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 Nature journal. We meet the scientists behind the results and provide in-depth analysis from Nature's journalists and editors. For complete access to the original papers featured in the Nature Podcast, subscribe to Nature.
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3D-printing some of the world's lightest materials
A new way to produce aerogels opens up their use, and understanding how sulfur can change state between two liquids. In this episode: 01:05 Printing aerogels Aerogels are materials with impressive insulating properties, but they’re difficult to handl...
The chemical that turns locusts from Jekyll into Hyde
Triggering swarming behaviour in locusts, and new insights into how humans synchronize.
Audio long-read: Pluto’s dark side is overflowing with secrets
This is an audio version of our feature: Pluto’s dark side spills its secrets — including hints of a hidden ocean
Why skin grows bigger as you stretch it
Skin's unusual response to stretching is finally explained, and the latest in a huge effort to map DNA. In this episode: 01:06 Stretching skin For decades it’s been known that stretching skin causes more skin to grow, but the reasons why have ...
When did people arrive in the Americas? New evidence stokes debate
New evidence may push back the date on human arrival to the Americas, and an examination of science’s flaws. In this episode: 00:59 Ancient Americans Two papers suggest that humans were present in the Americas thousands of years before many people ...
Graphene’s magic angle reveals a new twist
Probing the superconducting properties of graphene and a bacteria that can use manganese to grow. 01:15 Magic angle graphene If you sandwich two sheets of graphene together and twist one in just the right way, it can gain some superconducting propert...
Massive coronavirus outbreak strikes iconic Californian prison after it rejected expert aid
In this episode: 01:47 Disaster in San Quentin San Quentin prison is facing a massive outbreak, we dig into how they got there. The crisis has arisen despite warnings from experts, and offers of free tests, which were declined. We ask why? And what c...
The six year old space agency with hopes for Mars
On this week’s podcast, an ambitious Mars mission from a young space agency, and how crumbling up rocks could help fight climate change. In this episode: 00:46 Mars hopes In a few weeks the UAE’s first mission to Mars is due to launch. We speak to ...
Coronapod: Lessons from pandemic ‘war-game’ simulations
Next week, we’ll be wrapping up Coronapod in its current form. Please fill out our short survey to let us know your thoughts on the show. In this episode: 02:15 Simulating pandemics Researchers have run numerous military-style simulations to predic...
What the atomic structure of enamel tells us about tooth decay
On this week’s podcast, how the molecular structure of tooth enamel may impact decay, and a mysterious planetary core from a half-formed gas giant. In this episode: 00:46 Unravelling tooth enamel Researchers have been looking into the structure and...