In this episode:
Although water is an excellent solvent, it’s limited in its ability to dissolve gasses. To overcome this a team have developed ‘porous water’ containing tiny cages that can hold large numbers of gas molecules. The team suggest that this technology could have multiple medical applications, including in the development of artificial blood.
Research article: Erdosy et al.
News and Views: Suspended pores boost gas solubility in water
Synthetic ‘nerves’ help mice to walk, and planets orbiting a star that’s due to go supernova.
Research Highlight: Stretchy synthetic nerve helps mice give ball a mighty kick
Research Highlight: A massive planet circles a huge star doomed to explode
One of humanity's defining characteristics is our ability to walk on two legs. However, when this ability evolved remains a mystery. A paper out this week suggests that the species Sahelanthropus tchadensis was walking on two legs seven million years ago – but others dispute these findings. We hear about the research and the debate surrounding it.
News: Seven-million-year-old femur suggests ancient human relative walked upright
Research article: Daver et al.
News and Views: Standing up for the earliest bipedal hominins
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, modelling an enormous, extinct megalodon shark, and a potential way to break down ‘forever chemicals’.
The Guardian: Ancient megalodon shark could eat a whale in a few bites, research suggests
Nature News: How to destroy ‘forever chemicals’: cheap method breaks down PFAS
Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alphafold 3.0: the AI protein predictor gets an upgrade
Talking about sex and gender doesn't need to be toxic
Dad's microbiome can affect offsprings' health — in mice
Audio long read: Why loneliness is bad for your health
How gliding marsupials got their 'wings'
Living on Mars would probably suck — here's why
Keys, wallet, phone: the neuroscience behind working memory
The 'ghost roads' driving tropical deforestation
Audio long read: Why are so many young people getting cancer? What the data say
Pregnancy's effect on 'biological' age, polite birds, and the carbon cost of home-grown veg
How climate change is affecting global timekeeping
AI hears hidden X factor in zebra finch love songs
Killer whales have menopause. Now scientists think they know why
These tiny fish combine electric pulses to probe the environment
Could this one-time ‘epigenetic’ treatment control cholesterol?
Audio long read: Chimpanzees are dying from our colds — these scientists are trying to save them
How whales sing without drowning, an anatomical mystery solved
Why are we nice? Altruism's origins are put to the test
Smoking changes your immune system, even years after quitting
Why we need to rethink how we talk about cancer
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Economist Podcasts
NPP BrainPod
Pediatric Research Podcast
Eye Podcast