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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25 April 2019: Tiny earthquakes, the genetics of height, and how US-China politics is affecting research
18 April 2019: Reviving brains, lightning, and spring books
Podcast Extra: The first image of a black hole
11 April 2019: Heart failure and vacuum field fluctuations.
04 April 2019: MDMA and the malleable mind, and keeping skin young
Backchat March 2019: Calls for a research moratorium, and the evolution of science reporting
28 March 2019: Human impacts on Mount Kilimanjaro, sex differences in pain, and a crystal-based cooling method
21 March 2019: Antibiotics in orchards, and rethinking statistical significance
Nature Pastcast March 1918: The eclipse expedition to put Einstein to the test
14 March 2019: Ebola in DRC, a new HIV treatment, and the proposed US budget.
07 March 2019: Coastal carbon-sinks, mobile health, and Mileva Marić
28 February 2019: Cuckoo parasitism, topological materials, and cannabinoids in yeast.
21 February 2019: Mouse cell atlases and cataloguing viruses
14 February 2019: Atherosclerosis and disruptive science
07 February 2019: Massive chemical libraries, and CRISPR-CasX
31 January 2019: Women of the periodic table, and harvesting energy from Wi-Fi
24 January 2019: Economic downturns and black holes
17 January 2019: RNA splicing in yeast, and a walking fossil
Podcast Extra: The search for a rare disease treatment
10 January 2019: Fast Radio Bursts and new year future gazing
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