Nature Podcast19 Heinä 2023

Disrupting snail food-chain curbs parasitic disease in Senegal

In this episode:

00:45 A sustainable solution for schistosomiasis control

Schistosomiasis is a serious parasitic disease that affects millions of people, who become infected when they come into contact with contaminated water. To prevent the spread and reinfection of this disease, researchers trialled an environmental intervention that removed plants from lakes in Senegal. These plants act as food for freshwater snails – intermediate hosts for the disease. Results showed that this reduced disease levels, and that the plants could be composted to increase agricultural yields, suggesting this approach could be used to improve health and the economy.

Research article: Rohr et al.

News and Views: A sustainable way to control the parasitic disease schistosomiasis

12:03 Research Highlights

How artificial intelligence can predict the art that people will find memorable, and the protein-based, shock-absorbing gel that can stop projectiles in their tracks.

Research Highlight: Memorable artworks are easy to predict

Research Highlight: Supersonic ‘bullets’ are softly captured by a protein gel

14:52 Briefing Chat

We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, an update on Chandrayaan-3, India’s latest attempt to land a craft on the Moon - and birds that use anti-bird spikes to build nests.

Nature News: India's Moon lander successfully launches — but biggest challenge lies ahead

The Guardian: Crows and magpies using anti-bird spikes to build nests, researchers find

Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.

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11 Syys 15min

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4 Syys 12min

Audio long read: Could mending damaged DNA prolong life?

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2 Syys 18min

Briefing Chat: How Dolly Parton left her mark on science

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28 Elo 14min

Highest-ever ocean temperatures recorded as El Niño intensifies

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26 Elo 19min

Briefing Chat: New narcolepsy drug could unlock host of novel brain therapies

Nature staff discuss how an FDA-approved drug for narcolepsy could have promise beyond the condition, and the longest-lived human brain organoids yet.00:28 The promise of a new narcolepsy drugNature: ...

21 Elo 12min

A black hole's spin could finally be measured by a high-speed star

Star orbiting close to Sagittarius A* could reveal its spin — plus, how exoskeletons might change the way humans move.00:46 The star that could reveal a black hole’s spinResearch article: Dayem et al....

19 Elo 29min