In this episode:
To prevent the loss of wildlife, forest restoration is key, but monitoring how well biodiversity actually recovers is incredibly difficult. Now though, a team have collected recordings of animal sounds to determine the extent of the recovery. However, while using these sounds to identify species is an effective way to monitor, it’s also labour intensive. To overcome this, they trained an AI to listen to the sounds, and found that although it was less able to identify species, its findings still correlated well with wildlife recovery, suggesting that it could be a cost-effective and automated way to monitor biodiversity.
Research article: Müller et al.
Researchers develop algae-based living materials that glow when squeezed, and a 50-million-year-old bat skull that suggests echolocation was an ancient skill.
Research Highlight: Give these ‘living composite’ objects a squeeze and watch them glow
Research Highlight: Fossilized skull shows that early bats had modern sonar
A brain imaging study reveals how high-fat foods exert their powerful pull, and how being asleep doesn’t necessarily cut you off from the outside world.
Nature News: Deep asleep? You can still follow simple commands, study finds
Nature News: Milkshake neuroscience: how the brain nudges us toward fatty foods
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