Podcasts

Infections particular to our genome might have helped drive human-specific traits — plus, using heat to power DNA computers.

Claims about what is responsible are ignoring answers from decades of research, scientists say.

Julie Gould asks two mid-career researchers to reflect on how closely their professional paths have followed their original goals and ambitions.

Protein on the surface of brain cells appears to play a key role in disease progression — plus, a bot explores what might have happened to research if the Trump’s teams funding cuts had happened 10 years ago.

Science journalist Lizzie Wade joins us to talk about her new book investigating the seismic events that humans have faced through history.

Should you book a session with a careers advisor or go solo with an individual development plan? Here are the pros and cons of each approach.

Trained on 400,000 medical records, the system can predict risks 20 years in advance — plus, how AIs could make you more likely to cheat.

Julie Gould explores some of the theories and frameworks to help identify future work goals and achieve them.

Attribution study suggests major energy producers play an outsized role in causing extreme heatwaves — plus, the scientists fighting back against US funding cuts.

Misconduct is rare in science, but there are worries about a detritus of fake papers in the scientific literature. In this podcast, we explore why misconduct happens and how to tackle it.

Facility aims to stop deadly viruses such as Zika, dengue and chikungunya through the release of disease-fighting mosquitoes.

Iberian harvester ants can produce males that are genetically different species — plus, new insights into preventing deadly bridge collapses.

Scientists are searching for awareness in all its possible forms — insights from human brains could inform that quest.

Modern epidemiological models shed light on the causes of the ‘Great Fear’ — plus, Nature’s big quantum interpretation quiz.

Biochemist Babita Paudel urges her female colleagues to dream big, work hard, take risks and embrace challenges.

Chemists used an electrochemical method to enhance the rates of fusion in a desktop reactor — plus, how microbes give chocolate its taste.

JoAnn Trejo has turned mentoring into an evidence-based science, driven by her own exposure to inspiring mentors.

Authors welcome ‘serious’ scientific rebuttal, while researchers say report misrepresents decades of climate science.

One centimetre-wide devices can use heat from the Sun to levitate — plus, the new experiments trying answer whether gravity is quantum.

Joslynn Lee describes why she seeks to bridge the Native American worldview with Western science.