Nature Podcast

00:48 Short-haul spaceflight's effect on the human body. A comprehensive suite of biomedical data, collected during the first all-civilian spaceflight, is helping researchers unpick the effects that being in orbit has on the human body. Analysis of data collected from the crew of SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission reveals that short duration spaceflight can result in physiological changes similar to those seen on longer spaceflights. These changes included things like alterations in immune-cell function and a lengthening of DNA telomeres, although the majority of these changes reverted soon after the crew landed. Collection: Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) across orbits 12:13 Research Highlights Researchers have discovered why 2019 was so awash with Painted Lady butterflies, and the meaning behind gigantic rock engravings along the Orinoco river. Research Highlight: A huge outbreak of butterflies hit three continents — here’s why Research Highlight: Mystery of huge ancient engravings of snakes solved at last 14:55 The benefits of working from home, some of the time A huge trial of hybrid working has shown that this approach can help companies retain employees without hurting productivity. While a mix of home and in-person working became the norm for many post-pandemic, the impacts of this approach on workers’ outputs remains hotly debated and difficult to test scientifically. To investigate the effects of hybrid working, researchers randomly selected 1,612 people at a company in China to work in the office either five days a week or three. In addition to the unchanged productivity, employees said that they value the days at home as much as a 10% pay rise. This led to an increase in staff retention and potential savings of millions of dollars for the company involved in the trial. Research article: Bloom et al. Editorial: The case for hybrid working is growing — employers should take note 25:50: Briefing Chat Germany balks at the $17 billion bill for CERN’s new supercollider, and working out when large language models might run out of data to train on. Nature News: CERN’s $17-billion supercollider in question as top funder criticizes cost Associated Press: AI ‘gold rush’ for chatbot training data could run out of human-written text Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to Nature Briefing: AI and Robotics Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:46 Making a molecular Bose-Einstein condensate For the first time, researchers have coaxed molecules into a bizarre form of matter called a Bose-Einstein condensate, in which they all act in a single gigantic quantum state. While condensates have been made using atoms for decades, the complex interactions of molecules have prevented them from being cooled into this state. Now, a team has successfully made a Bose-Einstein condensate using molecules made of caesium and sodium atoms, which they hope will allow them to answer more questions about the quantum world, and could potentially form the basis of a new kind of quantum computer. Research article: Bigagli et al. News: Physicists coax molecules into exotic quantum state — ending decades-long quest 9:57 How deplatforming affects the spread of social media misinformation The storming of the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 resulted in the social media platform Twitter (now X) rapidly deplatforming 70,000 users deemed to be sharers of misinformation. To evaluate the effect of this intervention, researchers analysed the activity of over 500,000 Twitter users, showing that it reduced the sharing of misinformation, both from the deplatformed users and from those who followed them. Results also suggest that other misinformation traffickers who were not deplatformed left Twitter following the intervention. Together these results show that social media platforms can curb misinformation sharing, although a greater understanding of the efficacy of these actions in different contexts is required. Research article: McCabe et al. Editorial: What we do — and don’t — know about how misinformation spreads online Comment: Misinformation poses a bigger threat to democracy than you might think 20:14: Briefing Chat A new antibiotic that can kill harmful bacteria without damaging the gut microbiome, and the tiny plant with the world’s biggest genome. News: ‘Smart’ antibiotic can kill deadly bacteria while sparing the microbiome News: Biggest genome ever found belongs to this odd little plant 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.

In this episode: 00:25 What the rise of AI language models means for robots Companies are melding artificial intelligence with robotics, in an effort to catapult both to new heights. They hope that by incorporating the algorithms that power chatbots it will give robots more common-sense knowledge and let them tackle a wide range of tasks. However, while impressive demonstrations of AI-powered robots exist, many researchers say there is a long road to actual deployment, and that safety and reliability need to be considered. News Feature: The AI revolution is coming to robots: how will it change them? 16:09 How the cockroach became a ubiquitous pest Genetic research suggests that although the German cockroach (Blattella germanica) spread around the world from a population in Europe, its origins were actually in South Asia. By comparing genomes from cockroaches collected around the globe, a team could identify when and where different populations might have been established. They show that the insect pest likely began to spread east from South Asia around 390 years ago with the rise of European colonialism and the emergence of international trading companies, before hitching a ride into Europe and then spreading across the globe. Nature News: The origin of the cockroach: how a notorious pest conquered the world 20:26: Rare element inserted into chemical 'complex' for the first time Promethium is one of the rarest and most mysterious elements in the periodic table. Now, some eight decades after its discovery, researchers have managed to bind this radioactive element to other molecules to make a chemical ‘complex’. This feat will allow chemists to learn more about the properties of promethium filling a long-standing gap in the textbooks. Nature News: Element from the periodic table’s far reaches coaxed into elusive compound 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.

