00:50 The AI tool that predicts disease riskResearchers have developed an AI tool that can calculate a person’s risk of developing over 1,000 different diseases, sometimes years in advance. The system, called Delphi-2M, was trained to identify patterns of disease progression using 400,000 people's health records from data repository the UK Biobank. This training allowed it to predict someone’s future disease risks, based on their current medical record. While AI health prediction systems do exist, they typically only estimate risks for a single disease — the authors hope that their system could one day save healthcare professionals time and be used to calculate disease burdens at a population level.Research Article: Shmatko et al.News: What diseases will you have in 20 years? This AI makes predictions11:01 Research HighlightsEvidence that refugees hosted by local families integrate better into their adoptive country — plus, the squidgy shirt that can keep wearers cool.Research Highlight: How to help refugees thrive: have local families host themResearch Highlight: Jelly-filled garment keeps wearers cool when heat and humidity soar13:50 Give an AI a task and it may cheat for youUsing AI tools may make you more likely to cheat at tasks like tax reporting, according to a new study. Using a well-studied test of honesty, researchers looked to see if people were more likely to engage in unethical behaviour if given the option of delegating it to an AI. Including AIs seemed to increase the chance that someone would be dishonest, which raises concerns about the impacts of these tools on ethics.Research Article: Köbis et alNews and Views: People are more likely to cheat when they delegate tasks to AI24:54 Briefing ChatEurope has a new supercomputer, JUPITER, that could boost its AI ambitions, and a catalogue of octopus movement.Nature: World's most energy-efficient AI supercomputer comes onlineNew York Times: Building an Octopus Dictionary, One Arm Movement at a TimeSubscribe 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.

In 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) facilities in the US directly detected ripples in space-time, known as gravitational waves. These waves were produced by the final spiral of two orbiting black holes that smashed into each other, sending ripples across the Universe.   In this podcast, Benjamin Thompson speaks to Cole Miller from the University of Maryland about the quest to detect gravitational waves, which were first hypothesised by Albert Einstein back in 1916.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:45 Attributing extreme heat events to major energy producersMajor energy producers increased the likelihood and intensity of heatwaves, according to research published in Nature. Using data from an international disaster database, a team developed a methodology to investigate how much anthropogenic climate change had influenced heatwaves. They conclude that many of these events would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change, and that nearly a quarter of the heatwaves recorded from 2000 to 2023 can be directly linked to the greenhouse-gas emissions from individual energy giants.Research Article: Juvé et al.News and Views Forum: Heatwaves linked to emissions of individual fossil-fuel and cement producersNews: Dozens of heatwaves linked to carbon emissions from specific companies10:47 Research HighlightsHow shifting coastal tides may have spurred the rise of the world’s oldest civilization — plus, the liquid crystal lenses that can refocus in a flash.Research Highlight: Changing tides ushered in the world’s first civilizationResearch Highlight: Liquid-crystal specs refocus with the push of a button12:40 The growing resistance to the US war on scienceScience in the United States is facing an increasing crisis, in the face of swinging cuts and President Donald Trump’s ongoing attack on anything with a connection to diversity, equity and inclusion. In the face of this crisis, many researchers are fighting back — we hear about some of their efforts, and what they think about their chances of success.News Feature: Scientists take on Trump: the researchers fighting back27:28 Briefing ChatHow CRISPR-edited pancreas cells could offer new hope for those with type 1 diabetes, and what brain scans reveal about how we process colour.Nature: Hope for diabetes: CRISPR-edited cells pump out insulin in a person — and evade immune detectionNature: My blue is your blue: different people’s brains process colours in the same waySubscribe 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.

In 2016, Brian Wansink wrote a blog post that prompted scientific sleuths to investigate his work. They found evidence of data manipulation, and, after several news articles and two investigations by his institution, he would found to have committed misconduct, as defined by Cornell University. His work had been used to inform US policy around food, much of which has now been thrown into question.Cases like this are rare, but science is not immune to misconduct. The rise in 'paper mills' — organisations that produce questionable or fake papers that they sell authorships on — has led some to worry that misconduct is on the rise and that a proportion of the scientific literature cannot be trusted.In episode two of Self Correction, we explore how researchers are responding to the problem of research misconduct. We discuss how difficult it is to determine the prevalence of misconduct, and how sleuths, journalists and research integrity institutions are fighting back.This episode was written and produced by Nick Petrić Howe. Dan Fox was the editor. The music was provided by Triple Scoop Music.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.

