In this episode:

Nature: Buried underpants and a new definition of kissing win 2026 Ig Nobel prizes

Nature: Is this the first glimpse of dark matter? Data point excites physicists

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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?

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In this episode:

Nature: Dolly Parton dies aged 80 — researchers celebrate her contributions to science

Nature: Moderna cancer vaccine stops melanoma returning: what’s next for personalized treatments?

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Why extreme temperatures are expected to weaken ocean carbon sinks — plus, how mitochondrial injections could treat vision loss.

00:46 The world’s oceans reach a record temperature

Nature: Ocean temperatures set to break all-time record: what’s next?

10:05 Research Highlights

Nature: Astronaut vest cuts radiation exposure in half

Nature: Earth-shaking thunder probes underground geology

12:54 How mitochondrial injections could treat vision loss

Nature: Patient’s own mitochondria injected into eyes in attempt to restore vision​​​​​​​

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Nature staff discuss how an FDA-approved drug for narcolepsy could have promise beyond the condition, and the longest-lived human brain organoids yet.

00:28 The promise of a new narcolepsy drug

Nature: First-of-its-kind narcolepsy drug opens door to new therapies for the brain

05:53 Human brain organoids kept alive for over five years

Nature: Human organoids that mimic brain development grown for years in lab​​​​​​​

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Star orbiting close to Sagittarius A* could reveal its spin — plus, how exoskeletons might change the way humans move.

Research article: Dayem et al.

Nature: ​​​​​​​Rattlesnakes’ own antivenom could protect humans too

Nature: ​​​​​​​Shipping on rivers packs a surprisingly large climate punch

Nature: ​​​​​​​Will you be wearing an exoskeleton in ten years? The tech that could change how we move​​​​​​​

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In this episode:

Nature: Can Anthropic’s invisible watermarks curb ‘AI slop’? Researchers remain sceptical

Nature: Where are you ticklish? Researchers map the sensation across cultures

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Genetically modified bacteria lower high blood-sugar in animal trials — plus, how to safely watch a solar eclipse.

Research article: Guan et al.

Nature: Pumas are drivers’ guardian angels

Nature: How a steady drip-drip can erode the hardest stone

Nature: Solar eclipse offers rare chance to solve Sun’s magnetic-field mysteries

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Nature staff discuss how animal studies are starting to uncover how DNA repair could prolong life, and how COVID-19 can reawaken dormant viruses.

00:25 Could reawakened viruses have a link to long-COVID?

Nature: COVID can wake up a slew of dormant viruses inside you

05:57 DNA damage can cause ageing, could boosting repair boost longevity?

Nature: ​​​​​​​Could mending damaged DNA prolong life?​​​​​​​

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Researchers untangle the chemistry behind turning PVC into high-grade motor lubricant — plus, how engineered yeast can help make a cancer drug.

00:45 The chemistry behind converting PVC into lubricant

Research article: Munyaneza et al.

09:15 Research Highlights

Nature: ​​​​​​​Engineered yeast that make cancer drugs could spare a rare flower

Nature: ​​​​​​​Sickle-cell disease linked to prematurely aged stem cells in mice​​​​​​​

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In this episode:

Nature: Tiny patch of Amazon likely holds 40,000 insect species — many new to science

The Guardian: Orcas seen ramming prey so hard it explodes may be playing game

Tiktok: Orcas vs sunfish

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In this episode:

Research article: Pärssinen et al.

Nature: It’ll grow on you: live fungi formed into sustainable fashion

Physical Review Fluids: Gourmandie et al.

Research article: Song et al.

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Nature staff discuss the young but deadly dinosaur kings, the prowess of ancient Egyptian princesses, and how London is becoming the world’s AI safety capital.

Nature: A global capital for AI safety is emerging — and it’s not in Silicon Valley

Scientific American: Ancient Egyptian princesses were ‘powerful’ weapon users, new analysis suggests

Discover magazine: Fossil Evidence Indicates Baby T. rex Were Tiny, but Deadly

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Research article: Hoy et al.

Nature: Moving floors keep buildings from swaying with the wind

Nature: Wearable sensors on the face are invisible to the eye

Research article: Curd et al.

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In this episode:

Nature: First ‘true sugar’ molecule found in space — offering hints to life’s origins

Nature: Mathematics formula found on Maya wall rivals insights of ancient masters

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Research article: Khallaf et al.

Nature: Pair of ‘super-puff’ planets are lighter than candyfloss

Nature: Alpine crossing took a heavy toll on Hannibal’s elephants and troops

Research article: Collins et al.

