In this episode:

00:21 Our picks of this year’s Ig Nobel prizes

Nature: Buried underpants and a new definition of kissing win 2026 Ig Nobel prizes

07:47 Massive xenon experiment detects tantalizing hint of dark matter

Nature: Is this the first glimpse of dark matter? Data point excites physicists

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 healthy for longer.

This is an audio version of our Feature: Could mending damaged DNA prolong life?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode:

00:18 Researchers celebrate Dolly Parton's contributions to science

Nature: Dolly Parton dies aged 80 — researchers celebrate her contributions to science

08:40 Phase III trial of melanoma vaccine shows promise

Nature: Moderna cancer vaccine stops melanoma returning: what’s next for personalized treatments?

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 temperature

Nature: Ocean temperatures set to break all-time record: what’s next?

10:05 Research Highlights

Nature: Astronaut vest cuts radiation exposure in half

Nature: Earth-shaking thunder probes underground geology

12:54 How mitochondrial injections could treat vision loss

Nature: Patient’s own mitochondria injected into eyes in attempt to restore vision​​​​​​​

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 drug

Nature: First-of-its-kind narcolepsy drug opens door to new therapies for the brain

05:53 Human brain organoids kept alive for over five years

Nature: Human organoids that mimic brain development grown for years in lab​​​​​​​

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 spin

Research article: Dayem et al.

13:23 Research Highlights

Nature: ​​​​​​​Rattlesnakes’ own antivenom could protect humans too

Nature: ​​​​​​​Shipping on rivers packs a surprisingly large climate punch

15:40 Commercial exoskeletons are hitting the market — what now?

Nature: ​​​​​​​Will you be wearing an exoskeleton in ten years? The tech that could change how we move​​​​​​​

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode:

00:29 What does Anthropic’s new watermark mean for research?

Nature: Can Anthropic’s invisible watermarks curb ‘AI slop’? Researchers remain sceptical

10:57 Ticklishness is a distinct, specialized body sensation, research finds

Nature: Where are you ticklish? Researchers map the sensation across cultures

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Genetically modified bacteria lower high blood-sugar in animal trials — plus, how to safely watch a solar eclipse.

00:45 A living diabetes treatment

Research article: Guan et al.

08:03 Research Highlights

Nature: Pumas are drivers’ guardian angels

Nature: How a steady drip-drip can erode the hardest stone

10:29 What eclipses might reveal about the Sun’s corona

Nature: Solar eclipse offers rare chance to solve Sun’s magnetic-field mysteries

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nature staff discuss how animal studies are starting to uncover how DNA repair could prolong life, and how COVID-19 can reawaken dormant viruses.

00:25 Could reawakened viruses have a link to long-COVID?

Nature: COVID can wake up a slew of dormant viruses inside you

05:57 DNA damage can cause ageing, could boosting repair boost longevity?

Nature: ​​​​​​​Could mending damaged DNA prolong life?​​​​​​​

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Researchers untangle the chemistry behind turning PVC into high-grade motor lubricant — plus, how engineered yeast can help make a cancer drug.

00:45 The chemistry behind converting PVC into lubricant

Research article: Munyaneza et al.

09:15 Research Highlights

Nature: ​​​​​​​Engineered yeast that make cancer drugs could spare a rare flower

Nature: ​​​​​​​Sickle-cell disease linked to prematurely aged stem cells in mice​​​​​​​

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode:

00:24 The quest to count the Amazon's insects

Nature: Tiny patch of Amazon likely holds 40,000 insect species — many new to science

07:31 The orcas that exploded a sunfish

The Guardian: Orcas seen ramming prey so hard it explodes may be playing game

Tiktok: Orcas vs sunfish

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.