Bowhead whales can live for more than 200 years – this protein might be why
00:47 How bowhead whales live so longResearchers have uncovered a protein that enhances DNA repair and may explain how bowhead whales can live more than 200 years. The protein, cold-induced RNA-binding protein, was shown to enhance repair of double stranded DNA breaks, a particularly troublesome kind of damage. The team showed that this protein could also extend the lives of Drosophila flies and enhance repair in human cells. More needs to be understood about how this protein works, but the researchers hope that it could, one day, help prevent cancer and ageing in humans.Research Article: Firsanov et al.News: This whale lives for centuries: its secret could help to extend human lifespan11:22 Research HighlightsA precise way to grow crystals, with lasers — plus, the specialist organ that allows stinkbugs to protect their eggs from wasps.Research Highlight: How to grow crystals when and where you want themResearch Highlight: Stinkbug ‘ear’ actually hosts parasite-fighting fungi13:31 An antivenom against a broad range of snakebitesResearchers have used ‘nanobodies’ to create an antivenom that works against 17 snake species’ venom. Snakebites kill millions each year, so getting the right antivenom can be life or death. But they are difficult to produce and often are very specific. Now, using nanobodies from llamas, researchers created an antivenom against a broad range of snake species’ venom. The new antivenom can now even be produced without the llamas, and the team hope it will pave the way for a more universal antivenom.Research Article: Ahmadi et al.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Audio long read: How to get the best night’s sleep — what the science says
Advice on how to get good sleep is everywhere, with the market for sleep aids worth more than US$100 billion annually. However, scientists warn that online hacks and pricey tools aren’t always effective, and suggest that lessons learnt about the workings of a network of biological clocks found in the human body could ultimately lead to improved sleep.This is an audio version of our Feature: How to get the best night’s sleep: what the science says Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Honey, I ate the kids: how hunger and hormones make mice aggressive
00:48 How hunger, hormones and aggression interact in mouse brainsResearchers have uncovered the neural mechanisms that underlie an aggressive behaviour in mice prompted by hunger and hormonal state. Virgin female mice can become aggressive towards mouse pups when they are food deprived, but it seems that the relevant amounts of pregnancy hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, also played a role. By investigating the neurons involved, neuroscientists showed how hunger and hormones are integrated by the brain to lead to aggressive behaviour. This could help researchers understand more about how multiple stimuli are interpreted by the brain, something much harder to study than single stimulus effects.Research Article: Cao et al.09:35 Research HighlightsThe overlooked environmental costs of wastewater treatment facilities — plus, an ancient communal hunting system that lasted well into the eighteenth century.Research Highlight: Wastewater treatment produces surprising amounts of greenhouse gasesResearch Highlight: Andean peoples hunted and gathered long after they embraced farming11:53 What generative AI could mean for higher educationAround the world, universities and students are scrambling to adapt to the use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. And while there is optimism that these tools could improve education, there are also concerns about the ways they could stifle independent, critical thought. We hear about the studies trying to unpick the potential impact of this new technology.News Feature: Universities are embracing AI: will students get smarter or stop thinking?21:26 Briefing ChatA blood test for Alzheimer’s, and what should be the next ‘test’ for AI after the Turing test?Nature: Blood tests are now approved for Alzheimer’s: how accurate are they?Nature: AI language models killed the Turing test: do we even need a replacement?Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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New bird flu vaccine could tackle multiple variants with one shot
00:46 A multi-variant avian flu vaccine that could enhance pandemic preparednessA vaccine capable of protecting against multiple strains of avian influenza virus might be a step closer, according to new research. The H5 subtype of avian influenza viruses has spilled over into mammals and is particularly concerning to researchers because of the risk that one of its variants may evolve to cause a pandemic. But because there are multiple variants of these viruses, it has been hard to pre-prepare vaccines. Now, a team has used information on how H5 viruses changed over time to design a vaccine that in animal studies provided protection against different H5 variants. They hope their approach could be applied to create stockpiles of a vaccine that could be used in the event of a pandemic, regardless of the variant that causes it.Research Article: Kok et al.10:53 Research HighlightsMaking muon beams without a huge particle accelerator — plus, the bats hunting migrating birds in mid-air.Research Highlight: Portable muon beam could accelerate archaeology scansResearch Highlight: European bats capture migrating birds and eat them on the wing13:34 Briefing ChatA new search engine that can sift through the staggering volumes of biological data, and the multiple failings revealed by an assessment of 25 years of carbon offsetting data.Nature: ‘Google for DNA’ brings order to biology’s big dataThe Guardian: Carbon offsets fail to cut global heating due to ‘intractable’ systemic problems, study saysSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How stereotypes shape AI – and what that means for the future of hiring
00:48 The stereotypes hidden in Internet imagesStereotyped assumptions about women’s ages and their perceived job suitability are enhanced by Internet imagery, according to new research. A study of hundreds of thousands of online images shows that women appear younger than men. This stereotype extends to the jobs that people perceive women do, with men being associated with roles such as CEO or head of research, while women were linked to occupations like cook or nurse. The research shows that these biases have been embedded into the training data for AI models and could affect future hiring. The researchers caution that society is at risk of creating a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ where these stereotypes shape the real world.Research Article: Guilbeault et al.News and Views: Distorted representations of age and gender are reflected in AI models13:24 Research HighlightsA very hungry planet — plus, how climate change is leading to larger trees in the Amazon.Research Highlight: ‘Rogue’ planet is fastest-growing ever observedResearch Highlight: Trees of the Amazon are becoming even mightier15:49 Astronomers name their favourite exoplanetThirty years ago, astronomers announced the discovery of the first exoplanet around a Sun-like star, sparking a renewed passion into spotting these planets that lie beyond our Solar System. In celebration, Nature asked researchers to tell us about their favourites.News: These alien planets are astronomers’ favourites: here’s whyHear the music of a distant planetary system25:51 Nobel newsFlora Graham from the Nature Briefing joins us to talk about the winners of this year’s science Nobel prizes.Nature: Medicine Nobel goes to scientists who revealed secrets of immune system ‘regulation’Nature: Groundbreaking quantum-tunnelling experiments win physics NobelNature: Chemistry Nobel for scientists who developed massively porous ‘super sponge’ materialsNature: Will AI ever win its own Nobel? Some predict a prize-worthy science discovery soonSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Nature Podcast brings you the best stories from the world of science each week. We cover everything from astronomy to zoology, highlighting the most exciting research from each issue of the Nature journal. We meet the scientists behind the results and provide in-depth analysis from Nature's journalists and editors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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