Nature Podcast

00:27 Five people see ‘olo’, a brand-new colour Using a laser system to activate specific eye cells, a team has allowed five study participants to perceive a vibrant blue-greenish hue well outside the natural range of colours seen by humans. Although the setup required to accomplish this feat is currently complicated, this finding could provide more understanding about how the brain perceives colour and could one day help boost the vision of people with colour blindness. Nature News: Brand-new colour created by tricking human eyes with laser 08:30 US regulator greenlights pig-liver transplant trial The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first trial to test whether genetically modified pig livers can be used safely to treat people with organ failure. In the initial phase of the trial, four people with severe liver failure will be temporarily connected to an external pig liver that will filter their blood. Participants will then be monitored for a year for safety and changes in liver function. The organs have been genetically modified to make them more compatible with humans. Nature News: Pig livers for people: US regulator greenlights first safety trial 14:08: A chunk of lab-grown chicken Using a designer ‘circulatory system’, a team of researchers have created what they think is the largest piece of meat grown in the laboratory yet. One of the challenges to producing larger pieces of lab-grown meat has been providing cells with sufficient oxygen and nutrients, something the team’s new setup helps overcome. They used it to grow a chunk of chicken muscle about the size of a nugget, but multiple challenges remain before meat produced in this way could make it to market. Nature News: Winner, winner, lab-made dinner! Team grows nugget-sized chicken chunk 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.

Categorizing things is central to science. And there are dozens of systems scientists have created to name everything from the trenches on the sea bed to the stars in the sky. But names have consequences. What’s in a name is a series exploring naming in science and how names impact the world. We look at whether the system of naming species remains in step with society, how the names of diseases can create stigma, and how the names chosen by scientists can help, or hinder, communication with the public. In episode three, we're looking at how the names chosen for concepts in physics can inadvertently send researchers down very specific research avenues while distracting them from others. In this podcast we hear five stories about the importance of names and how much can be lost in translation when physicists try and label the unknown. For a list of sources and music used, please visit the podcast show notes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:46 A potato pangenome Researchers have created a ‘pangenome’ containing the genomes of multiple potato types, something they believe can help make it easier to breed and sequence new varieties. The potato's complicated genetics has made it difficult to sequence the plant's genome, but improvements in technology have allowed the team to combine sequences, allowing then to look for subtle differences in between varieties. Research Article: Sun et al. 09:57 Research Highlights How ancient DNA analysis revealed that unusually bound medieval books are covered in sealskin, and top quarks and their antimatter counterparts are detected after nuclear smash-ups at the Large Hadron Collider. Research Highlight: Mystery of medieval manuscripts revealed by ancient DNA Research Highlight: Top quarks spotted at mega-detector could reveal clues to early Universe 12:30 The top cited twenty-first century research papers Analysis from Nature reveals the 25 highest-cited papers published this century and explores why they are breaking records. We hear about the field that got the highest number of papers on the list, and whether any feature in the all-time top citation list. News Feature: Exclusive: the most-cited papers of the twenty-first century News Feature: These are the most-cited research papers of all time News Feature: Science’s golden oldies: the decades-old research papers still heavily cited today 21:47 Briefing Chat Re-analysis of a cosmic collision shows evidence of a planet spiralling into its host star, and how shrugging off lighting strikes gives tonka bean trees an evolutionary edge. Science: Astronomers spot a planetary ‘suicide’ Live Science: Tropical tree in Panama has evolved to kill its 'enemies' with lightning Vote for us in this year's Webby Awards Vote for How whales sing without drowning, an anatomical mystery solved Vote for What’s in a name: Should offensive species names be changed? The organisms that honour dictators, racists and criminals Vote for Cancer-busting vaccines are coming: here's how they work Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:46 Complete sequencing of ape genomes Researchers have sequenced the complete genomes of six ape species, helping uncover the evolutionary history of our closest relatives and offering insights into what makes humans human. The genomes of chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, Bornean orangutan, Sumatran orangutan and siamang have been sequenced end-to-end, filling in gaps that have long eluded researchers. Research Article: Yoo et al. News: What makes us human? Milestone ape genomes promise clues 08:47 Research Highlights How sunflower stars are evading a mysterious epidemic, and how solar panels made of moon dust could power lunar bases. Research Highlight: Revealed: where rare and giant starfish hide from an enigmatic killer Research Highlight: Solar cells made of Moon dust could power up a lunar base 11:36 How to make a competitive laser-plasma accelerator After decades of research, physicists have demonstrated that, in principle, an alternative kind of particle accelerator can work just as well as more conventional designs. Many particle accelerators that power huge experiments like the Large Hadron Collider at CERN are radio-frequency accelerators, but they are large and limited in how strong their magnetic fields can be. The new work shows that accelerators that instead use plasma to accelerate particles could be a viable alternative and could be built at much smaller scales. Research article: Winkler et al. 19:55 Briefing Chat A drug that makes blood poisonous to mosquitoes, and how an AI worked out how to solve key challenges in Minecraft by ‘imagining’ solutions. Science Alert: Drug For Rare Disease Turns Human Blood Into Mosquito Poison Nature: AI masters Minecraft: DeepMind program finds diamonds without being taught Vote for us in this year's Webby Awards Vote for How whales sing without drowning, an anatomical mystery solved Vote for What's in a name: Should offensive species names be changed? The organisms that honour dictators, racists and criminals 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.

