Share
Nature Podcast
Tiny satellite sets new record for secure quantum communication
A tiny satellite has enabled quantum-encrypted information to be sent between China and South Africa, the farthest distance yet achieved for quantum communication. Using a laser-based system, a team in the city of Hefei was able to beam a ‘secret key’ encoded in quantum states of photons, to their colleagues over 12,000 km away. This key allowed scrambled messages to be decrypted — including one containing a picture of the Great Wall of China. The team’s system is drastically smaller and cheaper that previous attempts, and they think it represents a big step towards the creation of a global network of secure, quantum communication.
Research Article: Li et al.
News: Mini-satellite paves the way for quantum messaging anywhere on Earth
How storms known as ‘atmospheric rivers’ could replenish Greenland’s ice, and a prosthetic hand that can distinguish objects by touch almost as well as a human.
Research Highlight: Mega-storm dumps 11 billion tonnes of snow ― and builds up a melting ice sheet
Research Highlight: Robotic fingers can tell objects apart by touch
Researchers have created an AI system called TextGrad which can provide written feedback on another AI’s performance. This feedback is interpretable by humans, which could help researchers tweak the incredibly complicated, and sometimes inscrutable models that underpin modern AIs. “Previously optimising machine learning algorithms requires quite a lot of human engineering,” says James Zou, one of the team behind this work, “but with TextGrad, now the AI is able to self-improve to a large extent.”
Research Article: Yuksekgonul et al.
The first two months of Donald Trump’s presidency has seen swingeing cuts to US federal funding for research, particularly to research associated with DEI. We hear the latest on these cuts and their impact from reporter Max Kozlov.
Nature: ‘My career is over’: Columbia University scientists hit hard by Trump team’s cuts
Nature: How the NIH dominates the world’s health research — in charts
Nature: ‘Scientists will not be silenced’: thousands protest Trump research cuts
Nature: Exclusive: NIH to terminate hundreds of active research grants
More episodes
View all episodes
Briefing Chat: Why scientists made papyrus scrolls, then burnt them
11:32|In this episode00:23 How detecting lead could help researchers read damaged Roman scrollsNature: Watch scientists decipher burned scrolls without unrolling them06:42 A biodegradeable, paper-inspired batteryNature: Edible batteries power medical devices in the bodySubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the Nature Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music or your favourite podcast app. An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast is available too.
Bank accounts reveal the fingerprints of abusive financial control
24:12|00:45 Investigating the day-to-day impacts of Financial AbuseNature: Trendl et al.Support organizationsUK: Surviving Economic AbuseUS: National Domestic Violence Helpline12:14 Research HighlightsNature: Mercury is shrinking with age — faster than thoughtNature: Cognitive resilience helps to predict Alzheimer’s dementia14:55 How opposing forces in the Earth's core alter how the planet spinsNature: Gravitational tug-of-war inside Earth is changing the length of our daysSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the Nature Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music or your favourite podcast app. An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast is available too.- 12:34|In this episode:00:22 Could secret rooms lie beyond Tutankhamun's tomb?Nature: Exclusive: New evidence for hidden chambers beyond Tutankhamun’s tomb05:55 A multifunctional brain–computer interfaceNature: ‘Multifunctional’ brain implant translates speech and gestures in real timeSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Transplanted human brain-tissue takes root in mice without a cortex
28:10|In this episode:00:46 Human brain-organoids transplanted into mice missing their cortexNature: Human brain cells transplanted into mice in ‘most extensive’ integration ever13:51 Research HighlightsNature: Ruins of ancient Asian city show engineering prowess and organizationNature: Distant sensors announced a fearsome tsunami’s birth16:16 Paper2Agent: the AI tool that lets researchers talk to papersNature: AI tool turns any paper into an ‘agent’ that can collaborate and answer complex queriesSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Briefing Chat: The Bunsen burner myth that turns out to be just hot air
15:55|Nature staff discuss an AI tool that can assess the impact of nine billion mutations — plus, how the Bunsen burner’s reputation for sterilization may be based on tradition alone.00:21 Deepmind’s new tool helps scientists find the impact of mutationsNature: DeepMind’s new genome ‘atlas’ charts effects of all nine billion human gene mutations07:10 Bacteria can still contaminate plates near to active Bunsen burnersNature: Bunsen burners’ reputation for sterilizing workplaces flames out Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Phone tutoring boosts math scores when schools are forced to close
21:10|In this episode:00:46 How telephone teaching could boost education during school shutdownsNature: Pick up the phone! Phone calls with tutors keep kids learning when schools shut down11:42 Research HighlightsNature: Super-precise optical clocks in four nations tick in harmonyNature: These greenhouse-gas sources have trotters and snouts14:15 Why atlases might need an updateNature: Hello Equal Earth: what the UN’s new world map will changeSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Briefing Chat: How 1,000 pairs of buried underpants helped measure soil health
12:24|In this episode:00:21 Our picks of this year’s Ig Nobel prizesNature: Buried underpants and a new definition of kissing win 2026 Ig Nobel prizes07:47 Massive xenon experiment detects tantalizing hint of dark matterNature: Is this the first glimpse of dark matter? Data point excites physicistsSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Audio long read: Could mending damaged DNA prolong life?
18:16|Scientists are amassing evidence that unrepaired or poorly repaired DNA damage underlies many of the hallmarks of ageing. This has led to research into whether boosting DNA repair can keep people healthy for longer.This is an audio version of our Feature: Could mending damaged DNA prolong life?
Briefing Chat: How Dolly Parton left her mark on science
14:05|In this episode:00:18 Researchers celebrate Dolly Parton's contributions to scienceNature: Dolly Parton dies aged 80 — researchers celebrate her contributions to science08:40 Phase III trial of melanoma vaccine shows promiseNature: Moderna cancer vaccine stops melanoma returning: what’s next for personalized treatments?Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