The search for signs of consciousness has expanded, thanks to advanced neuroimaging techniques. These tools allow researchers to detect consciousness in unresponsive humans, and now researchers are looking to develop tests that work in animals and perhaps even artificial intelligence systems of the future. This is an audio version of our Feature: How to detect consciousness in people, animals and maybe even AI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:48 How the 18th-Century 'Great Fear’ spread across rural FranceIn the late 1700s, rural France was beset with rapidly spreading rumours of aristocratic plots to suppress revolutionary ideas. But how, and why, these rumours were able to spread so quickly has puzzled historians. Now, using modern epidemiological modelling, a team suggests that a combination of high wheat prices, income and literacy level drove this period of French history known as the Great Fear.Research Article: Zapperi et al.News: An abiding mystery of the French Revolution is solved — by epidemiology12:40 Research HighlightsAn unorthodox explanation for dark energy — plus, and how a tiny marsupial predator overcame near extinction.Research Highlight: Does dark energy spawn from black holes? Could be a bright ideaResearch Highlight: Tiny Australian predator defies drought to recover from near-extinction15:13 The quantum interpretation quizPhysicists differ widely in their interpretations of quantum mechanics, and so do Nature readers, according to our Cosmo-inspired quiz. The quantum world is notoriously difficult to explain, with interpretations of the mathematical foundations ranging from the epistemic, which only describes information, to the realist, where equations map onto the real world. The quiz suggests that many readers prefer the realist, even if that is difficult to mesh with the physics itself.Feature: Physicists disagree wildly on what quantum mechanics says about reality, Nature survey showSubscribe 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.

00:46 Electrochemical fusionResearchers have used electrochemistry to increase the rates of nuclear fusion reactions in a desktop reactor. Fusion energy promises abundant clean energy, but fusion events are rare, hindering progress. Now, inspired by the controversial claim of cold fusion, researchers used electrochemistry to get palladium to absorb more deuterium ions, that are used in fusion. When a beam of deuterium was fired at the deuterium-filled palladium, they saw a 15% increase in fusion events. They did not get more energy than they put in, but the authors believe this is a step towards enhancing fusion energy and shows the promise of electrochemical techniques.Research Article: Chen et al.News and Views: Low-energy nuclear fusion boosted by electrochemistry10:06 Research HighlightsDo ants hold the key to better teamwork? — plus, the coins that hint at extensive hidden trade networks in southeast Asia.Research Highlight: Super-efficient teamwork is possible — if you’re an antResearch Highlight: Ancient coins unveil web of trade across southeast Asia12:31 The microbial taste of chocolateChocolate gets its best tastes from microbes, according to a new study. Fermentation of cocoa beans helps create chocolate tastes but not much has been known about the process. Now, the temperature, pH and microbes involved have been identified and the researchers showed how it would be possible to manipulate these to produce premium chocolate flavours.News: Why chocolate tastes so good: microbes that fine-tune its flavourSubscribe 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.

In this Podcast Extra, we discuss a report released by the US Department of Energy, which concluded that global warming is “less damaging economically than commonly believed”. However, many researchers say that the report misrepresents decades of climate science.We discuss how scientists are trying to coordinate a unified response amidst concerns that this report will be used in attempts to repeal a 2009 government ruling that greenhouse gases endanger public welfare.News: Outrage over Trump team’s climate report spurs researchers to fight backNews: Are the Trump team’s actions affecting your research? How to contact Nature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:46 Tiny solar flyerResearchers have used a phenomenon known as thermal transpiration to create a solar-powered flying device that can stay aloft without any moving parts. The diminutive device, just one centimetre across, consists of two thin, perforated membranes that allow air to flow through the device, generating lift. Although only a proof-of-concept, the team hope that a scaled-up version of the device could be used to measure conditions in the mesosphere, a particularly hard-to-study part of the Earth’s atmosphere, or even on Mars.Research Article: Schafer et al.News and Views: Levitating platform could ride sunlight into the ‘ignorosphere’News: These tiny flyers levitate on the Sun's heat alone07:57 Research HighlightsA 3D scan of body art on a 2,000-year-old mummy reveals the techniques used by ancient tattooists — plus, the bacterial cause of a devastating sea-star disease.Research Highlight: Intricate origins of ice mummy’s ink revealedResearch Highlight: Mystery of billions of sea-star deaths solved at last10:22 Quantum gravity goes to the labDespite being one of the most successful scientific frameworks in history, there is one thing that quantum physics can’t explain: gravity. Whether gravity is quantum in nature is something that has had physicists vexed, but now a slew of experiments are being planned to try and answer this question. We hear how these experiments will work, and what their results might mean for physicists’ understanding of the universe.News Feature: Is gravity quantum? Experiments could finally probe one of physics’ biggest questions20:26 Briefing ChatHow genes can have different effects depend on the parent they come from, and how lithium shows promise in treating Alzheimer’s disease in mice studies.Nature: These genes can have the opposite effects depending on which parent they came fromNature: New hope for Alzheimer’s: lithium supplement reverses memory loss in miceSubscribe 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.

