Episode description

Ten years ago this week, scientists announced that they’d found evidence of the existence of the Higgs boson, a fundamental particle first theorised to exist nearly sixty years earlier.

To celebrate this anniversary, we reminisce about what the discovery meant at the time, and what questions are left to be answered about this mysterious particle.

Nature News: Happy birthday, Higgs boson! What we do and don’t know about the particle

Nature Editorial: Particle physics isn’t going to die — even if the LHC finds no new particles

Clever clothes that can cool or warm the wearer, and finding hidden DNA from the endangered red wolf.

Research Highlight: ‘Smart’ clothing flexes to provide relief from the heat

Research Highlight: ‘Ghost’ DNA from the world’s rarest wolves lingers in coyotes

Stuttering is a speech condition that affects around 70 million people worldwide, which can make things like speaking in public, or even one-on-one incredibly daunting. We hear the experiences of one researcher of stuttering, who also has a stutter, as they explain the best way to offer support to others.

Careers Feature: The conference challenges faced by scientists who stutter

We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, we discuss how having similar smells could spark a friendship, and how viruses can alter our odour to make humans more attractive to mosquitos.

New Scientist: You're more likely to become friends with someone who smells like you

Nature News: How some viruses make people smell extra-tasty to mosquitoes

Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.

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