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Nature Podcast
Higgs boson turns ten: the mysteries physicists are still trying to solve
Ten years ago this week, scientists announced that they’d found evidence of the existence of the Higgs boson, a fundamental particle first theorised to exist nearly sixty years earlier.
To celebrate this anniversary, we reminisce about what the discovery meant at the time, and what questions are left to be answered about this mysterious particle.
Nature News: Happy birthday, Higgs boson! What we do and don’t know about the particle
Nature Editorial: Particle physics isn’t going to die — even if the LHC finds no new particles
11:09 Research Highlights
Clever clothes that can cool or warm the wearer, and finding hidden DNA from the endangered red wolf.
Research Highlight: ‘Smart’ clothing flexes to provide relief from the heat
Research Highlight: ‘Ghost’ DNA from the world’s rarest wolves lingers in coyotes
13:27 Supporting scientists who stutter
Stuttering is a speech condition that affects around 70 million people worldwide, which can make things like speaking in public, or even one-on-one incredibly daunting. We hear the experiences of one researcher of stuttering, who also has a stutter, as they explain the best way to offer support to others.
Careers Feature: The conference challenges faced by scientists who stutter
22:10 Briefing Chat
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, we discuss how having similar smells could spark a friendship, and how viruses can alter our odour to make humans more attractive to mosquitos.
New Scientist: You're more likely to become friends with someone who smells like you
Nature News: How some viruses make people smell extra-tasty to mosquitoes
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Briefing Chat: New narcolepsy drug could unlock host of novel brain therapies
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A black hole's spin could finally be measured by a high-speed star
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Briefing Chat: Anthropic rolls out new AI watermark — will it make a difference?
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The probiotic bacteria engineered to treat diabetes
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Briefing Chat: Is DNA repair the secret to a long life? Whales and mole-rats offer tantalizing hints
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Junk plastic turns into high-value commodity with chemistry trick
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Briefing Chat: Orcas smashed a sunfish to bits — researchers aren't sure why
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Earthworks spotted in the Amazon hint at huge ancient civilization
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Briefing Chat: Baby T. rex were killers from birth, suggest new fossils
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