The Nature Podcast brings you the best stories from the world of science each week. We cover everything from astronomy to zoology, highlighting the most exciting research from each issue of the Nature journal. We meet the scientists behind the results and provide in-depth analysis from Nature's journalists and editors.
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Nature Podcast

In this episode, reporter Miryam Naddaf joins us to talk about the big science events to look out for in 2026. We’ll hear about: small-scale AI models that could outcompete Large Language Models in reasoning, clinical trials of gene editing to treat rare human disorders, a sample collection mission from Phobos, and how changes to US policy by the Trump team are expected to impact science.<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.

Science in 2026: what to expect this year

Anecdotal stories suggesting that weight-loss drugs can help people shake long-standing addictions have been spreading fast in the past few years, through online forums, weight-loss clinics and news headlines. And now, clinical data are starting to back them up.Over a dozen randomized clinical studies testing whether GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic can suppress addiction are now under way, and neuroscientists are working out how these weight-loss drugs act on brain regions that control craving, reward and motivation.Scientists warn that the research is still in its early stages, but some researchers and physicians are excited, as no truly new class of addiction medicine has won approval from regulators in decades.This is an audio version of our Feature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03911-x" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Will blockbuster obesity drugs revolutionize addiction treatment?</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.

Audio long read: Will blockbuster obesity drugs revolutionize addiction treatment?

<h2>00:40&nbsp;What a trove of potato genomes reveals about the humble spud</h2>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 them to look for subtle differences in between varieties.Nature Podcast: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01247-0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">16 April 2025</a>Research Article:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08843-0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sun et al.</a><h2>10:28&nbsp;Hundreds of physicists on a remote island: we visit the ultimate quantum party</h2>According to legend, physicist Werner Heisenberg formulated the mathematics behind quantum mechanics in 1925 while on a restorative trip to the remote North Sea island of Heligoland.To celebrate the centenary of this event, several hundred researchers have descended on the island to take part in a conference on all things quantum physics. Nature reporter Lizzie Gibney was also in attendance, and joined us to give an inside track on the meeting.Nature Podcast: ​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01863-w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">13 June 2025</a><h2>19:54&nbsp;Research Highlights</h2>A minuscule robot that can manipulate liquid droplets, and&nbsp;the discovery of ancient puppets on the remains of a large pyramid offers a glimpse into rituals in Mesoamerica.Research Highlight:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01843-0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">This tiny robot moves mini-droplets with ease</a>Research Highlight:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00607-0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ancient puppets that smile or scowl hint at shared rituals</a><h2>23:03&nbsp;These malaria drugs treat the mosquitoes — not the people</h2>Researchers have developed two compounds that can kill malaria-causing parasites within mosquitoes, an approach they hope could help reduce transmission of the disease. The team showed that these compounds can be embedded into the plastics used to make bed nets, providing an alternative to insecticide-based malaria-control measures, which are losing efficacy in the face of increased resistance.Nature Podcast: ​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01628-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">21 May 2025</a>Research article: ​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09039-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Probst et al.</a><h2>33:49 Briefing Chat</h2>The first skeletal evidence that Roman gladiators fought lions.BBC News:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8v2063r19o" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bites on gladiator bones prove combat with lion</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.

The Nature Podcast highlights of 2025

Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03807-w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Asteroids, antibiotics and ants: a year of remarkable science</a>In this episode:<h2>1:58 Evidence of ancient brine on an asteroid</h2>Samples taken from the asteroid Bennu by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft suggest the parent body it originated from is likely to have contained salty, subsurface water. This finding provides insights into the chemistry of the early Solar System, and suggests that brines might have been an important place where pre-biotic molecules were formed.News & Views:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00084-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Asteroid Bennu contains salts from ancient brine</a>Nature Podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00267-0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Asteroid Bennu contains building blocks of life</a><h2>08:01 How gene expression doesn't always reflect a cell's function</h2>Cells are often grouped into categories according to the RNA molecules they produce. However a study of zebrafish (Danio rerio) brains revealed that cells can be functionally diverse even if they appear molecularly similar. This finding adds more nuance to how a cell's ‘type’ is ultimately defined.News & Views:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00088-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Does a cell’s gene expression always reflect its function?</a><h2>12:01 The disproportionate mortality risks of extreme rainfall</h2>An assessment of death rates in India’s coastal megacity of Mumbai revealed that the impact of extreme rainfall events will be highest for women, young children and residents of informal settlements. This situation is likely to become more pronounced as a result of climate change.News & Views:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03453-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Extreme rainfall poses the biggest risk to Mumbai’s most vulnerable people</a><h2>14:46 An AI-designed underwater glue</h2>Inspired by animals like barnacles and aided by machine learning, researchers have developed a super-sticky compound that works as an underwater adhesive. To demonstrate its properties, researchers applied it to a rubber duck, which stuck firmly to a rock on a beach despite being battered by the sea.News & Views:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02252-z" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AI learns from nature to design super-adhesive gels that work underwater</a>Nature Podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02500-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Underwater glue shows its sticking power in rubber duck test</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.