Science writer and New York Times columnist Carl Zimmer's latest book Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life we Breathe dives into the invisible maelstrom of microbial life swirling in the air around us — examining how it helped shape our world, and the implications that breathing it in can have on human health. Carl joined us to discuss historical efforts to show that diseases could spread large distances through the air, the staunch resistance to this idea, and what the rivalry between these two groups meant for public health. Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe Carl Zimmer Dutton (2025) Music supplied by SPD/Triple Scoop Music/Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Podcast Extra, we hear the latest on how decisions by the Trump administration are affecting science in the US. Most recently, a purge of National Institutes of Health (NIH) leadership has seen the chiefs of multiple institutes and centres removed from their posts. Plus, after cancelling nearly all NIH projects studying transgender health, the White House has directed the agency to focus on studying “regret” after a person transitions to align their body with their gender identity. News: ‘One of the darkest days’: NIH purges agency leadership amid mass layoffs News: Exclusive: Trump White House directs NIH to study ‘regret’ after transgender people transition News: Are the Trump team’s actions affecting your research? How to contact Nature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:46 Millimetre-sized pacemaker fits inside syringe Researchers have developed a tiny, temporary pacemaker that dissolves when no longer needed, helping to overcome some of the challenges associated with current devices. Temporary pacemakers are often required after heart surgery but implanting them can require invasive procedures. This new device is injectable, requires no external power and is controlled using light shone through the skin. The tiny pacemaker has shown promise in animal and heart models, and the team think it could also be used in other situations where electrical stimulation is needed, like the brain. Research Article: Zhang et al. 08:19 Research Highlights Measurements show that global warming is causing lakes to lose their oxygen, and a massive, 30-year analysis showing that a diet of plant-rich foods is associated with healthy ageing Research Highlight: Life-giving oxygen is wafting out of lakes worldwide Research Highlight: The best foods for healthy ageing ― and the worst 10:21 Shingles vaccine linked to reduced dementia risk A large-scale population study suggests that getting a shingles vaccine reduces the probability of someone getting dementia by around one-fifth. By taking advantage of the way a shingles vaccine was rolled out in Wales, a team were able to compare dementia outcomes in vaccine-eligible people to those born just a few weeks earlier who were ineligible. Although more tests will be needed to confirm this finding and to understand the mechanisms behind it, the team hope that vaccination against this viral infection could represent a cost-effective way to for preventing or delaying dementia. Research article: Eyting et al. 20:20 Briefing Chat Data suggests that racial profiling plays a role in whether someone receives a traffic citation or fine, and studies suggest that paying researchers who review manuscripts could speed up the peer-review process, without affecting the quality of reviews. Ars Technica: Study of Lyft rideshare data confirms minorities get more tickets Nature: Publishers trial paying peer reviewers — what did they find? 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.

