Nature Middle East Podcast

Nature Middle East•nature.com

Nature Middle East is a one-stop ganglion for those interested in research and science news in the region. It’s published by Nature Research, part of Springer Nature, one of the world’s leading global research publishers.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last refreshed: August 15th, 2025 at 4:41 PM ⓘ

Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.

Follow on

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Episode # 33 - Strike

Sedeer El-Showk unpacks workplace skills and discusses with MIT researcher Ahmad Alabdulkareem a skill ecosystem that could help individuals plan better career paths. Sarah Hiddleston looks at a Syrian artist's thought-provoking exhibition at the confluence of science and art.Correction: An earlier version of this podcast incorrectly said that research led by Ahmad Alabdulkareem was funded by KAUST. It was funded by KACST. This version has been corrected. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...

Jul 25, 2018•9 min

Episode # 32 - First spark

Who sparked the first flame? In this episode, we look at the latest study linking Neanderthals to starting fires, and separately, at Africa’s two million record of changing climate and water. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 19, 2018•4 min

Episode # 31 - Science Highlights

A roundup of some of Nature Middle East's most exciting stories and the latest research in the region. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 16, 2018•5 min

Episode #30 - The history inside our genomes

We chat with a top Arab scientist about how she scrutinizes ancient human genomes to reconstruct history and sift the evidence for a catalogue of diseases. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 12, 2018•14 min

Episode # 29 - The stories bones tell

A single human finger bone fossil and some animal remains give insights ancient into Arabia and puts the peninsula on the human evolution map. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 09, 2018•7 min

Episode # 28 - Hybrid Creatures

Straddling fantasy and reality, art and science, the Arab films at this year's Imagine Science film festival of Abu Dhabi continue to meditate on the issues at the intersection of science, technology, art and life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 07, 2018•13 min

Episode # 27 - Best of the month

We look back at some of this month's most exciting stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 22, 2018•5 min

Special edition: Space and beyond

In this episode, we talk astronauts, observatories and nationalism in the Arab Middle East. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 31, 2018•16 min

Special Edition: Mangrove warriors

In this episode, we look at coastal mangroves – trees and shrubs that trap carbon and are highly adapted to salt water – and the people protecting them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 20, 2017•9 min

Episode # 26 - Loss of night

In this episode, we talk about how artificial city lights and rapidly increasing sky glow are robbing us of night time and disturbing the Earth's natural cycles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 23, 2017•4 min

Episode # 25 - Ancient African DNA

This new study gives us a glimpse into how sub-Saharan Africans lived and moved across the continent some 8,000 years ago. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 08, 2017•11 min

Episode # 24 - Willing to die

The militant group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and those who fight against it have something in common: they're both willing to die in battle. In this episode, a new study that looks into what motivates both groups to fight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 13, 2017•6 min

Episode # 23 - Remote Reefs

How scientists are using satellites to track connections and communication between Red Sea reefs -- some of the most complex marine ecosystems on the planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 30, 2017•6 min

Episode # 22 - Space Archaeology Special

Nature Middle East interviews renowned space archaeologist Sarah Parcak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 20, 2017•12 min

Episode # 21 - Underwater fairy circles

Nature Middle East talks to one of the scientists behind a new research into underwater "fairy circles" found in meadows of sea grass; these can provide a doorway to understanding clonal plants anywhere, including those on land. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 09, 2017•7 min

Episode # 20 - House of Wisdom

Two stories from our blog: the origins of domestic cats and the peculiar mudding behavior of Egyptian vultures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 08, 2017•6 min

Episode #19 - Pumping drugs

Nature Middle East talks to the scientists behind a new 'hybrid' drug system that can, one day, control epilepsy, among other brain disorders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 21, 2017•4 min

Episode # 18 - The oldest humans on Earth

A discovery, a hundred kilometres west of Marakkech, holds the secrets of how our oldest ancestors lived. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 08, 2017•4 min

Episode # 16 - Ancient Secrets

Nature Middle East takes a look at the many secrets of ancient Egypt that archaeology has unlocked recently, from insights into pharaonic funerary and mummification rituals in Luxor to 'shamanic' rock art in Aswan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 25, 2017•10 min

Episode # 15 - Underwater cancer therapy

Inspired by the chemical dynamic resulting from volcanic eruptions in deep oceans, scientists get creative clustering nano particles - with great potential for cancer therapy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 18, 2017•4 min

Episode # 14 - Iron Age Arabia

Ancient Arabia is under-excavated, and archaeologists know little about the peninsula's iron era. Nature Middle East talks to two scientists who're trying to change this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 11, 2017•9 min

Episode # 13 - Keeping up with droughts

In Jordan, engineers are mapping droughts for better management and to predict future episodes in a country that is famously water scarce. Listen to know more about the new technology they're using to make it happen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 05, 2017•9 min

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android