Physicists examine the gravitational pull between two tiny masses, and how fossil lampreys could shake-up the field of vertebrate evolution.
In this episode:
00:47 Gravity, on the small scale
This week, researchers have captured the smallest measurement of gravity on record, by measuring the pull between two tiny gold spheres. This experiment opens the door for future experiments to investigate the fundamental forces of nature and the quantum nature of gravity.
Research Article: Westphal et al.
News and Views: Ultra-weak gravitational field detected
07:37 Research Highlights
Research shows that people often don’t know when a conversation should end, and the cuttlefish that show remarkable self control.
Research Highlight: How long should a conversation last? The people involved haven’t a clue
Research Highlight: Arms control: cuttlefish can pass the ‘marshmallow test’
10:18 Lamprey evolution
The larval stage of lamprey growth has long been thought to resemble the kind of early animal that all vertebrates evolved from. However, new research looking at the fossils of lamprey species suggests that this popular hypothesis may be incorrect.
Research Article: Miyashita et al.
17:38 Briefing Chat
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, glow-in-the-dark sharks, and scientists’ reflections on the nuclear industry 10 years on from Fukushima.
The Guardian: 'Giant luminous shark': researchers discover three deep-sea sharks glow in the dark
Nature Comment: Nuclear energy, ten years after Fukushima
Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Video: Deep-sea soft robots
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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
Cancer's power harnessed — lymphoma mutations supercharge T cells
Cervical cancer could be eliminated: here's how
Ancient DNA solves the mystery of who made a set of stone tools
Audio long read: Long COVID is a double curse in low-income nations — here’s why
Toxic red mud could be turned into 'green' steel
This AI just figured out geometry — is this a step towards artificial reasoning?
The science stories you missed over the holiday period
Science in 2024: what to expect this year
Audio long read: A new kind of solar cell is coming — is it the future of green energy?
The Nature Podcast highlights of 2023
How AI works is often a mystery — that's a problem
The Nature Podcast Festive Spectacular 2023
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