With money pouring in and an unprecedented level of public attention and excitement, scientists are publishing a steady stream of papers on ways to measure how rapidly a person’s body is declining. However, there are mixed feelings of enthusiasm and apprehension among researchers about efforts to develop tests that measure the impact of ageing on the body, as they are often interpreted and presented without a full reckoning of the uncertainties that plague them. This is an audio version of our Feature: How quickly are you ageing? What molecular ‘clocks’ can tell you about your health Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:46 Newly discovered molecule shows potent antibiotic activity Researchers have identified a new molecule with antibiotic activity against a range of disease-causing bacteria, including those resistant to existing drugs. The new molecule — isolated from soil samples taken from a laboratory technician’s garden — is called lariocidin due to its lasso-shaped structure. The team say that in addition to its potent antibiotic activity, the molecule also shows low toxicity towards human cells, making it a promising molecule in the fight against drug-resistant infections. Research Article: Jangra et al. 09:36 Research Highlights A reduction in ships' sulfur emissions linked to a steep drop in thunderclouds, and the epic sea-voyage that let iguanas reach Fiji. Research Highlight: Ship-pollution cuts have an electrifying effect: less lightning at sea Research Highlight: Iguanas reached Fiji by floating 8,000 kilometres across the sea 13:54 Assessing the nuances of humans’ biodiversity impacts A huge study analysing data from thousands of research articles has shown that the human impacts on biodiversity are large but are in some cases context dependent. The new study reveals that at larger scales, communities of living things are becoming more similar due to human influence, but at the smaller scale they are becoming more different. "These are generally unwanted effects on biodiversity," says study author Florian Altermatt, "this is one more very strong argument that stopping and reducing these pressures to halt and reverse biodiversity declines is needed." Research article: Keck et al. 21:45 Briefing Chat How a proposed green-energy facility in Chile could increase light pollution at one of the world’s most powerful telescopes, and how a calving Antarctic iceberg revealed an unseen aquatic ecosystem. Nature: Light pollution threatens fleet of world-class telescopes in Atacama Desert Scientific American: Stunning Antarctic Sea Creatures Discovered after Iceberg Breaks Away 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.

00:46 Microsatellite makes messaging secure A tiny satellite has enabled quantum-encrypted information to be sent between China and South Africa, the farthest distance yet achieved for quantum communication. Using a laser-based system, a team in the city of Hefei was able to beam a ‘secret key’ encoded in quantum states of photons, to their colleagues over 12,000 km away. This key allowed scrambled messages to be decrypted — including one containing a picture of the Great Wall of China. The team’s system is drastically smaller and cheaper that previous attempts, and they think it represents a big step towards the creation of a global network of secure, quantum communication. Research Article: Li et al. News: Mini-satellite paves the way for quantum messaging anywhere on Earth 09:53 Research Highlights How storms known as ‘atmospheric rivers’ could replenish Greenland’s ice, and a prosthetic hand that can distinguish objects by touch almost as well as a human. Research Highlight: Mega-storm dumps 11 billion tonnes of snow ― and builds up a melting ice sheet Research Highlight: Robotic fingers can tell objects apart by touch 12:27 An AI that gives other AIs helpful feedback Researchers have created an AI system called TextGrad which can provide written feedback on another AI’s performance. This feedback is interpretable by humans, which could help researchers tweak the incredibly complicated, and sometimes inscrutable models that underpin modern AIs. “Previously optimising machine learning algorithms requires quite a lot of human engineering,” says James Zou, one of the team behind this work, “but with TextGrad, now the AI is able to self-improve to a large extent.” Research Article: Yuksekgonul et al. 20:55 How the Trump administration’s cuts are affecting science The first two months of Donald Trump’s presidency has seen swingeing cuts to US federal funding for research, particularly to research associated with DEI. We hear the latest on these cuts and their impact from reporter Max Kozlov. Nature: ‘My career is over’: Columbia University scientists hit hard by Trump team’s cuts Nature: How the NIH dominates the world’s health research — in charts Nature: ‘Scientists will not be silenced’: thousands protest Trump research cuts Nature: Exclusive: NIH to terminate hundreds of active research grants 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.

