In this episode:
00:45 Making a map of the human heartThe human heart consists of multiple, specialised structures that all work together to enable the organ to beat for a lifetime. But exactly which cells are present in each part of the heart has been difficult to ascertain. Now, a team has combined molecular techniques to create an atlas of the developing human heart at an individual cell level. Their atlas provides insights into how cell communities communicate and form different structures. They hope that this knowledge will ultimately help in the treatment of congenital heart conditions, often caused by irregular development of the heart.
Research article: Farah et al.
Nature video: Building a heart atlas
Residue in ceramic vases suggests that ancient Mesoamerican peoples consumed tobacco as a liquid, and a wireless way to charge quantum batteries.
Research Highlight: Buried vases hint that ancient Americans might have drunk tobacco
Research Highlight: A better way to charge a quantum battery
Menopause is a rare phenomenon, only known to occur in a few mammalian species. Several of these species are toothed whales, such as killer whales, beluga whales and narwhals. But why menopause evolved multiple times in toothed whales has been a long-standing research question. To answer it, a team examined the life history of whales with and without menopause and how this affected the number of offspring and ‘grandoffpsring’. Their results suggest that menopause allows older females to help younger generations in their families and improve their chances of survival.
Research Article: Ellis et al.
News and Views: Whales make waves in the quest to discover why menopause evolved
How the new generation of anti-obesity drugs could help people with HIV, and the study linking microplastics lodged in a key blood vessel with serious health issues.
Nature News: Blockbuster obesity drug leads to better health in people with HIV
Nature News: Landmark study links microplastics to serious health problems
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The quark of the matter: what's really inside a proton?
Audio long-read: Thundercloud Project tackles a gamma-ray mystery
Coronapod: our future with an ever-present coronavirus
A mammoth discovery: oldest DNA on record from million-year-old teeth
Coronapod: Is mixing COVID vaccines a good idea?
Human Genome Project - Nature’s editor-in-chief reflects 20 years on
Coronapod: Variants – what you need to know
Mysterious einsteinium spills its secrets
Coronapod: Fixing the world’s pandemic alarm
Audio long-read: Push, pull and squeeze – the hidden forces that shape life
How a spinal device could relieve a neglected effect of cord injury
Hiring discrimination laid bare by mountain of data
Coronapod: The rise of RNA vaccines
The mysterious extinction of the dire wolf
Audio long-read: Controlling COVID with science - Iceland's story
Our podcast highlights of 2020
Coronapod: The big COVID research papers of 2020
Could you prevent a pandemic? A very 2020 video game
Don’t think too deeply about the origin of life – it may have started in puddles
Norway's prime minister reveals plans to protect the world's oceans
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