Where did the SARS-CoV-2 virus come from? As a team of researchers from the WHO prepares to report on its investigation into the origins of the virus, we discuss the leading theories, including the controversial ‘lab leak' hypothesis. Although there is no evidence to support it, the lab-leak idea remains popular among certain groups. Similar hypotheses were even touted about the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. We discuss why theories like this seem to gain traction. News: ‘Major stones unturned’...
Mar 05, 2021•18 min
The pandemic's unequal toll on the research community, and a newly discovered mitochondria-like symbiosis. In this episode: 00:48 The pandemic's unequal toll on researchers Although 2020 saw a huge uptick in the numbers of research papers submitted, these increases were not evenly distributed among male and female scientists. We look at how this could widen existing disparities in science, and damage future career prospects. Editorial: COVID is amplifying the inadequacy of research-evaluation pr...
Mar 03, 2021•26 min
A repository with millions of data points will track immunity and variant spread. To answer the big questions in the pandemic, researchers need access to data. But while a wealth has been collected, much of it isn’t collated or accessible to the people who need it. This week sees the launch of Global.health , a database that aims to collate an enormous amount of anonymized information about individual COVID-19 cases. On this week’s Coronapod we discuss how this database could help answer the big...
Feb 26, 2021•19 min
The surprising structure of protons, and a method for growing small intestines for transplantation. In this episode: 00:45 Probing the proton’s interior Although studied for decades, the internal structure of the proton is still throwing up surprises for physicists. This week, a team of researchers report an unexpected imbalance in the antimatter particles that make up the proton. Research Article: Dove et al. News and Views: Antimatter in the proton is more down than up 07:08 Research Highlight...
Feb 24, 2021•26 min
Researchers in Japan are trying to understand why thunderstorms fire out bursts of powerful radiation. Gamma rays – the highest-energy electromagnetic radiation in the universe – are typically created in extreme outer space environments like supernovae. But back in the 1980s and 1990s, physicists discovered a source of gamma rays much closer to home: thunderstorms here on Earth. Now, researchers in Japan are enlisting an army of citizen scientists to help understand the mysterious process going ...
Feb 23, 2021•23 min
What’s the endgame for the COVID-19 pandemic? Is a world without SARS-CoV-2 possible, or is the virus here to stay? A recent Nature survey suggests that the majority of experts expect the virus to become endemic, circulating in the world’s population for years to come. But what does this mean? On this week’s episode of Coronapod , we ask what a future with an ever-present virus could look like. News Feature: The coronavirus is here to stay — here’s what that means Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...
Feb 19, 2021•17 min
Researchers sequence the oldest DNA ever recovered, and the people bringing art and science together. In this episode: 00:46 Million-year-old mammoth DNA This week, researchers have smashed a long-standing record by sequencing a genome that's over a million years old. They achieved this feat by extracting DNA from permafrost-preserved mammoth teeth, using it to build-up a more detailed family tree for these ancient animals. Research Article: van der Valk et al. News: Million-year-old mammoth gen...
Feb 17, 2021•31 min
The science behind how and when to give vaccines doses. As vaccines are rolled out, massive logistical challenges are leading scientists and policymakers to consider alternative dosing strategies. But what does the science say? In this week’s episode of Coronapod, we discuss mixing and matching vaccines and lengthening the time between doses. Approaches like these could ease logistical concerns, but we ask what's known about their impact on vaccine efficacy – what is the science behind the decis...
Feb 12, 2021•16 min
Looking back at the publication of the human genome, and how macrophages mend muscle. In this episode: 00:45 The human genome sequence, 20 years on This week marks the 20th anniversary of a scientific milestone – the publication of the first draft of the human genome. Magdalena Skipper, Nature ’s Editor-in-Chief gives us her recollections of genomics at the turn of the millennium, and the legacy of the achievement. Editorial: The next 20 years of human genomics must be more equitable and more op...
Feb 10, 2021•27 min
Researchers are scrambling to understand the biology of new coronavirus variants and the impact they might have on vaccine efficacy. Around the world, concern is growing about the impact that new, faster-spreading variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus will have on the pandemic. In this episode of Coronapod , we discuss what these variants are, and the best way to respond to them, in the face of increasing evidence that some can evade the immunity produced by vaccination or previous infection. News: ‘...