Growing up in Alabama in the 1960s, mathematician Freeman Hrabowski was moved to join the civil rights moment after hearing Martin Luther King Jr speak. Even as a child, he saw the desperate need to make change. He would go on to do just that — at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, where he co-founded the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, one of the leading pathways to success for Black students in STEM subjects in the United States. Freeman is the subject of the first in a new series of Q&As in Nature celebrating ‘Changemakers’ in science — individuals who fight racism and champion inclusion. He spoke to us about his about his life, work and legacy. Career Q&A: I had my white colleagues walk in a Black student’s shoes for a day Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AIs are often described as 'black boxes' with researchers unable to to figure out how they 'think'. To better understand these often inscrutable systems, some scientists are borrowing from psychology and neuroscience to design tools to reverse-engineer them, which they hope will lead to the design of safer, more efficient AIs. This is an audio version of our Feature: How does ChatGPT ‘think’? Psychology and neuroscience crack open AI large language models Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:45 The neuroscience of fentanyl addiction Research in mice has shown that fentanyl addiction is the result of two brain circuits working in tandem, rather than a single neural pathway as had been previously thought. One circuit underlies the positive feelings this powerful drug elicits, which the other was responsible for the intense withdrawal when it is taken away. Opioid addiction leads to tens of thousands of deaths each year, and the team hopes that this work will help in the development of drugs that are less addictive. Research Article: Chaudun et al. 09:16 Research Highlights How an ‘assembloid’ could transform how scientists study drug delivery to the brain, and an edible gel that prevents and treats alcohol intoxication in mice. Research Highlight: Organoids merge to model the blood–brain barrier Research Highlight: How cheesemaking could cook up an antidote for alcohol excess 11:36: Briefing Chat Why babies are taking the South Korean government to court, and Europe’s efforts to send a nuclear-powered heater to Mars. Nature News: Why babies in South Korea are suing the government Nature News: Mars rover mission will use pioneering nuclear power source 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.

In this episode: 00:45 A recyclable 3D printing resin from an unusual source Many 3D printers create objects using liquid resins that turn into robust solids when exposed to light. But many of these are derived from petrochemicals that are difficult to recycle. To overcome this a team has developed a new type of resin, which they’ve made using a bodybuilding supplement called lipoic acid. Their resin can be printed, recycled and reused multiple times, which they hope could in future contribute to reducing waste associated with 3D printing. Research Article: Machado et al 10:05 Research Highlights How housing shortages can drive a tiny parrot resort to kill, and the genes that gave cauliflower its curls. Research Highlight: These parrots go on killing sprees over real-estate shortages Research Highlight: How the cauliflower got its curlicues 12:27 To learn how to make safe structures researchers... destroyed a building Many buildings are designed to prevent collapse by redistributing weight following an initial failure. However this relies on extensive structural connectedness that can result in an entire building being pulled down. To prevent this, researchers took a new approach inspired by the ability of some lizards to shed their tails. They used this to develop a modular system, which they tested by building — and destroying — a two storey structure. Their method stopped an initial failure from spreading, preventing a total collapse. The team hope this finding will help prevent catastrophic collapses, reducing loss of life in aid rescue efforts. Research Article: Makoond et al. Nature video: Controlled failure: The building designed to limit catastrophe 23:20: Briefing Chat An AI algorithm discovers 27,500 new asteroids, and an exquisitely-accurate map of a human brain section reveals cells with previously undiscovered features. New York Times: Killer Asteroid Hunters Spot 27,500 Overlooked Space Rocks Nature News: Cubic millimetre of brain mapped in spectacular detail Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to Nature Briefing: AI and robotics Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:45 A nuclear timekeeper that could transform fundamental-physics research. Nuclear clocks — based on tiny shifts in energy in an atomic nucleus — could be even more accurate and stable than other advanced timekeeping systems, but have been difficult to make. Now, a team of researchers have made a breakthrough in the development of these clocks, identifying the correct frequency of laser light required to make this energy transition happen. Ultimately it’s hoped that physicists could use nuclear clocks to probe the fundamental forces that hold atoms together. News: Laser breakthrough paves the way for ultra precise ‘nuclear clock’ 10:34 Research Highlights Why life on other planets may come in purple, brown or orange, and a magnetic fluid that could change shape inside the body. Research Highlight: Never mind little green men: life on other planets might be purple Research Highlight: A magnetic liquid makes for an injectable sensor in living tissue 13:48 AlphaFold gets an upgrade Deepmind’s AlphaFold has revolutionised research by making it simple to predict the 3D structures of proteins, but it has lacked the ability to predict situations where a protein is bound to another molecule. Now, the AI has been upgraded to AlphaFold 3 and can accurately predict protein-molecule complexes containing DNA, RNA and more. Whilst the new version is restricted to non-commercial use, researchers are excited by its greater range of predictive abilities and the prospect of speedier drug discovery. News: Major AlphaFold upgrade offers huge boost for drug discovery Research Article: Abramson 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 more information.

