Nature Podcast

Briefing Chat: How Dolly Parton left her mark on science

In this episode: 00:18 Researchers celebrate Dolly Parton's contributions to scienceNature: Dolly Parton dies aged 80 — researchers celebrate her contributions to scienc

Highest-ever ocean temperatures recorded as El Niño intensifies

Why extreme temperatures are expected to weaken ocean carbon sinks — plus, how mitochondrial injections could treat vision loss. 00:46 The world’s oceans reach a record

Briefing Chat: New narcolepsy drug could unlock host of novel brain therapies

Nature staff discuss how an FDA-approved drug for narcolepsy could have promise beyond the condition, and the longest-lived human brain organoids yet. 00:28 The promise

A black hole's spin could finally be measured by a high-speed star

Star orbiting close to Sagittarius A* could reveal its spin — plus, how exoskeletons might change the way humans move. 00:46 The star that could reveal a black hole’s sp

Briefing Chat: Anthropic rolls out new AI watermark — will it make a difference?

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 1

The probiotic bacteria engineered to treat diabetes

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: Gua

Briefing Chat: Is DNA repair the secret to a long life? Whales and mole-rats offer tantalizing hints

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

Junk plastic turns into high-value commodity with chemistry trick

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 behin

Briefing Chat: Orcas smashed a sunfish to bits — researchers aren't sure why

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

Earthworks spotted in the Amazon hint at huge ancient civilization

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

Briefing Chat: Baby T. rex were killers from birth, suggest new fossils

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 Lon

What counts as a moon? Huge ‘exosatellite’ sparks debate

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

Briefing Chat: Sweet! Elusive sugar molecules found in space

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 Mathemat

‘Holy grail’ of naked mole-rat research reveals how queens rule

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 cand

Briefing Chat: The 30 year-legacy of a science icon – Dolly the sheep

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-

Nukes in space? Orbital detector could sniff out warheads

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

Togetherness: How co-operation built the world

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-div

Audio long read: Is the peptide craze backed by science? The promise behind the hype

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 m

Briefing Chat: What tickling a chimpanzee can tell us about the evolution of speech

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 c

Medical records could be revealed by AI training-data vulnerability

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 inco