Nature's News & Views roundup of 2025

<h2>00:46 The gifts that sparked a love of science</h2>Nature&nbsp;put a call out for readers to tell us about memorable presents that first got them interested in science, or mementos of their life in research. These include telescopes, yeast-themed wedding rings, and... cows’ eyes.Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-025-03897-6/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The gift that shaped my career in science</a><h2>08:12 “I am the Very Model of a Miniature Tyrannosaur”</h2>In the first of our annual festive songs celebrating the science of the past year, we tell the story of a diminutive dinosaur that turned out to be its own species.Nature Podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03642-z" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Meet the ‘Wee-rex’. Tiny tyrannosaur is its own species</a>Nature Video:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03561-z" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hotly debated dinosaur is not a tiny T. rex after all</a><h3></h3><h2>11:43 A very scientific quiz</h2>An all-star cast competes for the glory or being the winner of the&nbsp;Nature Podcast’s 2025 festive quiz.Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03642-z" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Meet the ‘Wee-rex’. Tiny tyrannosaur is its own species</a>Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02456-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">This company claimed to ‘de-extinct’ dire wolves. Then the fighting started</a>Nature Podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02103-x" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">3D-printed fake wasps help explain bad animal mimicry</a>Nature Video:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00446-z" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">‘Aqua tweezers’ manipulate particles with water waves</a>Nature Podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00776-y" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sapphire anvils squeeze metals atomically-thin</a>Nature Video:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00643-w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vesuvius volcano turned this brain to glass</a>Nature Podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03203-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ancient viral DNA helps human embryos develop</a>Nature Video:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03708-y" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Magnetic fibres give this robot a soft grip</a>Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01630-x" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">These contact lenses give people infrared vision — even with their eyes shut</a>Nature Video:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03088-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Is this really the world's largest mirror? Researchers put it to the test</a>Nature Podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01028-9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World’s tiniest pacemaker could revolutionize heart surgery</a>Nature Podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02436-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Earth’s deepest ecosystem discovered six miles below the sea</a>Nature Podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02857-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nature goes inside the world’s largest ‘mosquito factory’ — here’s the buzz</a>Nature Podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03060-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apocalypse then: how cataclysms shaped human societies</a>Nature Podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03446-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Honey, I ate the kids: how hunger and hormones make mice aggressive</a><h2>25:21 “Hard the Hydrogel is Stuck”</h2>Our second festive song is an ode to a rubber duck that was stuck to a rock, thanks to a newly designed, super-adhesive hydrogel.Nature Podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02500-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Underwater glue shows its sticking power in rubber duck test</a>Nature Video:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02485-y" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why did researchers stick a duck to a rock? To show off their super glue</a><h2>28:42&nbsp;Nature’s 10</h2>Each year,&nbsp;Nature’s 10 highlights some of the people who have helped shape science over the past 12 months. We hear about a few of the people who made the 2025 list, including: a civil servant who stood up for evidence-based public-health policy; the science sleuth who revealed a retraction crisis at Indian universities; and the baby whose life was saved by the first personalized CRISPR therapy.Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-025-03848-1/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nature’s 10</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.

