Nature Podcast

Although scientists have long been able to gather DNA from water and soil, it's only recently that they've started to see the air as a source of genetic information.
Airborne DNA is already being used to monitor individual species, but researchers hope its abundance could have multiple uses, including judging the success of conservation efforts or attacks with biological weapons.

However, there remains much to understand, such as how far DNA travels in the air, and the ethics involved in the potential identification of a person's genetic information.

This is an audio version of our Feature: The air is full of DNA — here’s what scientists are using it for
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00:31 The science of attention spans
Nature Feature: Are attention spans really shrinking? What the science says

04:54 Data centres in space?
Nature News Explainer: AI data hubs in space: when will they take flight?
Nature Comment: Space diplomacy: bridging the operating gaps between myriad missions

Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
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In this episode:

00:42 Probing the unconscious brain’s processing ability
Research Article: Katlowitz et al.
Nature: Even the unconscious brain can learn — and predict what you’ll say next

12:32 Research Highlights
Nature: An electrifying test to find a good coffee
Nature: ​​​​​​​Forest pests hit trees hard as temperatures rise
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In this episode:

00:27 How a parasite unveiled a mitochondrial secret
Nature: Mitochondria can spawn new ‘organelles’ — hinting at how modern cells evolved

06:13 The extinct cephalopods that could have been enormous
Nature: Did kraken-like octopuses rule Cretaceous seas? Massive jaw fossils offer clues

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.

In this episode:

00:45 How eating can boost the immune system
Research Article: Kumar et al.

08:28 Research Highlights
Nature: Cosmic-ray detection heralds era of mega-observatories for neutrinos
Nature: Little ants groom big ones in a desert spa

10:53 The pressing need to plan for future nuclear disasters
World View: Forty years after Chornobyl, more nuclear disasters are inevitable — plan for them

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.