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Insulin cream offers needle-free option for diabetes
Researchers have developed a skin-permeable polymer that can deliver insulin into the body, which they say could one day offer an alternative to injections for diabetes management. The skin’s structure presents a formidable barrier to the delivery of large drugs but in this work a team show that their polymer can penetrate though the different layers without causing damage. Insulin attached to this polymer was able to reduce blood glucose levels in animal models for diabetes at a comparable speed to injected insulin. While further research is required on the long-term safety of this strategy, the team hope it could offer a way to non-invasively deliver other large-molecule drugs into the body.
Research Article: Wei et al.
How extreme drought may be humanity’s biggest challenge after a huge volcanic eruption — plus, turning a bacterium into a factory for a colour-changing pigment
Research Highlight: Volcano mega-eruptions lead to parched times
Research Highlight: Dye or die: bacterium forced to make pigment to stay alive
The human brain responds in a similar way to both familiar and unfamiliar languages, but there are some key differences, according to new research — a finding that may explain why learning a language can be difficult. A study looking involving 34 people showed that listening to an unfamiliar language triggers similar neural activity to listening to their native tongue. The finding implies that human speech triggers a common reaction in the brain regardless of understanding. However, there were subtle differences when listening to a known language that may help explain how people actually understand words.
Research Article: Bhaya-Grossman et al.
Neuron: Zhang et al
Signs that greenhouse-gas emissions may peak around 2030 — plus, evidence of dog breeding by ancient humans.
Nature: Global greenhouse-gas emissions are still rising: when will they peak?
Nature: How ancient humans bred and traded the first domestic dogs
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Briefing Chat: Baby T. rex were killers from birth, suggest new fossils
12:43|Nature staff discuss the young but deadly dinosaur kings, the prowess of ancient Egyptian princesses, and how London is becoming the world’s AI safety capital.00:34 London is transforming into an AI-safety hubNature: A global capital for AI safety is emerging — and it’s not in Silicon Valley05:52 Bones reveal that ancient Egyptian princesses weren’t pamperedScientific American: Ancient Egyptian princesses were ‘powerful’ weapon users, new analysis suggests9:30 T. rex was born ready to killDiscover magazine: Fossil Evidence Indicates Baby T. rex Were Tiny, but DeadlySubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
What counts as a moon? Huge ‘exosatellite’ sparks debate
23:50|00:45 The discovery of a moon-like object in a distant star systemResearch article: Hoy et al.10:34 Research HighlightsNature: Moving floors keep buildings from swaying with the windNature: Wearable sensors on the face are invisible to the eye13:07 A discovery of a new type of rare transmissible-cancerResearch article: Curd 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: Sweet! Elusive sugar molecules found in space
09:55|In this episode:00:24 A sweet discovery near the Milky Way’s centreNature: First ‘true sugar’ molecule found in space — offering hints to life’s origins05:05 Mathematical texts give insights into Maya mathematical prowessNature: Mathematics formula found on Maya wall rivals insights of ancient mastersSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.‘Holy grail’ of naked mole-rat research reveals how queens rule
22:40|00:45 The secret scent behind a naked mole-rat's ruleResearch article: Khallaf et al.08:34 Research HighlightsNature: Pair of ‘super-puff’ planets are lighter than candyflossNature: Alpine crossing took a heavy toll on Hannibal’s elephants and troops10:59 The psychology behind a brand-new board game: the behaviour of beginnersResearch article: Collins 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: The 30 year-legacy of a science icon – Dolly the sheep
10:03|In this episode:00:29 Dolly the sheep’s 30-year legacyMetro: Dolly the sheep at 30: The clone that changed science (and celebrity petdom)Nature: From cloning to gene-editing: the enduring legacy of Dolly the sheep05:20 The ocean floor caught in the act of splitting at the seamsNature: Ocean floor witnessed splitting apart for the first time — releasing lavaSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Nukes in space? Orbital detector could sniff out warheads
25:08|In this episode:00:45 A neutron detector could sniff out a secret space nukeResearch article: Danagoulian11:52 Research HighlightsNature: Volcanic magma sculpts eerie domes on the sea floorNature: Clues to the sloth’s sloth found in its genome14:18 How indigenous knowledge in the Amazon could disappearResearch article: Cámara-Leret et al.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Togetherness: How co-operation built the world
31:39|In this episode, we speak with science journalist Rowan Hooper, whose book Togetherness: Symbiosis and the Hidden Story of Life's Greatest Collaborations takes a deep-dive into the world of co-operation between organisms.In the book, he argues that collaboration in nature has often been overlooked in favour of competition, and that organisms working together have played a vital role in making the world the way it is.Togetherness: Symbiosis and the Hidden Story of Life's Greatest Collaborations Rowan Hooper Fern Press (2026)Music supplied by SPD/Triple Scoop Music/Getty ImagesAudio long read: Is the peptide craze backed by science? The promise behind the hype
16:41|Peptides — short chains of amino acids — have become huge online. The popularity of these molecules has skyrocketed and they are now the latest cure-all trend on social media.But what does the science say about their effectiveness? Animal research suggests that that some of these experimental peptides hold promise, but evidence they work in people is lacking.This is an audio version of our Feature: Is the peptide craze backed by science? The promise behind the hype
Briefing Chat: What tickling a chimpanzee can tell us about the evolution of speech
11:30|Nature staff discuss how apes share a rhythm of laughter, and how AI use may degrade skills in medicine and computer science.00:32 Early evidence suggests that AI use causes skills to atrophyNature: Is AI ruining our skills? Early results are in — and they’re not good06:42 Humans and chimps share a laughNature: Oo oo, ha ha: why humans and great apes giggle alike when tickledSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.