The Nature Podcast festive spectacular 2025

<h2>00:46&nbsp;Evidence&nbsp;of the&nbsp;earliest fire&nbsp;</h2>Baked soil, ancient tools, and materials that could be used to start fires show that Neanderthals were making fire in the UK 400,000 years ago&nbsp;— the earliest evidence of this skill&nbsp;found so far.&nbsp;Ancient humans are known to have&nbsp;used naturally occurring fires, but evidence of deliberate fire-starting has been hard to come by.&nbsp;A&nbsp;new suite of evidence&nbsp;pushes back the date of&nbsp;fire&nbsp;mastery&nbsp;by 350,000 years. The team&nbsp;behind the finding&nbsp;believe&nbsp;it helps create a more nuanced picture of Neanderthals, who&nbsp;perhaps gathered&nbsp;round fires and told&nbsp;stories&nbsp;in ancient Europe.&nbsp;Research Article: <a href="#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Davis&nbsp;et al.</a>News and Views: <a href="#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Oldest known evidence of the controlled ignition of fire</a><h2>11:31 Research Highlights</h2>Machine-learning algorithms can help to&nbsp;identify&nbsp;traces of life in ancient rocks&nbsp;— plus,&nbsp;why paintings&nbsp;containing&nbsp;a vivid green pigment lose their lustre over time.&nbsp;Research Highlight: <a href="#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AI finds signs of life in ancient rocks</a>Research Highlight: <a href="#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The mystery of&nbsp;emerald green&nbsp;— cracked</a><h2>13:55 How AI chatbots can sway voters with ease&nbsp;</h2>Research suggests that&nbsp;artificial-intelligence&nbsp;chatbots can influence voters’ political views and have a bigger effect than conventional campaigning and advertising.&nbsp;One study found that&nbsp;chatbot conversations&nbsp;swung&nbsp;participants’&nbsp;candidate&nbsp;preferences by up to 15 percentage points, while another&nbsp;revealed&nbsp;that&nbsp;the&nbsp;chatbots’ effectiveness stems from their ability to synthesize a lot of information in a conversational way.&nbsp;&nbsp;Nature:&nbsp;<a href="#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AI&nbsp;chatbots&nbsp;can&nbsp;sway&nbsp;voters&nbsp;with&nbsp;remarkable&nbsp;ease&nbsp;—&nbsp;is&nbsp;it&nbsp;time to&nbsp;worry?&nbsp;</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.

Neanderthals mastered fire — 400,000 years ago

<h2>00:46 How satellite mega-constellations could ruin space-based astronomy</h2>The ability of space-based telescopes to image the distant Universe could be in peril, according to new research investigating the impacts of light-pollution from future satellites. Streaks of reflected light from satellites currently in low-Earth orbit are already seen in telescope images, and planned launches could raise the number of satellites from around 15,000 to over half-a-million. Computer modelling revealed that this drastic increase would result in images taken by instruments like the Hubble Space Telescope becoming unusable by astronomers. The team propose a series of strategies to help mitigate these impacts, preventing this future becoming reality.Research Article:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09759-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Borlaff et al.</a>Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03953-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Satellite swarms set to photobomb more than 95% of some telescopes’ images</a><h2>11:08 Research Highlights</h2>How researchers have sped up the trapping of antimatter atoms — plus, how hydrogen fuel emission benefits vary considerably from sector to sector.Research Highlight:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03696-z" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Laser cooling traps more antimatter atoms than ever before</a>Research Highlight:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03697-y" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hydrogen fuel isn’t always the green choice</a><h2>13:41 The negative consequences of video call glitches</h2>Glitches in video calls are an annoying feature of everyday life, but these brief interruptions could have serious real-world impacts, according to analysis from a team of researchers. In one experiment, the team found that video calls with glitches decreased the likelihood of someone being hired for a job. Analysis of other data suggested glitchy calls were associated with lower chances of individuals being granted parole. The team behind the work think that these visual errors break the illusion that a video call is a real face-to-face conversation, potentially impairing judgements about the quality of the information discussed.Research article:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09823-0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Brucks et al.</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.

Photobombing satellites could ruin the night sky for space telescopes

CRISPR-based gene editing has revolutionized modern biology, but these tools are unable to access the DNA that resides inside mitochondria. Researchers are eager to access and edit this DNA to understand more about the energy production and the mutations that can cause incurable mitochondrial diseases.Because CRISPR can’t help with these problems, researchers have been looking for other ways to precisely edit the mitochrondrial genome. And the past few years have brought some success — if researchers can make editing safe and accurate enough, it could eventually be used to treat, and even cure, these genetic conditions.This is an audio version of our Feature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03307-x" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Faulty mitochondria cause deadly diseases — fixing them is about to get a lot easier</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.