Feb 05, 2021•18 min
Exploring the properties of a vanishingly-rare artificial element, and the AI that generates new mathematical conjectures. In this episode: 01:04 Einsteinium's secrets Einsteinium is an incredibly scarce, artificial element that decays so quickly that researchers don’t know much about it. Now, using state-of-the-art technology, a team has examined how it interacts with other atoms, which they hope will shed new light on einsteinium and its neighbours on the periodic table. Research Article: Cart...
Feb 03, 2021•28 min
A year ago the WHO’s coronavirus emergency alarm was largely ignored. Why? On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a ‘public health emergency of international concern’, or PHEIC, to raise the alarm of the imminent threat of a global coronavirus pandemic. Alongside the PHEIC, the WHO made a number of recommendations to curb the spread of the virus. But many of these were ignored by governments around the world. In this episode of Coronapod , we explore why this emergency ...
Jan 29, 2021•21 min
Researchers are probing the subtle physical forces that sculpt cells and bodies. At every stage of life, from embryo to adulthood, physical forces tug and squeeze at bodies from within. These forces are vital, ensuring that cells are correctly positioned in a developing embryo, for example. But they also play a role in diseases like cancer. Yet despite their importance, relatively little is known about how cells sense, respond to and generate these forces. To find out, researchers have turned to...
Jan 28, 2021•15 min
A neuroprosthetic device restores blood-pressure control after spinal-cord injury, and identifying the neurons that help us understand others’ beliefs. In this episode: 00:47 A neuroprosthetic restores the body’s baroreflex A common problem for people who have experienced spinal-cord injury is the inability to maintain their blood pressure, which can have serious, long-term health consequences. Now, however, researchers have developed a device that may restore this ability, by stimulating the ne...
Jan 27, 2021•28 min
Analysis of hundreds of thousands of job searches shows that recruiters will discriminate based on ethnicity and gender, and the neural circuitry behind a brief period of forgetting. In this episode: 00:47 Hiring discrimination A huge dataset has shown that widespread discrimination occurs in job hiring, based on ethnicity and gender. This backs up decades of research, showing that people from minority backgrounds tend to get contacted far less by employers. Research Article: Hangartner et al. 0...
Jan 20, 2021•37 min
Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker and Elie Dolgin discuss RNA vaccines. In this episode: 01:16 How RNA vaccines came to prominence In less than a year, two RNA vaccines against COVID-19 were designed, tested and rolled out across the world. We discuss these vaccines’ pros and cons, how RNA technology lends itself to rapid vaccine development, and what this means for the fight against other diseases. News feature: How COVID unlocked the power of RNA vaccines 09:20 The hurdles for trialling new COVID-...
Jan 14, 2021•20 min
DNA clues point to how dire wolves went extinct, and a round-up of the main impacts of Brexit on science. In this episode: 00:45 Dire wolf DNA Dire wolves were huge predators that commonly roamed across North America before disappearing around 13,000 years ago. Despite the existence of a large number of dire wolf fossils, questions remain about why this species went extinct and how they relate to other wolf species. Now, using DNA and protein analysis, researchers are getting a better understand...
Jan 13, 2021•32 min
Lessons from Iceland, which utilised huge scientific resources to contain COVID-19. When COVID reached the shores of Iceland back in March, the diminutive island brought it to heel with science. Here’s how they did it, and what they learnt. This is an audio version of our feature: How Iceland hammered COVID with science Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 30, 2020•21 min
The Nature Podcast team select some of their favourite stories from the past 12 months. In this episode: 00:32 Following the Viking footprint across Europe In September, we heard about the researchers mapping ancient genomes to better understand who the Vikings were, and where they went. Nature Podcast: 16 September 2020 Research Article: Margaryan et al. 08:09 Mars hopes In July, the UAE launched its first mission to Mars. We spoke to the mission leads to learn about the aims of the project, an...
Dec 23, 2020•48 min
Benjamin Thompson, Noah Baker and Traci Watson discuss some of 2020's most significant coronavirus research papers. In the final Coronapod of 2020, we dive into the scientific literature to reflect on the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers have discovered so much about SARS-CoV-2 – information that has been vital for public health responses and the rapid development of effective vaccines. But we also look forward to 2021, and the critical questions that remain to be answered about the pandemic. Pape...
