In this episode:<h2>00:47 The brain-computer interfaces that help restore communication</h2>People with certain neurological conditions can lose the ability to speak as a result of facial paralysis. This week, two teams demonstrate the potential of devices called brain-computer interfaces to help people in these situations communicate. These interfaces work by identifying the brain activity associated with the intent to say words, and converting this activity into speech-related outputs, such as text or audio. Both devices show marked improvements compared with previous interfaces, and show that the technology could represent a way to help restore communication to people with severe paralysis.Research article: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06443-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Metzger et al.</a>Research article: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06377-x" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Willett et al.</a>News and Views: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02546-0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Brain implants that enable speech pass performance milestones</a><h2>11:46 Research Highlights</h2>How wind-tunnel experiments could help athletes run the fastest marathon ever, and an analysis that could help explain why birds are the colours they are.Research Highlight: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02573-x" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Physicists find a way to set a new marathon record</a>Research Highlight: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02574-w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Which birds are drab and which dazzle? Predators have a say</a><h2></h2><h2>14:06 How much heat can tropical leaves take?</h2>As the climate warms, tropical forests around the world are facing increasing temperatures. But it’s unknown how much the trees can endure before their leaves start to die. A team has combined multiple data sources to try and answer this question, and suggest that a warming of 3.9 °C would lead to many leaves reaching a tipping point at which photosynthesis breaks down. This scenario would likely cause significant damage to these ecosystems’ role in vital carbon storage and as homes to significant biodiversity.Research article: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06391-z" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Doughty et al.</a><h2></h2><h2>21:01 Briefing Chat</h2>This time, a reexamination of Ötzi the iceman’s DNA suggests he had a different appearance, and the failure of a Russian mission to the moon.Nature News: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02562-0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ötzi the Iceman has a new look: balding and dark-skinned</a>Nature News: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02659-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Russian Moon lander crash — what happened, and what’s next?</a><a href="https://www.nature.com/briefing/signup" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.</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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