Audio long read: Faulty mitochondria cause deadly diseases — fixing them is about to get a lot easier

<h2>00:46 Martian ‘micro-lightning’</h2>The sounds of ‘micro-lightning’ have been recorded by NASA’s Perseverance rover, ending a long search for the phenomenon on Mars. A lack of suitable equipment has made it difficult to gather evidence of lightning on the red planet, but a team of researchers realized that a microphone on Perseverance should be able to pick up the characteristic sounds of electrical discharges. In total they found 55 such examples, along with signs of electrostatic interference indicative of the phenomenon. They dubbed the electric bursts ‘micro-lightning’, as they are far smaller than the lighting seen on Earth, due to the thin Martian atmosphere. The team believe this finding could help better understand Martian chemistry and how best to design equipment to explore the planet’s surface.Research Article:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09736-y" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chide et al.</a>News and Views:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03590-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Is there lightning on Mars?</a><h2>11:03 Research Highlights</h2>How the biology of male seahorses’ brood pouches appears similar to mammalian pregnancy— plus, why Neanderthals’ jaws were so beefy.Research Highlight:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03696-z" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The origin of male seahorses’ brood pouch</a>Research Highlight:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03697-y" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Neanderthal DNA reveals how human faces form</a><h2>13:36 The key takeaways from COP30</h2>The UN’s climate conference, COP30, came to a close last week in Brazil.&nbsp;Nature&nbsp;reporter Jeff Tollefson tells us what was and wasn’t agreed during the final negotiations.Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03802-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What happened at COP30? 4 science take-homes from the climate summit</a><h2>22:27 Why women may retract less than men</h2>A new analysis suggests that female authors retract fewer medical science papers than their male counterparts. Women are known to be underrepresented in the medical sciences, but even accounting for this an AI-tool revealed that female authors featured on far fewer retracted research articles. Reporter Jenna Ahart has been investigating and told us why this might be, and what it means for research more broadly.Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03796-w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Women seem to retract fewer papers than men — but why?</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.

This is what lightning on Mars sounds like

<h2>00:45 A molecule that delivers insulin through the skin</h2>Researchers have developed a skin-permeable polymer that can deliver insulin into the body, which they say could one day offer an alternative to injections for diabetes management. The skin’s structure presents a formidable barrier to the delivery of large drugs but in this work a team show that their polymer can penetrate though the different layers without causing damage. Insulin attached to this polymer was able to reduce blood glucose levels in animal models for diabetes at a comparable speed to injected insulin. While further research is required on the long-term safety of this strategy, the team hope it could offer a way to non-invasively deliver other large-molecule drugs into the body.Research Article:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09729-x" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wei et al.</a><h2>09:23 Research Highlights</h2>How extreme drought may be humanity’s biggest challenge after a huge volcanic eruption — plus, turning a bacterium into a factory for a colour-changing pigmentResearch Highlight:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03662-9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Volcano mega-eruptions lead to parched times</a>Research Highlight:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03663-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dye or die: bacterium forced to make pigment to stay alive</a><h2>11:42 How language lights up the brain, whatever the tongue</h2>The human brain responds in a similar way to both familiar and unfamiliar languages, but there are some key differences, according to new research — a finding that may explain why learning a language can be difficult. A study looking involving 34 people showed that listening to an unfamiliar language triggers similar neural activity to listening to their native tongue. The finding implies that human speech triggers a common reaction in the brain regardless of understanding. However, there were subtle differences when listening to a known language that may help explain how people actually understand words.Research Article:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09748-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bhaya-Grossman et al.</a>Neuron:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(25)00792-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zhang et al</a><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sounds used under CC BY 4.0</a><h2>27:18 Briefing Chat</h2>Signs that greenhouse-gas emissions may peak around 2030 — plus, evidence of dog breeding by ancient humans.Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03618-z" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Global greenhouse-gas emissions are still rising: when will they peak?</a>Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03755-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How ancient humans bred and traded the first domestic dogs</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.