Ever since scientific enquiry began, people have focused mainly on men, or if studies involve animals, on male mice, male rats or whatever it may be. And this has led to gaps in scientists’ understanding of how diseases, and responses to treatment, and many other things might vary between people of different sexes and genders. These days, mainly thanks to big funders like the NIH introducing new guidelines and mandates, a lot more scientists are thinking about sex and, where appropriate, gender. And this has led to a whole host of discoveries. But all this research is going on within a sociopolitical climate that’s becoming increasingly hostile and polarized, particularly in relation to gender identity. And in some cases, science is being weaponized to push agendas, creating confusion and fear. It is clear that sex and gender exist beyond a simple binary. This is widely accepted by scientists and it is not something we will be debating in this podcast. But this whole area is full of complexity, and there are many discussions which need to be had around funding, inclusivity or research practices. To try to lessen fear, and encourage clearer, less divisive thinking, we have asked three contributors to a special series of opinion pieces on sex and gender to come together and thrash out how exactly scientists can fill in years of neglected research – and move forward with exploring the differences between individuals in a way that is responsible, inclusive and beneficial to as many people as possible. Read the full collection: Sex and gender in science Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:46 Using genomics to explain geographic differences in cancer risk The risk of developing cancer can vary hugely depending on geographic region, but it’s not exactly clear why. To get a better idea, a team has compared the genomes of kidney cancers taken from people around the globe. They reveal a link between geographical locations and specific genetic mutations, suggesting that there are as-yet unknown environmental or chemical exposures in different locations. They hope this work will inform public health efforts to identify and reduce potential causes of cancer. Research Article: Senkin et al. News and Views: Genomics reveal unknown mutation-promoting agents at global sites 07:46 Research Highlights Research reveals that the extinct ‘sabre-toothed salmon’ actually had tusks, and a common fungus that can clean up both heavy-metal and organic pollutants. Research Highlight: This giant extinct salmon had tusks like a warthog Research Highlight: Garden-variety fungus is an expert at environmental clean-ups 09:55 How disrupting a male mouse’s microbiome affects its offspring Disruption of the gut microbiota has been linked to issues with multiple organs. Now a team show disruption can even affect offspring. Male mice given antibiotics targeting gut microbes showed changes to their testes and sperm, which lead to their offspring having a higher probability of severe growth issues and premature death. Although it’s unknown whether a similar effect would be seen in humans, it suggests that factors other than genetics play a role in intergenerational disease susceptibility. Research article: Argaw-Denboba et al. News and Views: Dad’s gut microbes matter for pregnancy health and baby’s growth 17:23 Briefing Chat An updated atlas of the Moon that was a decade in the making, and using AI to design new gene-editing systems. Nature News: China's Moon atlas is the most detailed ever made Nature News: ‘ChatGPT for CRISPR’ creates new gene-editing tools 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.

