Nature Podcast

00:59 Chloroquine on rocky ground President Trump's preferred coronavirus treatment is the focus of a new study suggesting it could cause more harm than good, but not everybody agrees. We discuss the fallout as trials around the world are paused and countries diverge over policy advice. News:  India expands use of controversial coronavirus drug amid safety concerns News: Safety fears over hyp...

This week, perfecting catalysts that split water using light, and the mystery of missing matter in the Universe. In this episode: 00:44 Water splitting After decades of research scientists have managed to achieve near perfect efficiency using a light-activated catalyst to separate hydrogen from water for fuel.  Research Article:  Takata et al. ;  News and Views:  An almost perf...

01:38 Trump vs the WHO President Trump has given the WHO an ultimatum in a tweet, threatening to pull out of the organisation within 30 days unless unclear demands are met. We discuss what this means for the pandemic, the USA and the future of international health cooperation. 12:06 Where are we with vaccines? The first results from vaccine trials are in and they are encouraging, but scientists ar...

This week, crafting an artificial eye with the benefits of a human's, and understanding how disk-galaxies formed by peering back in time. In this episode: 00:45 Biomimetic eye Researchers fabricate an artificial eye complete with a human-like retina.  Research Article:  Gu et al. ;  News and Views:  Artificial eye boosted by hemispherical retina 09:27 Research Highlights Dazzli...

With questionable coronavirus content flooding airwaves and online channels, what’s being done to limit its impact?  In this episode:   00:57 The epidemiology of misinformation As the pandemic spreads, so does a tidal wave of misinformation and conspiracy theories. We discuss how researchers' are tracking the spread of questionable content, and ways to limit its impact. News: Anti-vaccin...

This week, Elisabeth Bik tells us about her work uncovering potential image manipulation, and a new route for particulate pollution formation. In this episode: 00:45 Seeing double Elisabeth Bik spends her days identifying duplicated images in science papers. She tells us about her efforts, and why they’re important.  Feature:  Meet this super-spotter of duplicated images in science paper...

Outbreaks among those unable to isolate are spreading under the radar. We hear about the researchers scrambling to get a handle on the situation. In this episode: 01:02 How is coronavirus spreading in group settings? In order to successfully stop the coronavirus pandemic, researchers have to understand how the virus is spreading among groups unable to isolate. We hear about efforts to uncover leve...

This week, a new way to study elusive subatomic particles - pions, and the story of Galileo remains relevant in a time of modern science denialism. In this episode: 00:46 Probing pions Pions are incredibly unstable and difficult-to-study subatomic particles. Now researchers have come up with a clever way to examine them - by sticking them into helium atoms.  Research Article:  Hori et al...

The Coronapod team pick through the latest news, plus we hear from the researchers making lemonade out of lockdown lemons. In this episode: 01:10 Can contact-tracing apps help? Governments around the world are banking on smartphone apps to help end the spread of the coronavirus. But how effective might these apps might be? What are the risks? And how should they fit into wider public health strate...

This week, how the ‘sniff-response’ can help clinicians determine a patient's state of consciousness, and how vaccines could help drive down antibiotic use. In this episode: 00:45 Sniffing out consciousness Researchers have found that the sniff reflex can indicate whether a patient is in a vegetative state, and even the likelihood that they will recover consciousness.  Research Article: ...

Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss the role of antibody tests in controlling the pandemic, and how public-health spending could curtail an economic crisis. Also on the show, the open hardware community's efforts to produce medical equipment. In this episode: 02:08 Betting on antibodies Antibody tests could play a key role in understanding how the virus has spread through populat...

This week, evidence of ancient hominin DNA in modern human genomes, and the origin of a snowman-shaped object at the edge of the solar system. In this episode: 00:45 Intermixing of ancient hominins By combing through the DNA of over 27,000 modern day Icelanders, researchers have uncovered new insights about the ancient hominin species who interbred with  Homo sapiens .  Research Article:...

Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss Trump withholding funds from the WHO, and how COVID-19 kills. We also hear about controlling misinformation while communicating risk. In this episode: 01:15 Understanding bottlenecks After listening to last week's episode of Coronapod , researchers in the USA were inspired to start collecting data about the challenges facing labs carrying out t...

Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss the labs struggling to get involved in diagnostic testing, and should you be wearing a mask? In this episode: 02:07 A drive to diagnose Many research labs are pivoting from their normal work to offer diagnostic testing for COVID-19. We discuss how to go about retooling a lab, the hurdles researchers are facing and why, in some cases, tests are...

This week, a new enzyme speeds up the breakdown of plastic bottles, and a method to cool molecules to a fraction above absolute zero. In this episode: 01:18 A PET recycling enzyme Researchers have engineered an enzyme that effectively breaks down the plastic PET into its constituent monomers. This could allow for more complete recycling of bottles and clothes. Research Article: Tournier et al. 06:...

Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss the latest on the British response, and what low- and middle-income countries have done to prepare for the pandemic. In this episode: 01:33 Testing in the UK This week, the UK health secretary announced plans to further ramp up testing for COVID-19, with the aim of preforming 100,000 tests a day in England by the end of April. We discuss these...

This week, reassessing the age of the ‘Broken Hill skull’, and unearthing evidence of an ancient forest near the South Pole. In this episode: 01:25 A skull’s place in history After nearly a century scientists believe they’ve finally pinned down an age for the ‘Broken Hill skull’ hominid specimen.  Research Article:  Grun et al. 07:44 Research Highlights A simple way to detect early signs...

Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss efforts to develop treatments for COVID-19. In this episode: 02:00 A push for plasma In New York, hospitals are preparing to infuse patients with the antibody-rich blood plasma of people who have recovered from COVID-19. This approach has been used during disease outbreaks for over a century and we discuss how it works, and how effective is mig...

This week, a speedy, yet simple switch, and a video-based AI helps assess heart health. In this episode: 01:57 Speedy switches Researchers have developed an ultra-fast electrical switch that they hope can be used in communication and imaging applications.  Research Article:  Nikoo et al. 08:14 Research Highlights Using sound to estimate glacial retreat, and building a dodgier drone.&nbsp...

Radioactive  is a new biopic on Marie Skłodowska Curie with Rosamund Pike taking on the role of Curie. This Podcast Extra is an extended version of reporter Lizzie Gibney's interview with Rosamund, in which they talk about stepping into the shoes of the scientific giant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first of our new podcast series, Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker, and Amy Maxmen discuss the epidemiology needed to control the Covid-19 outbreak. In this episode: 03:57 Testing times Case numbers of Covid-19 have leapt around the world in recent days, but how many undetected cases are out there? We talk about the urgent need to deploy two of the cornerstones of effective epidemiology – testi...

This week, we speak to Rosamund Pike about her experience portraying Marie Skłodowska Curie, and we find out how science in Russia is changing after years of decline. In this episode: 01:43 Radioactive British actor Rosamund Pike tells us about her new film, and her experience of portraying double Nobel-Laureate Marie Curie.  Arts Review:  Marie Curie biopic should have trusted pioneer’s...

In this Podcast Extra, we hear from epidemiologists, genomicists and social scientists about how they're working to tackle the coronavirus and what they've learned so far. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Research in the 1960s and 1970s suggested that emotional expressions – smiling when happy, scowling when angry, and so on – were universal. This idea stood unchallenged for a generation. But a new cohort of psychologists and cognitive scientists are revisiting the data. Many researchers now think that the picture is a lot more complicated, and that facial expressions vary widely between contexts a...

This week, a newly discovered bird species from the time of the dinosaurs, and microbes hundreds of metres below the ocean floor. In this episode: 00:44 A tiny, toothy, ancient bird Researchers have found a perfectly preserved bird fossil trapped in amber, with some rather unusual features. The paper covered in this podcast has been retracted. New evidence suggests that the specimen might actually...