Nature Podcast5 Maalis 2025

Earliest crafted bone tools date back 1.5 million years

00:46 Ancient humans made bone tools 1.5 million years ago

A 1.5-million-year-old cache of animal-bone tools reveals that ancient humans systematically crafted with this material much earlier than previously thought. Researchers uncovered 27 bone artefacts in Tanzania honed into sharp tools almost 40 cm long. This discovery pushes back the dedicated manufacture of bone tools by around a million years and could have helped these early humans develop new kinds of technology. “This raises a lot of interesting questions,” says study author Ignacio de la Torre.

Research Article: de la Torre et al.

09:11 Research Highlights

Cane toads’ remarkable homing abilities, and evidence that the block of rock that makes up southern Tibet originated in what is now Australia.

Research Highlight: Take me home, country toads

Research Highlight: Lhasa′s rocks reveal an Australian birthplace

11:45 A trove of antibacterial molecules hidden in human proteins

To help protect against infection, cells in the body will selectively cut proteins to produce molecules known as antimicrobial peptides, according to new research. A team has found that many potential peptides appear to be locked up within proteins — to get them out, cells shift the activity of a waste-disposal system called the proteasome, known for its role in protein degradation and recycling. In tests, one of these peptides showed efficacy at protecting mice from infection, indicating that these molecules could one day have therapeutic potential.

Research Article: Goldberg et al.

News and Views: Protein waste turned into antibiotics as a defence strategy of human cells

21:08 Briefing Chat

An update on two missions heading to the Moon to look for water, and why fears that a crucial ocean-current system will collapse in the face of climate change may be incorrect.

Nature: Meet the ice-hunting robots headed for the Moon right now

Nature: Iconic ocean-current system is safe from climate collapse ― for now

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Togetherness: How co-operation built the world

In this episode, we speak with science journalist Rowan Hooper, whose book Togetherness: Symbiosis and the Hidden Story of Life's Greatest Collaborations takes a deep-dive into the world of co-operati...

1 Heinä 31min

Audio long read: Is the peptide craze backed by science? The promise behind the hype

Peptides — short chains of amino acids — have become huge online. The popularity of these molecules has skyrocketed and they are now the latest cure-all trend on social media.But what does the science...

29 Kesä 16min

Briefing Chat: What tickling a chimpanzee can tell us about the evolution of speech

Nature staff discuss how apes share a rhythm of laughter, and how AI use may degrade skills in medicine and computer science.00:32 Early evidence suggests that AI use causes skills to atrophyNature: I...

26 Kesä 11min

Medical records could be revealed by AI training-data vulnerability

In this episode:00:46 How sensitive information can be gleaned from medical AIsResearch article: Knolle et al.Correction: The story about medical AI-data privacy incorrectly stated that the number of ...

24 Kesä 19min

Briefing Chat: Testosterone and sperm may get a boost from obesity drugs

Nature staff discuss preliminary data on the effects of GLP-1 drugs on male fertility plus a two-year trial of a brain-computer interface.00:18 Brain-computer interface makes a life-changing impactNat...

19 Kesä 12min

DNA from hunter-gatherer teeth reveals secrets of ancient plague

In this episode:00:45 Ancient evidence of deadly plague outbreaksResearch article: Macleod et al.12:33 Research HighlightsNature: Bones of Iron Age skeleton were whittled into toolsNature: Giant crust...

17 Kesä 26min

Briefing Chat: The epic journey of Stonehenge’s central stone

In this episode:00:37 Evidence that Stonehenge's Altar Stone travelled by glacierBBC Science Focus: We may have just cracked one of Stonehenge's greatest mysteries05:44 Fossilized faeces reveal DNA fr...

12 Kesä 11min

Newly-discovered whale graveyard dates back millions of years

In this episode:00:46 A giant, ancient whale necropolisResearch article: Peng et al.News & Views: A vast whale necropolis has been found08:52 Research HighlightsNature: Babies’ birth weight improves w...

10 Kesä 21min