debate
Jul 22, 2026 · 24 min
00:45 The discovery of a moon-like object in a distant star systemResearch article: Hoy et al. 10:34 Research HighlightsNature: Moving floors keep buildings from swaying with the wind Nature: Wearable sensors on the face are invisible to the eye 13:07 A discovery of a new type of rare transmissible-cancerResearch article: Curd et al. 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/pr…
Briefing Chat: Sweet! Elusive sugar molecules found in space
Jul 17, 2026 · 10 min
In this episode: 00:24 A sweet discovery near the Milky Way’s centreNature: First ‘true sugar’ molecule found in space — offering hints to life’s origins 05:05 Mathematical texts give insights into Maya mathematical prowessNature: Mathematics formula found on Maya wall rivals insights of ancient masters 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.
‘Holy grail’ of naked mole-rat research reveals how queens rule
Jul 15, 2026 · 23 min
00:45 The secret scent behind a naked mole-rat's ruleResearch article: Khallaf et al. 08:34 Research HighlightsNature: Pair of ‘super-puff’ planets are lighter than candyfloss Nature: Alpine crossing took a heavy toll on Hannibal’s elephants and troops 10:59 The psychology behind a brand-new board game: the behaviour of beginnersResearch article: Collins et al. Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hoste…
Briefing Chat: The 30 year-legacy of a science icon – Dolly the sheep
Jul 10, 2026 · 10 min
In this episode: 00:29 Dolly the sheep’s 30-year legacyMetro: Dolly the sheep at 30: The clone that changed science (and celebrity petdom) Nature: From cloning to gene-editing: the enduring legacy of Dolly the sheep 05:20 The ocean floor caught in the act of splitting at the seamsNature: Ocean floor witnessed splitting apart for the first time — releasing lava Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted…
Nukes in space? Orbital detector could sniff out warheads
Jul 8, 2026 · 25 min
In this episode: 00:45 A neutron detector could sniff out a secret space nukeResearch article: Danagoulian 11:52 Research HighlightsNature: Volcanic magma sculpts eerie domes on the sea floor Nature: Clues to the sloth’s sloth found in its genome 14:18 How indigenous knowledge in the Amazon could disappearResearch article: Cámara-Leret et al. 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 aca…
Togetherness: How co-operation built the world
Jul 1, 2026 · 32 min
In this episode, we speak with science journalist Rowan Hooper, whose book Togetherness: Symbiosis and the Hidden Story of Life's Greatest Collaborations takes a deep-dive into the world of co-operation between organisms. In the book, he argues that collaboration in nature has often been overlooked in favour of competition, and that organisms working together have played a vital role in making the world the way it is. Togetherness: Symbiosis and the Hidden Story of Life's Greatest Collabora…
Audio long read: Is the peptide craze backed by science? The promise behind the hype
Jun 29, 2026 · 17 min
Peptides — short chains of amino acids — have become huge online. The popularity of these molecules has skyrocketed and they are now the latest cure-all trend on social media. But what does the science say about their effectiveness? Animal research suggests that that some of these experimental peptides hold promise, but evidence they work in people is lacking. This is an audio version of our Feature: Is the peptide craze backed by science? The promise behind the hype Hosted on Acast. See acast.c…
Briefing Chat: What tickling a chimpanzee can tell us about the evolution of speech
Jun 26, 2026 · 12 min
Nature staff discuss how apes share a rhythm of laughter, and how AI use may degrade skills in medicine and computer science. 00:32 Early evidence suggests that AI use causes skills to atrophyNature: Is AI ruining our skills? Early results are in — and they’re not good 06:42 Humans and chimps share a laughNature: Oo oo, ha ha: why humans and great apes giggle alike when tickled Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox eve…
Medical records could be revealed by AI training-data vulnerability
Jun 24, 2026 · 20 min
In this episode: 00:46 How sensitive information can be gleaned from medical AIsResearch article: Knolle et al. Correction: The story about medical AI-data privacy incorrectly stated that the number of individuals at high risk of a membership inference attack increases as training-dataset size grows. It should have stated that the increase in risk occurs when the AI model increases in capacity and size. 11:31 Research HighlightsNature: A long-lived butterfly’s secret to graceful ageing Nature: I…
Briefing Chat: Testosterone and sperm may get a boost from obesity drugs
Jun 19, 2026 · 12 min
Nature staff discuss preliminary data on the effects of GLP-1 drugs on male fertility plus a two-year trial of a brain-computer interface. 00:18 Brain-computer interface makes a life-changing impactNature: At-home brain implant gives man with motor neuron disease his daily life back 05:39 The possible benefits of obesity drugs on testosteroneNature: The latest benefit of obesity drugs: boosting testosterone and sperm quality Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science n…
DNA from hunter-gatherer teeth reveals secrets of ancient plague
Jun 17, 2026 · 27 min
In this episode: 00:45 Ancient evidence of deadly plague outbreaksResearch article: Macleod et al. 12:33 Research HighlightsNature: Bones of Iron Age skeleton were whittled into tools Nature: Giant crustacean of the deep sea steals a trick from bacteria 14:52 A prototype atom interferometerResearch article: Baynham et al. 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 mo…
Briefing Chat: The epic journey of Stonehenge’s central stone
Jun 12, 2026 · 11 min
In this episode: 00:37 Evidence that Stonehenge's Altar Stone travelled by glacierBBC Science Focus: We may have just cracked one of Stonehenge's greatest mysteries 05:44 Fossilized faeces reveal DNA from ancient ecosystemNature: Ancient ground squirrels feasted on carcasses like ‘zombies of the Pleistocene’ 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…
Newly-discovered whale graveyard dates back millions of years
Jun 10, 2026 · 22 min
In this episode: 00:46 A giant, ancient whale necropolisResearch article: Peng et al. News & Views: A vast whale necropolis has been found 08:52 Research HighlightsNature: Babies’ birth weight improves with help of payments to parents Nature: Earliest signs of vision recorded in ancient sea-floor tracks 11:11 Turning plant material into chemical building-blocksResearch article: Mains et al. Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in y…
Briefing chat: Spinosaurs with salt glands could have lived in marine environments
Jun 5, 2026 · 11 min
In this episode: 00:23 Fossil evidence that spinosaurs had an aquatic lifestyleScience: Some spinosaurs cried salty tears to thrive in brackish waters 04:57 The explosive immune cells that kill in minutesNature: Bang! Exploding immune cells splatter potent toxins everywhere 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.
