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Earth's deepest ecosystem discovered six miles below the sea
Researchers have dived down to more than 9,000 metres below the surface of the Pacific and discovered surprisingly complex communities of life living in deep ocean trenches. The new research shows an array of animal life that appears to be using methane as a source of energy. The researchers are planning more dives to learn more about this mysterious ecosystem and how these animals can thrive despite the extreme pressure they face.
Research Article: Peng et al
A fossilized leg bone reveals an 11-million-year-old fight between a terror bird and a caiman, plus the anti-ageing secret of ‘immortal’ stars.
Research Highlight: Rumble in the Miocene: terror bird versus caiman
Research Highlight: ‘Immortal’ stars have an elixir of youth: dark matter
New research reveals that infection by a respiratory virus has the potential to awaken dormant cancer cells. In mice studies, a team showed that inflammation caused by infection with influenza or SARS-CoV-2 could initiate the awakening of breast cancer cells that had metastasized to the lungs. Observational studies using human health data also showed that a COVID-19 infection was associated with increased risk of lung metastasis and cancer death. While the precise mechanisms are unknown, the team say that understanding the process could help mitigate any risks of cancer progression caused by a viral infection.
Research Article: Chia et al.
News and Views: Inflammation during viral infection can rouse dormant cancer cells
A survey of more than 1,100 physicists has revealed that there are widely different interpretations of what quantum mechanics means for our understanding or reality. Reporter Lizzie Gibney takes us through the different ideas physicists have and asks if such disagreements even matter.
Nature: Physicists disagree wildly on what quantum mechanics says about reality, Nature survey shows
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Your phone can use tiny skin-colour changes to measure your heart rate
18:23|In this episode:00:57 How your smartphone’s camera could measure your heart rateResearch article: Liao et al.08:55 Research HighlightsNature: A star gone rogue tears through the GalaxyNature: Gold keeps glittering courtesy of surface chemistry11:04 Should you try something new in a restaurant? Maths has the answerNature: Feynman solved the ‘restaurant dilemma’ 50 years ago — now a study confirms his mathematicsSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Briefing Chat: When to trust eyewitness memory – according to science
17:14|In this episode:00:21 When witnesses identify suspects from police line-ups, confidence mattersNature: Memory on trial: the new science of when to trust eyewitness testimony07:15 Registered Reports: how this ‘double peer review’ process could benefit scientists and their resultsNature: Nature is expanding Registered Reports to all the fields in which we publishMajor Ebola outbreak is escalating: what happens next
12:01|On 17 May the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an ongoing Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Centred on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, the outbreak has seen mounting numbers of suspected cases and deaths linked to the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus.In this podcast we hear what's currently known about the outbreak and the efforts of clinicians, researchers and public health officials to halt its progress.Nature: Ebola outbreak is a global health emergency: what happens nextNature: Race begins to trial Ebola drugs amid current outbreakNature: Ebola outbreak spirals out of control: how might it have started?Nature: Will this Ebola outbreak be the biggest yet?AI ‘scientists’ promise to accelerate research — how do they work?
27:55|In this episode:00:46 Meet the AI scientists designed to accelerate researchResearch article: Ghareeb et al.Research article: Gottweis et al.Nature: Teams of AI agents boost speed of researchEditorial: Why AI cannot do good science without humansNature: Do you hate or love AI? Take Nature’s poll13:25 Research HighlightsNature: Dried to survive: desiccated tardigrades tolerate high heatNature: Pristine Antarctic ice records the Solar System’s travels15:35 Using LiDAR to look around cornersResearch article: Somasundaram 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: Hantavirus — what this outbreak reveals about the disease
09:34|In this episode:00:34 What questions remain about the hantavirus outbreak?Nature: Hantavirus outbreak exposes uncertainty about how disease spreadsNature: There is no vaccine for deadly hantavirus: what that means for future outbreaksSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Red-light therapy is all the rage — does it work?
21:56|In this episode:00:42 Is red-light therapy all hype?Disclaimer: The opinions and assertions expressed herein by Juanita Anders are those of the speaker and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences or the Department of War.Nature: The surprising science behind red-light therapy — and how it really works10:52 Research HighlightsNature: Trafficked pangolins can be traced to their source by DNA — even to a specific forestNature: A wispy wrapper for a chilly, Pluto-like world13:11 The complex story of global obesity ratesResearch article: NCD Risk Factor CollaborationSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Audio long read: The air is full of DNA — here’s what scientists are using it for
19:06|Although scientists have long been able to gather DNA from water and soil, it's only recently that they've started to see the air as a source of genetic information.Airborne DNA is already being used to monitor individual species, but researchers hope its abundance could have multiple uses, including judging the success of conservation efforts or attacks with biological weapons.However, there remains much to understand, such as how far DNA travels in the air, and the ethics involved in the potential identification of a person's genetic information.This is an audio version of our Feature: The air is full of DNA — here’s what scientists are using it for
Briefing Chat: Can't focus? It's not your attention span, it's your notifications
10:53|00:31 The science of attention spansNature Feature: Are attention spans really shrinking? What the science says04:54 Data centres in space?Nature News Explainer: AI data hubs in space: when will they take flight?Nature Comment: Space diplomacy: bridging the operating gaps between myriad missionsSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Anaesthetized brains can still process podcasts
15:00|In this episode:00:42 Probing the unconscious brain’s processing abilityResearch Article: Katlowitz et al.Nature: Even the unconscious brain can learn — and predict what you’ll say next12:32 Research HighlightsNature: An electrifying test to find a good coffeeNature: Forest pests hit trees hard as temperatures rise