Download the Nature Podcast 25 December 2024
In this episode:
00:36 How melting ice is affecting global timekeeping
Due to variations in the speed of Earth’s rotation, the length of a day is rarely exactly 24 hours and this effect is being further influenced by climate change, as the melting of the polar ice caps modifies the Earth’s momentum. Global time is kept by atomic clocks and occasionally has to be altered to account for this variation. In this story we explore how human-induced climate change may now delay plans to add a negative leap-second, to ensure the two align.
Nature Podcast: 27 March 2024
Research article: Agnew
09:19 Sex and gender discussions don’t need to be toxic
After decades of neglect, research into sex and gender is increasing, but it’s happening in a sociopolitical climate that’s becoming increasingly hostile and polarized, particularly in relation to gender identity. In some cases science is being weaponized to push agendas, creating confusion and fear.
Sex and gender exist beyond a simple binary — this is widely accepted by scientists — but the whole area is nonetheless full of complexity and there are many discussions which need to be had around funding, inclusivity and research practices.
To try to lessen fear and encourage clearer, less divisive thinking, we asked three contributors to a special series of opinion pieces on sex and gender to come together and thrash out how exactly scientists can fill in years of neglected research – and move forward with exploring the differences between individuals in a way that is responsible, inclusive and beneficial to as many people as possible.
Podcast extra: 01 May 2024
Collection: Sex and gender in science
18:10 Research Highlights
To stop crocodiles eating poisonous toads researchers have been making them sick, and the extinct bat-eating fish that bit off more than they could chew.
Research Highlight: How to train your crocodile
Research Highlight: Ancient fish dined on bats — or died trying
21:09 ChatGPT has a language problem — but science can fix it
AIs built on Large Language Models have wowed by producing particularly fluent text. However, their ability to do this is limited in many languages. As the data and resources used to train a model in a specific language drops, so does the performance of the model, meaning that for some languages the AIs are effectively useless.
Researchers are aware of this problem and are trying to find solutions, but the challenge extends far beyond just the technical, with moral and social questions to be answered. This podcast explores how Large Language Models could be improved in more languages and the issues that could be caused if they are not.
Podcast extra: 09 August 2024
26:59 A simple solution to tackle a deadly frog disease
A simple ‘sauna’ built of bricks and a supermarket-bought greenhouse, can help frogs rid themselves of a devastating fungal disease, new research has shown. Although options to prevent or treat infection are limited, the fungus that causes the disease chytridiomycosis has an achilles heel: it can’t survive at warm temperatures. A team in Australia used this knowledge to their advantage to develop saunas where frogs can warm themselves to clear an infection. Frogs who spent time in these hot environments were able to shake the fungus, and gained some immunity to subsequent infections. Although this research involved only one type of frog, it offers some hope in tackling a deadly disease that has driven multiple species to extinction.
Nature Podcast: 03 July 2024
Research Article: Waddle et al.
News and Views: Mini saunas save endangered frogs from fungal disease
39:57 Briefing Chat
How psilocybin — the hallucinogenic compound found in magic mushrooms — resets communication between brain regions, and the surprise cancellation of a NASA Moon mission.
Nature News: Your brain on shrooms — how psilocybin resets neural networks
Nature News: NASA cancels $450-million mission to drill for ice on the Moon — surprising researchers
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