In this episode:<h2>00:46 Mysterious methane emission from a cool brown dwarf</h2>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: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07190-w?utm_source=naturepod&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shownotes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Faherty et al.</a><h2>10:44 Research Highlights</h2>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: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01031-6?utm_source=naturepod&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shownotes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bitter taste receptors are even older than scientists thought</a>Research Highlight: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01032-5?utm_source=naturepod&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shownotes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">An exoplanet is wrapped in glory</a><h2>13:07 How working memory works</h2>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: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07309-z?utm_source=naturepod&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shownotes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daume et al.</a>News and Views: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00963-3?utm_source=naturepod&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shownotes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coupled neural activity controls working memory in humans</a><h2>22:31 Briefing Chat</h2>The bleaching event hitting coral around the world, and the first evidence of a nitrogen-fixing eukaryote.New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/15/climate/coral-reefs-bleaching.html?utm_source=naturepod&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shownotes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Widest-Ever Global Coral Crisis Will Hit Within Weeks, Scientists Say</a>Nature News: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01046-z?utm_source=naturepod&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shownotes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Scientists discover first algae that can fix nitrogen — thanks to a tiny cell structure</a>Nature video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-guci0Exz8?utm_source=naturepod&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=shownotes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AI and robotics demystify the workings of a fly's wing</a>Vote for us in the Webbys:<a href="https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2024/video/general-video/science-education" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://go.nature.com/3TVYHmP</a><hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

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Keys, wallet, phone: the neuroscience behind working memory

Nature Podcast