Share
Nature Podcast
A twisting microscope that could unlock the secrets of 2D materials
To better visualise how electrons are ‘moving’ in materials, a team have developed the Quantum Twisting Microscope. This instrument puts two 2D layers of atoms into close contact, allowing them to interact, which can give useful information about their properties. The microscope can also rotate one of the layers, helping researchers look for so-called ‘magic angles’, where 2D materials like graphene can exhibit extraordinary properties.
Research article: Inbar et al.
News & Views: A twist in the bid to probe electrons in solids
09:55 Research Highlights
How an extinct insect larvae’s prodigiously long ‘neck’ may have helped it hunt, and surveying the levels at which coastal cities are converting water into land.
Research Highlight: Extinct insects hunted like predatory giraffes
Research Highlight: Cities worldwide claw vast amounts of land from the sea
12:21 How Russia’s invasion has affected science in Ukraine
This week marks the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We discuss how science has fared in Ukraine over the past 12 months, and how international collaborations are shaping the future of research in the country.
News Feature: The fight to keep Ukrainian science alive through a year of war
Editorial: Rebuilding Ukrainian science can’t wait — here’s how to start
World View: Ukrainian science has survived against the odds — now let’s rebuild together
19:52 Briefing Chat
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, the US Food and Drug Administration’s requirements to increase diversity in clinical trials, and research suggesting that snakes are better listeners than previously thought.
Nature News: FDA to require diversity plan for clinical trials
Science Alert: Snakes Can Hear You Better Than You Think
More episodes
View all episodes
Briefing Chat: 'External lungs' keep man alive for 48 hours until transplant
11:03|In this episode:00:42 External, artificial-lung system keeps patient alive for transplantNature: 48 hours without lungs: artificial organ kept man alive until transplant06:22 How lung cancer in mice hijacks neurons to outwit the immune systemNature: How tumours trick the brain into shutting down cancer-fighting cellsSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
These mysterious ridges could help skin regenerate
22:05|00:46 Understanding how rete ridges form in the skinNature: Thompson et al.09:32 Research HighlightsNature: Genetically engineered ‘stinkweed’ comes up roses for making seed oilNature: Largest galaxy survey yet confirms that the Universe is not clumpy enough11:52 The open-source AI that performs scientific literature reviewsNature: Asai et al.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Briefing Chat: What Brazilian centenarians could reveal about the science of ageing
10:21|In this episode:00:36 Study probes genetics of extreme longevityNature: Still working at 107: supercentenarian study probes genetics of extreme longevity05:32 Controlling fluorescent proteins’ brightness with magnetsNature: ‘Remote controlled’ proteins illuminate living cellsSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.How your brain chemistry rewards hard work
24:02|00:46 Why completing difficult tasks feels rewardingNature: Touponse et al.11:34 Research HighlightsNature: Disappearing ‘planet’ reveals a solar system’s turbulent timesNature: Getting to the (square) root of stock-market swings13:43 How extreme weather events could threaten malaria elimination effortsNature: Symons et al.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Audio long read: ‘I rarely get outside’ — scientists ditch fieldwork in the age of AI
18:29|This is an audio version of our Feature: ‘I rarely get outside’: scientists ditch fieldwork in the age of AI
Briefing Chat: The canny cow that can use tools, and how babies share their microbiomes
12:03|In this episode:00:24 How babies share their gut microbesNature: Sending babies to nursery completely reshapes their microbiome05:25 First evidence of tool use in cattleScience: No bull: This Austrian cow has learned to use toolsSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.The biggest 'Schrödinger's cat' yet — physicists put 7,000 atoms in superposition
26:32|00:46 Protein-sized superposition surpasses previous experimentsNature: Pedalino et al.News: Schrödinger's cat just got bigger: quantum physicists create largest ever 'superposition'11:46 Research HighlightsNature: Ancient pottery reveals early evidence of mathematical thinkingNature: Gifted dogs learn new words by overhearing humans14:11 How Trump’s second term has impacted researchNature: US science after a year of TrumpNature: US science in 2026: five themes that will dominate Trump’s second year
Briefing Chat: Can NASA return rocks from Mars? And why dogs have long ears
10:04|In this episode:00:40 The rock samples destined to remain on MarsNature: NASA won’t bring Mars samples back to Earth: this is the science that will be lost05:24 The genetics of dogs’ droopy earsNature: Do their ears hang low? The genetics of dogs’ adorable floppy earsSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.AI can turbocharge scientists' careers — but limit their scope
21:38|In this episode:00:47 AI can boost research productivity — at what cost?Research article: Hao et al.10:10 Research HighlightsNature: Ancient ‘snowball’ Earth had frigidly briny seasNature: Putting immune cells into ‘night mode’ reduces heart-attack damage12:41 JWST images are full of red dots, what are they?Nature: Rusakov et al.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.