00:45 Researchers develop a new glue and test it on a rubber duckAided by machine learning, researchers have developed a super-sticky compound that works as an underwater adhesive. Inspired by animals like barnacles, the team developed a new kind of a material called a hydrogel. The material is capable of securely fastening objects together even when immersed in salty water— a challenge for existing adhesives. To show off its properties the researchers applied it to a rubber duck, which stuck firmly to a rock on a beach despite being battered by waves.Research Article: Liao et al.News and Views: AI learns from nature to design super-adhesive gels that work underwater07:37 Research HighlightsThe tomato-infused origins of the modern potato — plus, a specific group of stem cells that may help to drive osteoarthritis.Research Highlight: Potato, tomato: the roots of the modern taterResearch Highlight: Ageing stem cells in the knees drive arthritis damage09:46 The diversity of microbes within living treesBy taking samples from over 150 trees in a forest in the US, researchers have revealed a previously unknown community of microorganisms living there. While the microbiomes of animals have been well explored, studies looking at the microbes living inside trees are limited. In this work the team show distinct populations of microbes living within different parts of a tree, and huge diversity in populations between trees. The team behind the work hope these findings will lead to a greater understanding of tree physiology and the role these microbes play in broader ecosystems.Research Article: Arnold et al.18:46 The ‘de-extinction’ debateBack in April, the company Colossal Biosciences claimed to have de-extincted dire wolves, a large-bodied wolf species that once roamed North America. We discuss the science behind this technology, and the debates within the research community surrounding Colossal’s announcement.News Feature: This company claimed to ‘de-extinct’ dire wolves. Then the fighting started.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.

00:45 The deepest ecosystem ever discoveredResearchers have dived down to more than 9,000 metres below the surface of the Pacific and discovered surprisingly complex communities of life living in deep ocean trenches. The new research shows an array of animal life that appears to be using methane as a source of energy. The researchers are planning more dives to learn more about this mysterious ecosystem and how these animals can thrive despite the extreme pressure they face.Research Article: Peng et al09:36 Research HighlightsA fossilized leg bone reveals an 11-million-year-old fight between a terror bird and a caiman, plus the anti-ageing secret of ‘immortal’ stars.Research Highlight: Rumble in the Miocene: terror bird versus caimanResearch Highlight: ‘Immortal’ stars have an elixir of youth: dark matter11:45 How infections could awaken dormant cancerNew research reveals that infection by a respiratory virus has the potential to awaken dormant cancer cells. In mice studies, a team showed that inflammation caused by infection with influenza or SARS-CoV-2 could initiate the awakening of breast cancer cells that had metastasized to the lungs. Observational studies using human health data also showed that a COVID-19 infection was associated with increased risk of lung metastasis and cancer death. While the precise mechanisms are unknown, the team say that understanding the process could help mitigate any risks of cancer progression caused by a viral infection.Research Article: Chia et al.News and Views: Inflammation during viral infection can rouse dormant cancer cells21:45 Will physicists ever agree on quantum mechanics?A survey of more than 1,100 physicists has revealed that there are widely different interpretations of what quantum mechanics means for our understanding or reality. Reporter Lizzie Gibney takes us through the different ideas physicists have and asks if such disagreements even matter.Nature: Physicists disagree wildly on what quantum mechanics says about reality, Nature survey showsSubscribe 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.

00:46 How hot can solid gold get?A new study suggests that gold can be superheated far beyond its melting point without it becoming a liquid. Using an intense burst from a laser, a team heated a gold foil to 14 times its melting point, far beyond a theoretical limit put forward in previous studies. The team suggest that the speed at which they heated the gold allowed them to shoot past this limit, but there is scepticism about whether the team actually achieved the level of heating they report.Research Article: White et al.News and Views: Solid gold superheated to 14 times its melting temperatureNews: Superheated gold stays solid well past its predicted melting point10:05 Research HighlightsHow island life led to huge wingspans for flying foxes, and how a sugary diet ‘rewires’ a mouse’s brain.Research Highlight: How the world’s biggest bats got their enormous wingspansResearch Highlight: How sugar overload in early life affects the brain later12:30 Researchers warn about the threat of nuclear warWith increasing political polarisation and more nuclear-armed nations, researchers are warning about the threat of nuclear war. Reporter Alex Witze has been speaking to scientists, and she told us about their chief concerns and how to avoid a conflict in an era of AI and misinformation.News Feature: How to avoid nuclear war in an era of AI and misinformation23:22 Briefing ChatWhat a new AI model from China means for science, and why some dolphins use sponges to hunt.Nature: ‘Another DeepSeek moment’: Chinese AI model Kimi K2 stirs excitementAssociated Press: Some Australian dolphins use sponges to hunt fish, but it’s harder than it looksSubscribe 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.