Nature Podcast

• What a trove of potato genomes reveals about the humble spud

  In this episode:00:46 A potato pangenomeResearchers have created a ‘pangenome’ containing the genomes of multiple potato types, something they believe can help make it easier to breed and sequence new varieties. The potato's complicated genetics has made it difficult to sequence the plant's genome, but improvements in technology have allowed the team to combine sequences, allowing then to look for subtle differences in between varieties.Research Article: Sun et al.09:57 Research HighlightsHow ancient DNA analysis revealed that unusually bound medieval books are covered in sealskin, and top quarks and their antimatter counterparts are detected after nuclear smash-ups at the Large Hadron Collider.Research Highlight: Mystery of medieval manuscripts revealed by ancient DNAResearch Highlight: Top quarks spotted at mega-detector could reveal clues to early Universe12:30 The top cited twenty-first century research papersAnalysis from Nature reveals the 25 highest-cited papers published this century and explores why they are breaking records. We hear about the field that got the highest number of papers on the list, and whether any feature in the all-time top citation list.News Feature: Exclusive: the most-cited papers of the twenty-first centuryNews Feature: These are the most-cited research papers of all timeNews Feature: Science’s golden oldies: the decades-old research papers still heavily cited today21:47 Briefing ChatRe-analysis of a cosmic collision shows evidence of a planet spiralling into its host star, and how shrugging off lighting strikes gives tonka bean trees an evolutionary edge.Science: Astronomers spot a planetary ‘suicide’Live Science: Tropical tree in Panama has evolved to kill its 'enemies' with lightningVote for us in this year's Webby AwardsVote for How whales sing without drowning, an anatomical mystery solvedVote for What’s in a name: Should offensive species names be changed? The organisms that honour dictators, racists and criminalsVote for Cancer-busting vaccines are coming: here's how they work Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Long-awaited ape genomes give new insights into their evolution — and ours

  00:46 Complete sequencing of ape genomesResearchers have sequenced the complete genomes of six ape species, helping uncover the evolutionary history of our closest relatives and offering insights into what makes humans human. The genomes of chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, Bornean orangutan, Sumatran orangutan and siamang have been sequenced end-to-end, filling in gaps that have long eluded researchers.Research Article: Yoo et al.News and Views: Complete ape genomes offer a close-up view of human evolutionNews: What makes us human? Milestone ape genomes promise clues08:47 Research HighlightsHow sunflower stars are evading a mysterious epidemic, and how solar panels made of moon dust could power lunar bases.Research Highlight: Revealed: where rare and giant starfish hide from an enigmatic killerResearch Highlight: Solar cells made of Moon dust could power up a lunar base11:36 How to make a competitive laser-plasma acceleratorAfter decades of research, physicists have demonstrated that, in principle, an alternative kind of particle accelerator can work just as well as more conventional designs. Many particle accelerators that power huge experiments like the Large Hadron Collider at CERN are radio-frequency accelerators, but they are large and limited in how strong their magnetic fields can be. The new work shows that accelerators that instead use plasma to accelerate particles could be a viable alternative and could be built at much smaller scales.Research article: Winkler et al.19:55 Briefing ChatA drug that makes blood poisonous to mosquitoes, and how an AI worked out how to solve key challenges in Minecraft by ‘imagining’ solutions.Science Alert: Drug For Rare Disease Turns Human Blood Into Mosquito PoisonNature: AI masters Minecraft: DeepMind program finds diamonds without being taughtVote for us in this year's Webby AwardsVote for How whales sing without drowning, an anatomical mystery solvedVote for What's in a name: Should offensive species names be changed? The organisms that honour dictators, racists and criminalsSubscribe 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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• From Hippocrates to COVID-19: the scientific fight to prove diseases can be airborne

  Science writer and New York Times columnist Carl Zimmer's latest book Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life we Breathe dives into the invisible maelstrom of microbial life swirling in the air around us — examining how it helped shape our world, and the implications that breathing it in can have on human health. Carl joined us to discuss historical efforts to show that diseases could spread large distances through the air, the staunch resistance to this idea, and what the rivalry between these two groups meant for public health.Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe Carl Zimmer Dutton (2025)Music supplied by SPD/Triple Scoop Music/Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Trump team removes senior NIH chiefs in shock move

  In this Podcast Extra, we hear the latest on how decisions by the Trump administration are affecting science in the US. Most recently, a purge of National Institutes of Health (NIH) leadership has seen the chiefs of multiple institutes and centres removed from their posts.Plus, after cancelling nearly all NIH projects studying transgender health, the White House has directed the agency to focus on studying “regret” after a person transitions to align their body with their gender identity.News: ‘One of the darkest days’: NIH purges agency leadership amid mass layoffsNews: Exclusive: Trump White House directs NIH to study ‘regret’ after transgender people transitionNews: Are the Trump team’s actions affecting your research? How to contact Nature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• World’s tiniest pacemaker could revolutionize heart surgery

  00:46 Millimetre-sized pacemaker fits inside syringeResearchers have developed a tiny, temporary pacemaker that dissolves when no longer needed, helping to overcome some of the challenges associated with current devices. Temporary pacemakers are often required after heart surgery but implanting them can require invasive procedures. This new device is injectable, requires no external power and is controlled using light shone through the skin. The tiny pacemaker has shown promise in animal and heart models, and the team think it could also be used in other situations where electrical stimulation is needed, like the brain.Research Article: Zhang et al.08:19 Research HighlightsMeasurements show that global warming is causing lakes to lose their oxygen, and a massive, 30-year analysis showing that a diet of plant-rich foods is associated with healthy ageingResearch Highlight: Life-giving oxygen is wafting out of lakes worldwideResearch Highlight: The best foods for healthy ageing ― and the worst10:21 Shingles vaccine linked to reduced dementia riskA large-scale population study suggests that getting a shingles vaccine reduces the probability of someone getting dementia by around one-fifth. By taking advantage of the way a shingles vaccine was rolled out in Wales, a team were able to compare dementia outcomes in vaccine-eligible people to those born just a few weeks earlier who were ineligible. Although more tests will be needed to confirm this finding and to understand the mechanisms behind it, the team hope that vaccination against this viral infection could represent a cost-effective way to for preventing or delaying dementia.Research article: Eyting et al.20:20 Briefing ChatData suggests that racial profiling plays a role in whether someone receives a traffic citation or fine, and studies suggest that paying researchers who review manuscripts could speed up the peer-review process, without affecting the quality of reviews.Ars Technica: Study of Lyft rideshare data confirms minorities get more ticketsNature: Publishers trial paying peer reviewers — what did they find?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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