Nature Podcast27 Maalis 2024

How climate change is affecting global timekeeping

In this episode:

01:28 Inflammation’s role in memory

How memories are stored is an ongoing question in neuroscience. Now researchers have found an inflammatory pathway that responds to DNA damage in neurons has a key role in the persistence of memories. How this pathway helps memories persist is unclear, but the researchers suggest that how the DNA damage is repaired may play a role. As inflammation in the brain is often associated with disease, the team were surprised by this finding, which they hope will help uncover ways to better preserve our memories, especially in the face of neurodegenerative disorders.

Research Article: Jovasevic et al.

News and Views: Innate immunity in neurons makes memories persist

08:40 Research Highlights

The effect of wind turbines on property values, and how waste wood can be used to 3D print new wooden objects.

Research Highlight: A view of wind turbines drives down home values — but only briefly

Research Highlight: Squeeze, freeze, bake: how to make 3D-printed wood that mimics the real thing

11:14 How melting ice is affecting global timekeeping

Due to variations in the speed of Earth’s rotation, the length of a day is rarely exactly 24 hours. By calculating the strength of the different factors affecting this, a researcher has shown that while Earth’s rotation is overall speeding up, this effect is being tempered by the melting of the polar ice caps. As global time kept by atomic clocks occasionally has to be altered to match Earth’s rotation, human-induced climate change may delay plans to add a negative leap-second to ensure the two align.

Research article: Agnew

News and Views: Melting ice solves leap-second problem — for now

20:04 Briefing Chat

An AI for antibody development, and the plans for the upcoming Simons observatory.

Nature News: ‘A landmark moment’: scientists use AI to design antibodies from scratch

Nature News: ‘Best view ever’: observatory will map Big Bang’s afterglow in new detail

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11 Syys 15min

Phone tutoring boosts math scores when schools are forced to close

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4 Syys 12min

Audio long read: Could mending damaged DNA prolong life?

Scientists are amassing evidence that unrepaired or poorly repaired DNA damage underlies many of the hallmarks of ageing. This has led to research into whether boosting DNA repair can keep people heal...

2 Syys 18min

Briefing Chat: How Dolly Parton left her mark on science

In this episode:00:18 Researchers celebrate Dolly Parton's contributions to scienceNature: Dolly Parton dies aged 80 — researchers celebrate her contributions to science08:40 Phase III trial of melano...

28 Elo 14min

Highest-ever ocean temperatures recorded as El Niño intensifies

Why extreme temperatures are expected to weaken ocean carbon sinks — plus, how mitochondrial injections could treat vision loss.00:46 The world’s oceans reach a record temperatureNature: Ocean tempera...

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