Addressing the problem of sudden food scarcity in US cities, and the up-and-coming field of computational social science.
In this episode:
00:45 Food shocks
Climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and geopolitical crises can cause food shortages. To tackle this issue, Alfonso Mejia and colleagues have modelled how to best mitigate these food shocks in US cities. Alfonso tells us about the new analyses and what steps cities could take in the future.
Research Article: Gomez et al.
News and Views: How to buffer against an urban food shortage
06:07 Research Highlights
A tiny lattice can withstand the impacts of projectiles at twice the speed of sound, and the neurons that allow humans to perceive time.
Research Highlight: Supersonic strikes leave just a dent in this super-light material
Research Highlight: The ‘time neurons’ that help the brain keep track
08:25 Computational Social Science
Big data is transforming research, and social science is no exception. This week, Nature is running a special issue on ‘computational social science’. We catch up with some of the editors involved to find out more about this up-and-coming field.
Collections: Computational Social Science
19:27 Briefing Chat
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, discovering the dazzling diversity of viruses, and how China eradicated malaria.
Nature News Feature: Beyond coronavirus: the virus discoveries transforming biology
Science: It’s official: China has eliminated malaria
Nature Videos
Diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa
Why leaky pipes can be better for moving water
The artificial pancreas: a bridge to a cure