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In this episode:

Metro: Dolly the sheep at 30: The clone that changed science (and celebrity petdom)

Nature: From cloning to gene-editing: the enduring legacy of Dolly the sheep

Nature: Ocean floor witnessed splitting apart for the first time — releasing lava

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In this episode:

Research article: Danagoulian

Nature: Volcanic magma sculpts eerie domes on the sea floor

Nature: Clues to the sloth’s sloth found in its genome

Research article: Cámara-Leret et al.

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In this episode, we speak with science journalist Rowan Hooper, whose book Togetherness: Symbiosis and the Hidden Story of Life's Greatest Collaborations takes a deep-dive into the world of co-operation between organisms.

In the book, he argues that collaboration in nature has often been overlooked in favour of competition, and that organisms working together have played a vital role in making the world the way it is.

Togetherness: Symbiosis and the Hidden Story of Life's Greatest Collaborations Rowan Hooper Fern Press (2026)

Music supplied by SPD/Triple Scoop Music/Getty Images

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Peptides — short chains of amino acids — have become huge online. The popularity of these molecules has skyrocketed and they are now the latest cure-all trend on social media.

But what does the science say about their effectiveness? Animal research suggests that that some of these experimental peptides hold promise, but evidence they work in people is lacking.

This is an audio version of our Feature: Is the peptide craze backed by science? The promise behind the hype

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Nature staff discuss how apes share a rhythm of laughter, and how AI use may degrade skills in medicine and computer science.

Nature: Is AI ruining our skills? Early results are in — and they’re not good

Nature: Oo oo, ha ha: why humans and great apes giggle alike when tickled

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In this episode:

Research article: Knolle et al.

Correction: The story about medical AI-data privacy incorrectly stated that the number of individuals at high risk of a membership inference attack increases as training-dataset size grows. It should have stated that the increase in risk occurs when the AI model increases in capacity and size.

Nature: A long-lived butterfly’s secret to graceful ageing

Nature: It slices! It dices! Sashimi-Bot handles seafood with ease

Research article: Labini & Galoppo

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Nature staff discuss preliminary data on the effects of GLP-1 drugs on male fertility plus a two-year trial of a brain-computer interface.

Nature: At-home brain implant gives man with motor neuron disease his daily life back

Nature: The latest benefit of obesity drugs: boosting testosterone and sperm quality

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In this episode:

Research article: Macleod et al.

Nature: Bones of Iron Age skeleton were whittled into tools

Nature: Giant crustacean of the deep sea steals a trick from bacteria

Research article: Baynham et al.

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In this episode:

BBC Science Focus: We may have just cracked one of Stonehenge's greatest mysteries

Nature: Ancient ground squirrels feasted on carcasses like ‘zombies of the Pleistocene’

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In this episode:

Research article: Peng et al.

News & Views: A vast whale necropolis has been found

Nature: Babies’ birth weight improves with help of payments to parents

Nature: Earliest signs of vision recorded in ancient sea-floor tracks

Research article: Mains et al.

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In this episode:

Science: Some spinosaurs cried salty tears to thrive in brackish waters

Nature: Bang! Exploding immune cells splatter potent toxins everywhere

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In this episode:

Research article: Liao et al.

Nature: A star gone rogue tears through the Galaxy

Nature: Gold keeps glittering courtesy of surface chemistry

Nature: Feynman solved the ‘restaurant dilemma’ 50 years ago — now a study confirms his mathematics

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In this episode:

Nature: Memory on trial: the new science of when to trust eyewitness testimony

Nature: Nature is expanding Registered Reports to all the fields in which we publish

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On 17 May the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an ongoing Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Centred on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, the outbreak has seen mounting numbers of suspected cases and deaths linked to the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus.

In this podcast we hear what's currently known about the outbreak and the efforts of clinicians, researchers and public health officials to halt its progress.

Nature: Ebola outbreak is a global health emergency: what happens next

Nature: Race begins to trial Ebola drugs amid current outbreak

Nature: Ebola outbreak spirals out of control: how might it have started?

Nature: Will this Ebola outbreak be the biggest yet?

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In this episode:

Research article: Ghareeb et al.

Research article: Gottweis et al.

Nature: Teams of AI agents boost speed of research

Editorial: Why AI cannot do good science without humans

Nature: Do you hate or love AI? Take Nature’s poll

Nature: Dried to survive: desiccated tardigrades tolerate high heat

Nature: Pristine Antarctic ice records the Solar System’s travels

Research article: Somasundaram et al.

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In this episode:

Nature: Hantavirus outbreak exposes uncertainty about how disease spreads

Nature: There is no vaccine for deadly hantavirus: what that means for future outbreaks

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In this episode:

Disclaimer: The opinions and assertions expressed herein by Juanita Anders are those of the speaker and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences or the Department of War.

