In this episode:
Oxygen 28 is an isotope of oxygen with 20 neutrons and eight protons. This strange isotope has long been sought after by physicists, as its proposed unusual properties would allow them to put their theories of how atomic nuclei work to the test. Now, after decades of experiments physicists believe they have observed oxygen 28. The observations are at odds with theory predictions, so they imply that there’s a lot more physicists don’t know about the forces that hold atomic nuclei together.
Research article: Kondo et al.
News and Views: Heaviest oxygen isotope is found to be unbound
How venus fly traps can protect themselves from wildfires, and a ball-point pen that can ‘write’ LEDs.
Research Highlight: Venus flytraps shut their traps when flames approach
Research Highlight: A rainbow of LEDs adorns objects at the stroke of a pen
AIs have been beating humans at games for years, but in these cases the AI has always trained in exactly the same conditions in which it competes. In chess for example, the board can be simulated exactly. Now though, researchers have demonstrated an AI that can beat humans in a place where simulation can only take you so far, the real world. The Swift AI system is able to race drones against champion-level humans, and beat them most of the time. The researchers hope this research can help improve the efficiency of drones in general.
Research article: Kaufmann et al.
News and Views: Drone-racing champions outpaced by AI
Video: AI finally beats humans at a real-life sport - drone racing
This time, the Indian Space Research Organization’s successful moon landing, and the low level of support offered to researchers whose first language isn’t English by journals.
Nature News: India lands on the Moon! Scientists celebrate as Chandrayaan-3 touches down
Nature News: Scientists who don’t speak fluent English get little help from journals, study finds
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Coronapod: COVID and diabetes, what the science says
How virtual meetings can limit creative ideas
Audio long-read: The quest to prevent MS — and understand other post-viral diseases
We could still limit global warming to just 2˚C — but there's an 'if'
Coronapod: Infected immune cells hint at cause of severe COVID
Why do naked mole rats live as long as giraffes?
Five years in the coldest fridge in the known Universe
Audio long-read: A more-inclusive genome project aims to capture all of human diversity
Winding roads could make you a better navigator
Milky Way's origin story revealed by 250,000 stars
Coronapod: How vaccine complacency is plaguing 'COVID zero' strategies
The coin toss of Alzheimer's inheritance
The vest that can hear your heartbeat
The AI that deciphers ancient Greek graffiti
Coronapod: why stopping COVID testing would be a mistake
COVID stimulus spending failed to deliver on climate promises
Audio long-read: The race to save the Internet from quantum hackers
Dinosaur-destroying asteroid struck in spring
Tongan volcano eruption leaves scientists with unanswered questions
Coronapod: How African scientists are copying Moderna's COVID vaccine
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