00:46 2D metals made using sapphire press Taking inspiration from industrial forging, researchers have demonstrated a way to squeeze molten metals into atomically-thin layers, creating relatively large flakes of 2D metals. Using a hydraulic press containing two sapphire anvils, a team was able to create sub-nanometer thick sheets of different metals — these sheets had diameters exceeding 0.1 mm, orders of magnitude larger than other methods have achieved. 2D metals have been theorized to possess several useful properties not seen in their larger, 3D counterparts, but have been difficult to make at scale, something this method may help overcome. Research Article: Zhao et al. News and Views: Metals squeezed to thickness of just two atoms 09:36 Research Highlights The discovery of ancient puppets on remains of a large pyramid offers a glimpse into rituals in Mesoamerica, and how the presence of a certain pattern of sleep brainwaves might help predict which people will recover from an unresponsive state. Research Highlight: Ancient puppets that smile or scowl hint at shared rituals Research Highlight: Who’s likely to wake up from a coma? Brainwaves provide a clue 12:17 The virology lessons learnt from the COVID pandemic SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, has become one of the most closely examined viruses on the planet. In the five years since the pandemic, over 150,000 articles have been written about it, and 17 million genome sequences have been generated. We discuss the lessons virologists have learnt from this intense study of a single organism, and how these might help the world prepare for future pandemics. News Feature: Four ways COVID changed virology: lessons from the most sequenced virus of all time 23:36 Briefing Chat How an AI alert-system could help researchers train their telescopes on a neutron star collision, and how expiration dates on plastic food-waste helped biologists age birds’ nests. Nature: How AI could let us watch epic star collisions in real time Science: Plastic waste in bird nests can act like a tiny time capsule 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.

00:46 Ancient humans made bone tools 1.5 million years ago A 1.5-million-year-old cache of animal-bone tools reveals that ancient humans systematically crafted with this material much earlier than previously thought. Researchers uncovered 27 bone artefacts in Tanzania honed into sharp tools almost 40 cm long. This discovery pushes back the dedicated manufacture of bone tools by around a million years and could have helped these early humans develop new kinds of technology. “This raises a lot of interesting questions,” says study author Ignacio de la Torre. Research Article: de la Torre et al. 09:11 Research Highlights Cane toads’ remarkable homing abilities, and evidence that the block of rock that makes up southern Tibet originated in what is now Australia. Research Highlight: Take me home, country toads Research Highlight: Lhasa′s rocks reveal an Australian birthplace 11:45 A trove of antibacterial molecules hidden in human proteins To help protect against infection, cells in the body will selectively cut proteins to produce molecules known as antimicrobial peptides, according to new research. A team has found that many potential peptides appear to be locked up within proteins — to get them out, cells shift the activity of a waste-disposal system called the proteasome, known for its role in protein degradation and recycling. In tests, one of these peptides showed efficacy at protecting mice from infection, indicating that these molecules could one day have therapeutic potential. Research Article: Goldberg et al. News and Views: Protein waste turned into antibiotics as a defence strategy of human cells 21:08 Briefing Chat An update on two missions heading to the Moon to look for water, and why fears that a crucial ocean-current system will collapse in the face of climate change may be incorrect. Nature: Meet the ice-hunting robots headed for the Moon right now Nature: Iconic ocean-current system is safe from climate collapse ― for now 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.

Over the past two decades, research has emerged showing that opportunities for risky play are crucial for children's healthy physical, mental and emotional development. However, because play is inherently free-form it has been difficult to study. Now, scientists are using innovative approaches, including virtual reality, to probe the benefits of risky play, and how best to promote it. This is an audio version of our Feature: Why kids need to take more risks — science reveals the benefits of wild, free play Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:47 A ‘smart’ way to quickly detect cardiac arrest Google researchers have developed an AI for a smartwatch that will call for help if its wearer is having a cardiac arrest. Trained, in part, on data gained when patients had their hearts deliberately stopped during a medical procedure, the team’s machine learning algorithm can automatically detect the telltale signs of cardiac arrest. The team think this system could save lives, although more testing is required. "Our hope is that as these capabilities expand it provides a new way to keep people safer,” says Jake Sunshine, one of the researchers behind the study. Research Article: Shah et al. 09:15 Research Highlights Evidence that a low dose of yellow fever vaccine might be enough to provide lasting immunity, and the odd umbrella-shaped tree fossil that suggests that early plants may have been more complex than previously thought. Research Article: Kimathi et al. Research Article: Gastaldo et al. 11:10 Briefing Chat Microsoft’s new AI that helps create video game ‘worlds’, and why dogs blink more when other dogs do the same. Nature: Microsoft builds AI that creates ‘impressive’ video-game worlds Science: Dogs, like people, may use blinking to bond 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.