Nature: The surprising science behind red-light therapy — and how it really works

Nature: Trafficked pangolins can be traced to their source by DNA — even to a specific forest

Nature: A wispy wrapper for a chilly, Pluto-like world

Research article: NCD Risk Factor Collaboration

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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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Nature Feature: Are attention spans really shrinking? What the science says

Nature News Explainer: AI data hubs in space: when will they take flight?

Nature Comment: Space diplomacy: bridging the operating gaps between myriad missions

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In this episode:

Research Article: Katlowitz et al.

Nature: Even the unconscious brain can learn — and predict what you’ll say next

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:

Nature: Mitochondria can spawn new ‘organelles’ — hinting at how modern cells evolved

Nature: Did kraken-like octopuses rule Cretaceous seas? Massive jaw fossils offer clues

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In this episode:

Research Article: Kumar et al.

Nature: Cosmic-ray detection heralds era of mega-observatories for neutrinos

Nature: Little ants groom big ones in a desert spa

World View: Forty years after Chornobyl, more nuclear disasters are inevitable — plan for them

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In this episode of Nature hits the books, we speak with Nature's Helen Pearson whose book Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works looks at the history of using evidence, rather than opinion, in decision making.

The book traces the course of the movement in various disciplines, such as the rise of evidence-based medicine in the 90s, looking at the rebels who led the charge, the barriers they faced, and why the use of evidence is crucial at a time when misinformation is rife.

Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works Helen Pearson Princeton University Press (in the press)

Music supplied by SPD/Triple Scoop Music/Getty Images

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In this episode:

Research Article: Dürr et al.

News and Views: Robot can beat elite players at table tennis

Video: This robot can beat you at table tennis

Nature: Venus’s impenetrable haze could be made of cosmic dust

Nature: Graves reveal plague’s inequitable toll

Nature: How big is Big G? Mystery deepens after ten-year effort to measure gravity’s strength

Research Article: Schlamminger et al.

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In this episode:

Science: Penguins become marine detectives, thanks to pollutant-detecting anklets

Nature: One woman, three autoimmune diseases: CAR-T therapy vanquishes ultra-rare disease trio

Science: Why do anglerfish have glowing lures? It might be sex

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In this episode:

Research Article: Verkerk et al.

Nature: Microbial hockey: bacteria can spin a ‘puck’ just by swimming

Nature: Regular physical activity in midlife cuts risk of early death

Nature: Landmark ancient-genome study shows surprise acceleration of human evolution

Research Article: Akbari et al.

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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.

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In this episode:

On Monday, reporter Alexandra Witze was in the heart of the Artemis II mission’s science operations. She tells us about the experience and what NASA’s researchers have learnt from the mission so far.

Nature: I was with Artemis II’s scientists during the Moon fly-by. Here’s what I saw

Nature: First photos from Artemis II: see stunning ‘Earthset’ and more

Nature: Historic Artemis II Moon fly-by — Nature’s live coverage as it happened

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In this episode:

Nature: Eye drops made from pig semen deliver cancer treatment to mice

Nature: Motherhood derails women’s academic careers — these data reveal how and why

Science: These birds suck—literally

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In this podcast we'll talk about NASA's Artemis II launch, which has ushered in a new era of lunar exploration.

Nature: Lift off! Artemis II mission sends humans to the Moon — opening a new era of exploration

Nature: Artemis II mission is about to fly humans to the Moon — here’s the science they’ll do

Nature: Humanity is heading back to the Moon — why aren’t more scientists thrilled?

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In this episode:

Research Article: Voigt et al.

Nature: Sunken Soviet nuclear submarine’s radioactive release

Nature: History of ‘forever’ chemicals is written in Antarctic snow

April Fakes Day

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Nature staff discuss some of the week's top science news.

Nature: ‘Zombie cells’ return from the dead — after a genome transplant

Nature: Can a mouse be cloned indefinitely? Decades-long experiment has answers

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Research Article : Snelling et al.

Nature: Faster ticking of ‘biological clock’ predicts shorter lifespan

Nature: Mighty mini-magnet is low in cost and light on energy use

Research Article: Nyberg et al.

News & Views: A gene-editing method generates immunotherapeutic CAR T cells in the body

Nature: CRISPR makes enhanced cancer-fighting immune cells inside mice

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In this episode:

Nature: Memory loss is fuelled by gut microbes in ageing mice

Nature: Knock knock, no one’s there. Study finds scientists’ jokes mostly fall flat

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In this episode:

Research Article : Lombe et al.

Nature: Electric-vehicle batteries toughen up to beat the heat

Nature: Live parrots were carried across the Andes before the Incas’ rise

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