Many people around the world feel lonely. Chronic loneliness is known to have far-reaching health effects and has been linked to multiple conditions and even early death. But the mechanisms through which feeling alone can lead to poor health is a puzzle. Now, researchers are looking at neurons in the hopes that they may help explain why health issues arise when social needs go unmet. This is an audio version of our Feature Why loneliness is bad for your health Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:46 Optical clocks at sea Optical atomic clocks are the most precise timekeeping devices on the planet, but these devices are huge and difficult to work with, limiting their use outside of the lab. Now, researchers have developed a portable optical clock and demonstrated its robustness by sending it on a perilous sea journey. The team hope that this work will pave the way to more practical uses of optical clocks, such as on satellites where they could help improve the accuracy of GPS technologies. Research Article: Roslund et al. News and Views: Robust optical clocks promise stable timing in a portable package 09:34 Research Highlights Evidence of ritual burning of the remains of a Maya royal family, and the first solid detection of an astrophysical tau-neutrino. Research Highlight: Burnt remains of Maya royalty mark a dramatic power shift Research Highlight: Detectors deep in South Pole ice pin down elusive tau neutrino 11:52 How marsupial gliding membranes evolved Several marsupial species have evolved a membrane called a patagium that allows them to glide gracefully from tree to tree. Experiments show that mutations in areas of DNA around the gene Emx2 were key to the evolution of this ability, which has appeared independently in multiple marsupial species. Research article: Moreno et al. News and Views: Marsupial genomes reveal how a skin membrane for gliding evolved 19:22 Briefing Chat How overtraining AIs can help them discover novel solutions, and researchers manage to make one-atom thick sheets of ‘goldene’. Quanta Magazine: How Do Machines ‘Grok’ Data? Nature news: Meet ‘goldene’: this gilded cousin of graphene is also one atom thick Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to Nature Briefing: AI and robotics Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Humans setting up home in outer space has long been the preserve of science fiction. Now, thanks to advances in technology and the backing of billionaires, this dream could actually be realised. But is it more likely to be a nightmare? Kelly and Zach Weinersmith join us to discuss their new book A City on Mars and some of the medical, environmental and legal roadblocks that may prevent humanity from ultimately settling in space. A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through? Kelly and Zach Weinersmith Particular Books (2023) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:46 Mysterious methane emission from a cool brown dwarf The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is revealing the makeup of brown dwarfs — strange space objects that blur the line between a planet and a star. And it appears that methane in the atmosphere of one of these objects, named W1935, is emitting infrared radiation. Where the energy comes from is a mystery however, researchers hypothesise that the glow could be caused by an aurora in the object’s atmosphere, perhaps driven by an as-yet unseen moon. Research Article: Faherty et al. 10:44 Research Highlights The discovery that bitter taste receptors may date back 450 million years, and the first planet outside the Solar System to boast a rainbow-like phenomenon called a ‘glory’. Research Highlight: Bitter taste receptors are even older than scientists thought Research Highlight: An exoplanet is wrapped in glory 13:07 How working memory works Working memory is a fundamental process that allows us to temporarily store important information, such as the name of a person we’ve just met. However distractions can easily interrupt this process, leading to these memories vanishing. By looking at the brain activity of people doing working-memory tasks, a team have now confirmed that working memory requires two brain regions: one to hold a memory as long as you focus on it; and another to control its maintenance by helping you to not get distracted. Research article: Daume et al. News and Views: Coupled neural activity controls working memory in humans 22:31 Briefing Chat The bleaching event hitting coral around the world, and the first evidence of a nitrogen-fixing eukaryote. New York Times: The Widest-Ever Global Coral Crisis Will Hit Within Weeks, Scientists Say Nature News: Scientists discover first algae that can fix nitrogen — thanks to a tiny cell structure Nature video: AI and robotics demystify the workings of a fly's wing Vote for us in the Webbys: https://go.nature.com/3TVYHmP Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:46 Mapping ‘ghost roads’ in tropical forests Across the world, huge numbers of illegal roads have been cut into forests. However, due to their illicit nature, the exact numbers of these roads and their impacts on ecosystems is poorly understood. To address this, researchers have undertaken a huge mapping exercise across the tropical Asia-Pacific region. Their findings reveal over a million kilometers of roads that don’t appear on official maps, and that their construction is a key driver for deforestation. Research Article: Engert et al. 10:44 Research Highlights How climate change fuelled a record-breaking hailstorm in Spain, and an unusual technique helps researchers detect a tiny starquake. Research Highlight: Baseball-sized hail in Spain began with a heatwave at sea Research Highlight: Smallest known starquakes are detected with a subtle shift of colour 13:02 Briefing Chat A clinical trial to test whether ‘mini livers’ can grow in a person’s lymph node, and the proteins that may determine left-handedness. Nature News: ‘Mini liver’ will grow in person’s own lymph node in bold new trial Nature News: Right- or left-handed? Protein in embryo cells might help decide Nature video: How would a starfish wear trousers? Science has an answer Vote for us in the Webbys: https://go.nature.com/3TVYHmP 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.

