Share

cover art for Do protons have intrinsic charm? New evidence suggests yes

Nature Podcast

Do protons have intrinsic charm? New evidence suggests yes

00:47 Evidence of a proton’s charm

For decades, scientists have debated whether protons have ‘intrinsic charm’, meaning they contain elementary particles known as charm quarks. Now, using machine learning to comb through huge amounts of experimental data, a team have shown evidence that the charm quark can be found within a proton, which may have important ramifications in the search for new physics.


Research article: The NNPDF Collaboration

News and Views: Evidence at last that the proton has intrinsic charm


11:26 Research Highlights

How sea sponges ‘sneeze’ to clean their filters, and why bonobos’ infantile behaviour helps them receive consolation after conflict.


Research Highlight: How a sponge ‘sneezes’ mucus: against the flow

Research Highlight: Bonobo apes pout and throw tantrums — and gain sympathy


13:52 Briefing Chat

We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, the repeated evolution of the crab body-shape, and why demanding work can lead to mental fatigue.


Discover: Evolution Only Thinks About One Thing, and It’s Crabs

Nature News: Why thinking hard makes us feel tired


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

More episodes

View all episodes

  • Briefing Chat: ‘Zombie cells’ resurrected with new genes

    11:01|
    Nature staff discuss some of the week's top science news.00:18 ‘Zombie cells’ revived with genome transplantNature: ‘Zombie cells’ return from the dead — after a genome transplant05:27 A limit to cloning, in miceNature: Can a mouse be cloned indefinitely? Decades-long experiment has answersSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
  • Why insects aren't huge: a new challenge to a decades-old idea

    22:42|
    00:44 Why insects aren’t massiveResearch Article : Snelling et al.11:39 Research HighlightsNature: Faster ticking of ‘biological clock’ predicts shorter lifespanNature: Mighty mini-magnet is low in cost and light on energy use14:05 CRISPR creates CAR-T cancer therapy inside miceResearch Article: Nyberg et al.News & Views: A gene-editing method generates immunotherapeutic CAR T cells in the bodyNature: CRISPR makes enhanced cancer-fighting immune cells inside miceSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
  • Briefing Chat: Are scientists funny? The evidence is in — and it's no joke

    09:52|
    In this episode:00:22 Exploring how gut microorganisms contribute to ageingNature: Memory loss is fuelled by gut microbes in ageing mice04:30 How good jokes are in short supply during academic conferencesNature: Knock knock, no one’s there. Study finds scientists’ jokes mostly fall flatSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
  • Botanical mystery solved: how plants make a crucial malaria drug

    15:55|
    In this episode:00:46 Piecing together a biochemical puzzleResearch Article : Lombe et al.12:26 Research HighlightsNature: Electric-vehicle batteries toughen up to beat the heatNature: Live parrots were carried across the Andes before the Incas’ rise
  • Briefing chat: ‘Can it run Doom?’ — why scientists got brain cells and a satellite to play the classic game

    10:34|
    00:26 Why researchers keep using Doom in their researchNature: How the classic computer game Doom became a tool for scienceSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
  • This fish shouldn’t exist — the weird genetics of clonal vertebrates

    23:22|
    A study reveals how the asexual Amazon molly defies evolutionary expectations — plus, evidence of what may be powering superluminous supernovae.In this episode:00:46 Unravelling the genetics of an asexual fish that should be extinctResearch Article: Ricemeyer et al.News and Views: How an all-female fish species defies evolutionary expectations10:19 Research HighlightsNature: ​​​​​​​Jam-packed star system is most compact of its kind ever foundNature: ​​​​​​​Peanut-processing microbes ward off dangerous allergic shock11:31 How a superluminous supernova got so brightResearch Article : ​​​​​​​Farah et al.News and Views: ​​​​​​​Ultra-bright supernova wobbles like a spinning topSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday: https://www.nature.com/briefing/signup
  • Briefing chat: What Galileo’s scribbled margin notes reveal about his scientific journey

    09:35|
    In this episode:00:25 How paediatricians’ antibodies could treat serious viral infectionsNew Scientist: Paediatricians’ blood used to make new treatments for RSV and colds04:22 Galileo’s annotations in an ancient textScience: Galileo’s handwritten notes found in ancient astronomy textSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
  • Heart surgery with quick-setting magnetic fluid could prevent strokes

    18:12|
    Injectable fluid safely fills area in which blood clots can form, in animal trials — plus, strong evidence that an elusive form of diamond has been made in the lab.00:47 A magnetic seal to stop clots forming in the heartResearch Article : Wang et al.News and Views: Magnetic fluid offers better seal in heart-plugging medical procedureVideo: Magnetic gel injected into the heart could stop strokes07:02 Research HighlightsNature: Sewage systems secretly waft pollution into the airNature: This ant species is composed of only queens — no workers or males11:31 Making hexagonal diamondResearch Article: Lai 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: Many people have no mental imagery. What’s going on in their brains?

    18:23|
    This is an audio version of our Feature: Many people have no mental imagery. What’s going on in their brains?