In this episode:
00:30 Early humans pushed to brink of extinctionAround 900,000 years ago the ancestors of modern humans were pushed to the brink of extinction, according to new research. Genetic studies suggest that the breeding population of our ancestors in Africa dropped to just 1,280 and didn’t expand again for another 117,000 years. This population crash would likely have had an impact on human genetic diversity, and may have driven the evolution of important features of modern humans, such as brain size.
Nature News: Human ancestors nearly went extinct 900,000 years ago
Poor historical waste practices have left high levels of pollution around Antartica’s research facilities. By surveying the seafloor near Australia’s Casey research station, researchers have revealed high concentrations of hydrocarbons and heavy metals.This pollution is likely to be widespread, but its impact on the continent is unknown.
Nature News: Antarctic research stations have polluted a pristine wilderness
Persistently low levels of sea-ice around Antarctica have caused emperor penguins to abandon their breeding colonies early, resulting in the death of large numbers of chicks. Although the affected populations only represent a small number of the total emperor penguins on the continent, it’s unclear how they’ll fare if trends in sea-ice melt continue.
Science: Emperor penguins abandon breeding grounds as ice melts around them
Researchers have developed an artificial-intelligence that can describe how compounds smell by analysing their molecular structures. The system’s description of scents are often similar to those of trained human sniffers, and may have applications in the food and perfume industries. Currently the AI works on individual molecules, and is unable to identify the smells associated with complex combinations of molecules, something humans noses do with ease.
Nature: AI predicts chemicals’ smells from their structures
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.
How 'metadevices' could make electronics faster
This mysterious space rock shouldn’t have a ring — but it does
How mummies were prepared: Ancient Egyptian pots spill secrets
Audio long read: The ‘breakthrough’ obesity drugs that have stunned researchers
Amino acid slows nerve damage from diabetes, in mouse study
Laser 'lightning rod' diverts strikes high in the Alps
The science stories you missed over the past four weeks
Science in 2023: what to expect this year
The Nature Podcast’s highlights of 2022
The Nature Podcast Festive Spectacular 2022
COVID deaths: three times the official toll
Oldest DNA reveals two-million-year-old ecosystem
Gaia Vince on how climate change will shape where people live
Mysterious fluid from ant pupae helps feed colony
Audio long read: Science and the World Cup — how big data is transforming football
The satellite-free alternative to GPS
How a key Alzheimer's gene wreaks havoc in the brain
Audio long read: She was convicted of killing her four children. Could a gene mutation set her free?
Molecular cages sift 'heavy' water from near-identical H2O
Audio long read: The controversial embryo tests that promise a better baby
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
More or Less: Behind the Stats
NPP BrainPod
Pediatric Research Podcast
Eye Podcast