How Rosalind Franklin’s story was rewritten
In this episode:00:57 Franklin’s real roleWhen it comes to the structure of DNA, everyone thinks they know Rosalind Franklin’s role in its discovery. The story goes that her crucial data was taken by ...
26 Apr 202333min
A smarter way to melt down plastics?
In this episode:00:45 A new method to break down plastic polymersPlastic waste is an enormous problem, with much of it being incinerated or ending up in landfill. One way to give plastics another life...
19 Apr 202321min
How to battle misinformation with Sander van der Linden
In the latest episode of Nature hits the books, psychologist Sander van der Linden joins us to discuss his new book Foolproof, which focuses on misinformation and what can be done to prevent people be...
14 Apr 202324min
Octopuses hunt by 'tasting' with their suckers
00:44 The unusual receptors that let octopuses hunt by touchResearchers have shown that the suckers of octopuses are covered with specialised receptors that allow them to taste by touching things. Sim...
12 Apr 202327min
Giant black-hole pair from the early Universe gives clues to how galaxies form
00:46 A pair of supermassive black holes in the distant universeSupermassive black holes are found at the centre of galaxies across the universe. But observations of galaxies with more than one – caus...
5 Apr 202331min
Audio long read: What Turkey’s earthquake tells us about the science of seismic forecasting
Last month, a magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, killing an estimated 50,000 people. Two decades ago, researchers suggested that an earthquake in this area was likely, but exactly where...
31 Mar 202311min
Bacterial ‘syringes’ could inject drugs directly into human cells
00:48 Tiny syringes for drug deliveryA team of researchers have repurposed tiny syringe-like structures produced by some bacteria to deliver molecules directly into human cells. They hope that this me...
29 Mar 202324min
How to make driverless cars safer — expose them to lots of dangerous drivers
00:46 A new test to get autonomous vehicles on the roadTruly autonomous vehicles, ones that don't require a driver to be present and are driven by AI, aren't yet safe for public use. Part of the reaso...
22 Mar 202319min
