Nature Podcast30 Jul 2025

Earth's deepest ecosystem discovered six miles below the sea

00:45 The deepest ecosystem ever discovered

Researchers 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 al

09:36 Research Highlights

A 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 caiman

Research Highlight: ‘Immortal’ stars have an elixir of youth: dark matter

11:45 How infections could awaken dormant cancer

New 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 cells

21:45 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 shows

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Episoder(906)

Togetherness: How co-operation built the world

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1 Jul 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 Jun 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 Jun 11min

Medical records could be revealed by AI training-data vulnerability

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24 Jun 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 Jun 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 Jun 26min

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

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12 Jun 11min

Newly-discovered whale graveyard dates back millions of years

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10 Jun 21min