Insulin cream offers needle-free option for diabetes

Yoshua Bengio, considered by many to be&nbsp;one of the godfathers of AI,&nbsp;has long&nbsp;been at the forefront of machine-learning research&nbsp;. However, his opinions on the technology have shifted in recent years&nbsp;— he joins us to talk about&nbsp;ways to address the risks posed by AI, and his efforts to develop an AI with safety built in from the start.&nbsp;Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03686-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">‘It keeps me awake at night’: machine-learning pioneer on AI’s threat to humanity</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.

‘Malicious use is already happening’: machine-learning pioneer on making AI safer

<h2>00:45 A coronal mass ejection from a distant star</h2>Researchers have detected what they say is the strongest evidence yet of a coronal mass ejection (CME) coming from a star other than our Sun. CMEs are massive bursts of fast-moving plasma that can be detected thanks to the characteristic radio signal they produce. However, despite decades of searching, these signals have only been identified from the Sun. Now a team has identified a similar signal coming from a distant star in the Milky Way. They hope their discovery will lead to better understanding of the impact these colossal events might have on the atmospheres of exoplanets, and their chances of being habitable.Research Article:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09715-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Callingham et al.</a><h2>12:28 Research Highlights</h2>Video footage of a devastating earthquake provides a first-of-its-kind glimpse of a dramatic ground rupture — plus, a flock of comets seen outside our Solar System.Research Highlight:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03516-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Single video camera tells the story of deadly Myanmar quake</a>Research Highlight:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03518-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A host of ‘exocomets’ swarms a distant star</a><h2>14:29 The rare genetic variants that may increase the risk of ADHD</h2>Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects around 1 in 20 young people, but its underlying causes are not fully understood. Now, a team of researchers show that three rare genetic variants are implicated in an increased risk of ADHD, which may play a role in the neurons involved in dopamine signalling. While this work provides a better understanding of the complex genetics at play, the authors caution more research is needed to unpick the complex interplay other factors involved in ADHD.Research Article:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09702-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Demontis et al.</a><h2>18:41 Briefing Chat</h2>A high-resolution digital map for Roman roads, and how speaking more than one language could slow brain ageing.Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03626-z" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">‘Google Maps’ for Roman roads reveals vast extent of ancient network</a>Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03677-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Want a younger brain? Learn another language</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.

Huge eruption on a distant star confirmed at last

<h2>00:45 The debate around Nanotyrannus</h2>A hotly debated species of dinosaur, assumed by many to be a juvenile T. rex, is actually a separate species, according to new research. Nanotyrannus was a dinosaur anatomically similar to T. rex, but about a tenth of the size, leading many to argue it was a young version of the iconic species. However, examination of the limb bones of a well-preserved Nanotyrannus fossil suggests it was close to finishing its growth and so would never become as large as a T. rex, leading the authors to argue that it is, in fact, a different species.Research Article:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09801-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zanno and Napoli</a>News and Views:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03552-0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">T. rex debate settled: contested fossils are smaller rival species, not juveniles</a>News:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03553-z" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">‘Teenage T. rex’ fossil is actually a different species</a>Video:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03561-z" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hotly debated dinosaur is not a tiny T. rex after all</a><h2>08:46 Research Highlights</h2>An artificial ‘neuron’ could pave the way to build a brain-inspired computer — plus, how bats buck the trend by hunting prey their own size.Research Highlight:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03514-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Artificial brains with less drain</a>Research Highlight:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03515-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">By the time you hear these bats, it’s too late</a><h2>11:19 A less invasive way to prevent breast cancer</h2>An ‘anti-hormone’ therapy has shown promise in halting the onset of hallmarks associated with breast cancer, in a small trial. Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women worldwide, but preventative measures, such as mastectomies, are invasive. A new study examined the efficacy of a treatment that blocks progesterone, a hormone thought to play an important role in breast cancer progression. The therapy reduced both specific clinical markers of breast cancer and the number of cells that can become cancerous. Larger, longer trials are needed to show that this treatment could ultimately become part of a breast cancer prevention strategy, but the team think that this work shows the promise of this approach.Research Article:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09684-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Simões et al.</a><h2>18:41 Briefing Chat</h2>A new approach to speed up CRIPSR therapies reaching clinical trials, and how vocal cords could be healed using a tiny 3D printer.Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03566-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Personalized gene editing helped one baby: can it be rolled out widely?</a>Nature:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03538-y" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World’s smallest 3D bioprinter could rebuild tissue during surgery</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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