01:14 A simple switch to reduce racist ratings A study of almost 70,000 ratings showed that racial discrimination could be eliminated from an online platform by switching from a five-star rating system to a thumbs up or down. The platform connected customers to workers who performed home repair jobs, and prior to the shift people categorised by the study authors as ‘non-white’ had lower ratings and got paid less than their white counterparts. Through follow up studies the authors also showed that the five-star system allowed people to impart their personal opinions, whereas a thumbs up or down just focused them on whether a job was good or bad. The team hopes this could be an easy-to-implement shift to tackle racial discrimination. Research Article: Botelho et al. News and Views: Racial bias eliminated when ratings switch from five stars to thumbs up or down 11:24 Research Highlights Experimental evidence that cockatoos like flavouring their food, and the harsh climate of sixteenth century Transylvania. Research Highlight: Gourmet cockatoos like to fancy up their food Research Highlight: Transylvanian diaries reveal centuries-old climate extremes 14:05 An analysis of retraction hotspots A Nature investigation has revealed where the most retractions come from, with hospitals in China and institutions in India and Pakistan topping the list. Retractions are a normal part of science and may be a sign of necessary scrutiny, but they can also signal misconduct and use of paper mills. Features Editor Richard Van Noorden joins us to discuss what this means for science and tackling sloppy research. Nature: Exclusive: These universities have the most retracted scientific articles 22:43 Briefing Chat Layoffs in the US’s Environmental Protection Agency, reactions to the DEI purge at NASA, and what RFK Jr.’s role as secretary of Health and Human Services could mean for health research. Nature: ‘Targeted and belittled’: scientists at US environmental agency speak out as layoffs begin Nature: NASA embraced diversity. Trump’s DEI purge is hitting space scientists hard Nature: Vaccine sceptic RFK Jr is now a powerful force in US science: what will he do? 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 An elusive, cosmic neutrino with a record-breaking energy An enormous array of detectors, deep under the Mediterranean Sea, has captured evidence of the highest-energy neutrino particle ever recorded, although researchers aren’t sure exactly where in the cosmos it originated. Calculations revealed this particle had over 30 times the energy of previously detected neutrinos. The team hopes that further study and future detections will help reveal the secrets of high-energy phenomena like supernovae. Research Article: The KM3NeT Collaboration 11:34 Research Highlights How bonobos adjust their communication to account for what other individuals know, and the discovery of a huge collection of beads adorning the attire of the powerful Copper Age women in Spain. Research Highlight: Bonobos know when you’re in the know ― and when you’re not Research Highlight: Record-setting trove of buried beads speaks to power of ancient women 14:15 US judge puts NIH grant cuts on hold A judge has blocked a policy that would have slashed billions of dollars of funding for US research institutions, which come as part of President Donald Trump’s controversial crackdown on government spending. We discuss the reasoning behind the proposed cuts and the impacts they may have if enacted. We also look at the effects that President Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and funding are having across the US. Nature: ‘Devastating’ cuts to NIH grants by Trump’s team put on hold by US judge Nature: Have Trump’s anti-DEI orders hit private funders? HHMI halts inclusive science programme Nature: Scientists globally are racing to save vital health databases taken down amid Trump chaos 25:50 Briefing Chat Why the latest odds on asteroid 2024 YR4’s chance of impacting Earth are so hard to calculate, and how the latest version of DeepMind's AlphaGeometry AI has reached the gold-medal level in geometry. New York Times: Why the Odds of an Asteroid Striking Earth in 2032 Keep Going Up (and Down) Nature: DeepMind AI crushes tough maths problems on par with top human solvers 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 episode 2 of 'What's in a name' we look how choosing names can help, or hinder, attempts to communicate important messages. Categorizing things is central to science. And there are dozens of systems scientists have created to name everything from the trenches on the sea bed to the stars in the sky. But names have consequences. In our series What’s in a name we explore naming in science and how names impact the world — whether the system of naming species remains in step with society, how the names of diseases can create stigma, or even how the names of scientific concepts can drive the direction of research itself. In episode two, we're looking at how the names chosen by scientists help, or hinder, communication with the public. Well chosen names can quickly convey scientific concepts or health messages — in emergency situations they can even save lives. We'll hear how the systems of naming tropical storms and Covid-19 variants came to be, and how they took different approaches to achieve the same outcome. We'll also consider the language used to talk about climate change, and how the ways of describing it have been used to deliberately