In this episode:
01:28 Inflammation’s role in memoryHow 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
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
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
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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Audio long read: The brain-reading devices helping paralysed people to move, talk and touch
Robot exercises shoulder cells for better tissue transplants
Coronapod: 'A generational loss' - COVID's devastating impact on education
X-ray analysis hints at answers to fossil mystery
How galaxies could exist without dark matter
Coronapod: 'viral ghosts' support idea that SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs could be behind long COVID
Retinas revived after donor's death open door to new science
Swapping in a bit of microbial 'meat' has big eco-gains
Coronapod: COVID and diabetes, what the science says
How virtual meetings can limit creative ideas
Audio long-read: The quest to prevent MS — and understand other post-viral diseases
We could still limit global warming to just 2˚C — but there's an 'if'
Coronapod: Infected immune cells hint at cause of severe COVID
Why do naked mole rats live as long as giraffes?
Five years in the coldest fridge in the known Universe
Audio long-read: A more-inclusive genome project aims to capture all of human diversity
Winding roads could make you a better navigator
Milky Way's origin story revealed by 250,000 stars
Coronapod: How vaccine complacency is plaguing 'COVID zero' strategies
The coin toss of Alzheimer's inheritance
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