Your phone can use tiny skin-colour changes to measure your heart rate
Jun 3, 2026 · 18 min
In this episode: 00:57 How your smartphone’s camera could measure your heart rateResearch article: Liao et al. 08:55 Research HighlightsNature: A star gone rogue tears through the Galaxy Nature: Gold keeps glittering courtesy of surface chemistry 11:04 Should you try something new in a restaurant? Maths has the answerNature: Feynman solved the ‘restaurant dilemma’ 50 years ago — now a study confirms his mathematics Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opini…
Briefing Chat: When to trust eyewitness memory – according to science
May 29, 2026 · 17 min
In this episode: 00:21 When witnesses identify suspects from police line-ups, confidence mattersNature: Memory on trial: the new science of when to trust eyewitness testimony 07:15 Registered Reports: how this ‘double peer review’ process could benefit scientists and their resultsNature: Nature is expanding Registered Reports to all the fields in which we publish Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Major Ebola outbreak is escalating: what happens next
May 22, 2026 · 12 min
On 17 May the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an ongoing Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Centred on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, the outbreak has seen mounting numbers of suspected cases and deaths linked to the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus. In this podcast we hear what's currently known about the outbreak and the efforts of clinicians, researchers and public health officials to halt its progress. Nature: Ebola outbreak is…
AI ‘scientists’ promise to accelerate research — how do they work?
May 20, 2026 · 28 min
In this episode: 00:46 Meet the AI scientists designed to accelerate researchResearch article: Ghareeb et al. Research article: Gottweis et al. Nature: Teams of AI agents boost speed of research Editorial: Why AI cannot do good science without humans Nature: Do you hate or love AI? Take Nature’s poll 13:25 Research HighlightsNature: Dried to survive: desiccated tardigrades tolerate high heat Nature: Pristine Antarctic ice records the Solar System’s travels 15:35 Using LiDAR to look around corner…
Briefing Chat: Hantavirus — what this outbreak reveals about the disease
May 15, 2026 · 10 min
In this episode: 00:34 What questions remain about the hantavirus outbreak?Nature: Hantavirus outbreak exposes uncertainty about how disease spreads Nature: There is no vaccine for deadly hantavirus: what that means for future outbreaks 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.
Red-light therapy is all the rage — does it work?
May 13, 2026 · 22 min
In this episode: 00:42 Is red-light therapy all hype?Disclaimer: The opinions and assertions expressed herein by Juanita Anders are those of the speaker and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences or the Department of War. Nature: The surprising science behind red-light therapy — and how it really works 10:52 Research HighlightsNature: Trafficked pangolins can be traced to their source by DNA — even to a specific forest Nature: A…
Audio long read: The air is full of DNA — here’s what scientists are using it for
May 11, 2026 · 19 min
Although scientists have long been able to gather DNA from water and soil, it's only recently that they've started to see the air as a source of genetic information. Airborne DNA is already being used to monitor individual species, but researchers hope its abundance could have multiple uses, including judging the success of conservation efforts or attacks with biological weapons. However, there remains much to understand, such as how far DNA travels in the air, and the ethics involved in the pot…
Briefing Chat: Can't focus? It's not your attention span, it's your notifications
May 8, 2026 · 11 min
00:31 The science of attention spansNature Feature: Are attention spans really shrinking? What the science says 04:54 Data centres in space?Nature News Explainer: AI data hubs in space: when will they take flight? Nature Comment: Space diplomacy: bridging the operating gaps between myriad missions 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 informa…
Anaesthetized brains can still process podcasts
May 6, 2026 · 15 min
In this episode: 00:42 Probing the unconscious brain’s processing abilityResearch Article: Katlowitz et al. Nature: Even the unconscious brain can learn — and predict what you’ll say next 12:32 Research HighlightsNature: An electrifying test to find a good coffee Nature: Forest pests hit trees hard as temperatures rise Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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