Around the world, rates of cancers that typically affect older adults are increasing in those under 50 years old. Models based on global data predict that the number of early-onset cancer cases like these will increase by around 30% between 2019 and 2030. The most likely contributors — such as rising rates of obesity and early-cancer screening — do not fully account for the increase. To try and understand the reasons behind this trend, many researchers are searching for answers buried in studies that tracked the lives and health of children born half a century ago. This is an audio version of our Feature Why are so many young people getting cancer? What the data say Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:35 Pregnancy advances your ‘biological’ age — but giving birth turns it back Growing a baby leads to changes in the distribution of certain chemical markers on a pregnant person’s DNA, but new research suggests that after giving birth, these changes can revert to an earlier state. Nature News: Pregnancy advances your ‘biological’ age — but giving birth turns it back 08:07 Bird gestures to say 'after you' A Japanese tit (Parus minor) will flutter its wings to invite their mate to enter the nest first. Use of these sorts of gestures, more complex than simply pointing at an object of interest, were thought to be limited to great apes, suggesting that there are more non-vocal forms of communication to be found in the animal kingdom. Scientific American: Wild Birds Gesture ‘After You’ to Insist Their Mate Go First 13:34 The carbon cost of home-grown veg Research have estimated that the carbon footprint of home-grown food and community gardens is six-times greater than conventional, commercial farms. This finding surprised the authors — keen home-growers themselves — who emphasize that their findings can be used to help make urban efforts (which have worthwhile social benefits) more carbon-efficient. BBC Future: The complex climate truth about home-grown tomatoes 20:29 A look at next week's total eclipse On 8th April, a total eclipse of the Sun is due to trace a path across North America. We look at the experiments taking place and what scientists are hoping to learn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to Nature Briefing: AI and robotics Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This podcast has been corrected: in a previous version at 5:55 we stated that that the team's 200mm devices currently contain only a couple of magnetic tunnelling junctions, in fact they studied 500-1000 devices in this work. 00:48 How mysterious skyrmions could power next-generation computers Skyrmions are tiny whirlpools of magnetic spin that some researchers believe have useful properties that could unlock new kinds of computing. However getting skyrmions to perform useful computational tasks has been tricky. Now researchers have developed a method to create and manipulate skyrmions in a way that is compatible with existing computing technology, allowing them to read and write data at a fraction of the energy cost of conventional systems. The team think this shows that skyrmions could be a viable part of the next generation of computers. Research Article: Chen et al. News and Views: Magnetic whirlpools offer improved data storage 07:51 Research Highlights How robotically-enhanced, live jellyfish could make ocean monitoring cheap and easy, and how collective saliva tests could be a cost-effective way of testing for a serious infant infection. Research Highlight: These cyborg jellyfish could monitor the changing seas Research Highlight: Pooling babies’ saliva helps catch grave infection in newborns 10:01 AI identifies X factor hidden within zebra finch songs Male songbirds often develop elaborate songs to demonstrate their fitness, but many birds only learn a single song and stick with it their entire lives. How female birds judge the fitness between these males has been a long-standing puzzle. Now, using an AI-based system a team has analysed the songs of male zebra finches and shown that some songs have a hidden factor that is imperceptible to humans. Although it’s not clear exactly what this factor is, songs containing it were shown to be harder to learn and more attractive to females. The researchers hope that this AI-based method will allow them to better understand what makes some birdsong more attractive than others. Research article: Alam et al. News and Views: Birds convey complex signals in simple songs 20:04 Briefing Chat How H5N1 avian influenza is threatening penguins on Antarctica, and why farmed snake-meat could be a more environmentally-friendly way to produce protein for food. Nature News: Bird-flu threat disrupts Antarctic penguin studies Scientific American: Snake Steak Could Be a Climate-Friendly Source of Protein 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.

In this episode: 00:45 Making a map of the human heart The human heart consists of multiple, specialised structures that all work together to enable the organ to beat for a lifetime. But exactly which cells are present in each part of the heart has been difficult to ascertain. Now, a team has combined molecular techniques to create an atlas of the developing human heart at an individual cell level. Their atlas provides insights into how cell communities communicate and form different structures. They hope that this knowledge will ultimately help in the treatment of congenital heart conditions, often caused by irregular development of the heart. Research article: Farah et al. Nature video: Building a heart atlas 08:37 Research Highlights Residue in ceramic vases suggests that ancient Mesoamerican peoples consumed tobacco as a liquid, and a wireless way to charge quantum batteries. Research Highlight: Buried vases hint that ancient Americans might have drunk tobacco Research Highlight: A better way to charge a quantum battery 11:11 The evolution of menopause in toothed whales Menopause is a rare phenomenon, only known to occur in a few mammalian species. Several of these species are toothed whales, such as killer whales, beluga whales and narwhals. But why menopause evolved multiple times in toothed whales has been a long-standing research question. To answer it, a team examined the life history of whales with and without menopause and how this affected the number of offspring and ‘grandoffpsring’. Their results suggest that menopause allows older females to help younger generations in their families and improve their chances of survival. Research Article: Ellis et al. News and Views: Whales make waves in the quest to discover why menopause evolved 18:03 Briefing Chat How the new generation of anti-obesity drugs could help people with HIV, and the study linking microplastics lodged in a key blood vessel with serious health issues. Nature News: Blockbuster obesity drug leads to better health in people with HIV Nature News: Landmark study links microplastics to serious health problems 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.