introduce uncertainty and confusion. Listen to the first episode Should offensive species names be changed? The organisms that honour dictators, racists and criminals For a list of sources please visit https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-04200-9 Music credits Premiumaudio/Pond5 Richard Smithson/Triple Scoop Music/Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:45 How arithmetic skills don’t transfer between applied and academic environments Mathematics skills learnt in real-world situations may not translate to the classroom and vice versa, according to a new study. A team surveyed children in India who work in markets, to see whether the skills they learnt there transferred to the classroom. While proficient at solving market-based arithmetic problems, they struggled to solve problems typically used in schools. The reverse was seen for children enrolled in schools with no market-selling experience. The authors hope this finding could help adjust teaching curricula and bridge the gap between intuitive and formal maths. Research Article: Banerjee et al. 12:38 Research Highlights Wolverine populations rebound in Sweden and Norway, and why wobbly arrows launch faster than rigid ones. Research Highlight: Who’s the new furry neighbour? It might be a wolverine Research Highlight: How a wobbly arrow can achieve superpropulsion 14:59 The unexpected movements seen in super-dense crowds A study has revealed that when packed crowds reach a certain density, large groups of people suddenly start to move in circular patterns — a finding that could be used to identify dangerous overcrowding. By assessing footage of the densely-packed San Fermín festival, a team observed this spontaneous phenomenon, and modelled the physics underlying it. Studying the movements of giant crowds has been difficult, and the team hope this work could help event organisers to identify and respond to situations where people could get hurt. Research Article: Gu et al. News and Views: Crowds start to spin when their densities hit a threshold Sound effects: Crowd Cheering - Ambience by GregorQuendel via CC BY 4.0 Cupinzano sounds by Europa Press - Footage News via Getty Images 24:00 Briefing Chat An update on the US National Science Foundation’s scrutinizing of grants to comply with President Trump’s directives, and why scratching an itch may have unexpected antibacterial properties. Nature: Exclusive: how NSF is scouring research grants for violations of Trump’s orders Nature: Why it feels good to scratch that itch: the immune benefits of scratching 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.

The explosive improvement in artificial intelligence (AI) technology has largely been driven by making neural networks bigger and training them on more data. But experts suggest that the developers of these systems may soon run out of data to train their models. As a result, teams are taking new approaches, such as searching for other unconventional data sources, or generating new data to train their AIs. This is an audio version of our Feature: The AI revolution is running out of data. What can researchers do? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:46 Evidence of ancient brine reveals Bennu’s watery past Analysis of samples taken from the asteroid Bennu reveal the presence of organic compounds important for life, and that its parent asteroid likely contained salty, subsurface water. Collected by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, these rocks and dust particles give insights into the chemistry of the early Solar System, and suggest that brines may have been an important place where pre-biotic molecules were formed. As brines are found throughout the Solar System, this finding raises questions about whether similar molecules will be found in places like Jupiter’s moon Europa. Research Article: McCoy et al. Research Article: Glavin et al. News: Asteroid fragments upend theory of how life on Earth bloomed 14:22 Research Highlights How seaweed farms could capture carbon, and why chimps follow each other to the bathroom. Research Highlight: Seaweed farms dish up climate benefits Research Highlight: All together now: chimps engage in contagious peeing 16:31 How maize may have supported a civilization Researchers have found evidence of intensive maize agriculture that could help explain how a mysterious South American society produced enough food to fuel a labour-force big enough to build enormous earth structures. It appears that the Casarabe people, who lived in the Amazon Basin around 500-1400 AD, restructured the landscape to create water conserving infrastructure that allowed for year-round production of maize. While this work provides new insights into how the Casarabe may have established a complex monument-building culture, these people vanished around 600 years ago, and many questions remain about their lives. Research Article: Lombardo et al. 25:52 DeepSeek R1 wows scientists A new AI model from a Chinese company, DeepSeek, rivals the abilities of OpenAI’s o1 — a state-of-the art ‘reasoning’ model — at a fraction of the cost. The release of DeepSeek has thrilled researchers, asked questions about American AI dominance in the area, and spooked stock markets. We discuss why this large language model has sent shockwaves around the world and what it means for the future of AI. News: China’s cheap, open AI model DeepSeek thrills scientists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.