Dec 17, 2020•26 min
A video game provides players with insights into pandemic responses, and our annual festive fun. In this episode: 01:02 Balancing responses in a video game pandemic In the strategy video-game Plague Inc: The Cure, players assume the role of an omnipotent global health agency trying to tackle outbreaks of increasingly nasty pathogens. We find out how the game was developed, and how it might help change public perception of pandemic responses. Plague Inc: The Cure from Ndemic Creations 10:02 “We t...
Dec 16, 2020•37 min
How water chemistry is shifting researchers' thoughts on where life might have arisen, and a new model to tackle climate change equitably and economically. In this episode: 00:46 A shallow start to life on Earth? It’s long been thought that life on Earth first appeared in the oceans. However, the chemical complexities involved in creating biopolymers in water has led some scientists to speculate that shallow pools on land were actually the most likely location for early life. News Feature: How t...
Dec 09, 2020•38 min
Erna Solberg on fisheries, fossil fuels and the future of the oceans. This week, world leaders are announcing a series of pledges to protect and sustainably use the world’s oceans. The pledges form the crowning achievement of the ‘High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy’ a multinational group formed back in 2018. The panel has sought to bring together research, published in a number of so-called ‘blue papers’ and special reports by scientists, policy- and legal-experts from around the w...
Dec 03, 2020•16 min
A trio of genes may be key to making cells young again, and ultra precise measurement of a fundamental physics constant. In this episode: 00:47 Reversing ageing Researchers claim to have identified a method to revert cells in mice eyes back to a younger state. Research article: Lu et al. News and Views: Sight restored by turning back the epigenetic clock News: Reversal of biological clock restores vision in old mice 09:39 Coronapod We discuss emergency-use approvals for COVID-19 vaccines. Approv...
Dec 02, 2020•46 min
Scientists have finally confirmed the existence of a CNO cycle fusion reaction in the Sun, and why women’s contraception research needs a reboot. In this episode: 00:47 Detection of CNO neutrinos Since the 1930s it has been theorised that stars have a specific fusion reaction known as the CNO cycle, but proof has been elusive. Now, a collaboration in Italy report detection of neutrinos that show that the CNO cycle exists. Research article: The Borexino Collaboration News and Views: Neutrino dete...
Nov 25, 2020•35 min
In this episode: 00:44 An increase in survival rates The COVID-19 mortality rate is falling around the world. We discuss the reasons behind this – the role of new drugs, the treatment strategies the have been learned, or re-learned, and the ever-present worry that these hard won victories could be undone by rising infection rates. News Feature: Why do COVID death rates seem to be falling? 10:53 More vaccine good news This week, Moderna released preliminary results for its COVID-19 vaccine candid...
Nov 19, 2020•16 min
Scientists have grave concerns over ethical and societal impacts of facial-recognition technology. In this surveillance special, we dig into the details. In this episode: 03:24 Standing up against ‘smart cities’ Cities across the globe are installing thousands of surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition technology. Although marketed as a way to reduce crime, researchers worry that these systems are ripe for exploitation and are calling for strict regulations on their deployment. Fea...
Nov 18, 2020•35 min
New fossil finds and new techniques reveal evidence that early animals were more complex than previously thought. The Cambrian explosion, around 541 million years ago, has long been regarded as a pivotal point in evolutionary history, as this is when the ancient ancestors of most of today’s animals made their first appearances in the fossil record. Before this was a period known as the Ediacaran – a time when the world was believed to be populated by strange, simple organisms. But now, modern mo...
Nov 13, 2020•19 min
Researchers try to unpick the complex relationship between sensory pollutants and bird reproduction, and how to combat organised crime in fisheries. In this episode: 00:46 Sensory pollution and bird reproduction Light- and noise-pollution have been shown to affect the behaviour of birds. However, it’s been difficult to work out whether these behavioural changes have led to bird species thriving or declining. Now, researchers have assembled a massive dataset that can begin to give some answers. R...
Nov 11, 2020•40 min
Astronomers pin down the likely origins of mysterious fast radio bursts, and the latest on what the US election means for science. In this episode: 00:46 The origins of mysterious fast radio bursts The detection of a brief but enormously-powerful radio burst originating from within the Milky Way could help researchers answer one of astronomy’s biggest mysteries. Research article: Bochenek et al. ; News: Astronomers spot first fast radio burst in the Milky Way 07:59 Coronapod At the start of the ...
Nov 04, 2020•35 min
