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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Podcast Extra: Evidence of a ‘transmissible’ Alzheimer’s protein
13 December 2018: The art of performing science, and chiral chemistry
06 December 2018: Heart xenotransplants and phage fighting
29 November 2018: Atomic clock accuracy and wind farm worries
22 November 2018: An ion-drive aeroplane, and DNA rearrangement.
15 November 2018: Barnard’s Star, and clinical trials
08 November 2018: Designer cells, and a Breakthrough researcher
01 November 2018: Mood forecasting technology, and where are the WIMPs?
18 October 2018: Cannabis horticulture and the Sun's place in history
11 October 2018: The life of a new Nobel laureate and organised ants
04 October 2018: Latent HIV, bird personalities and the Hyabusa2 mission
27 September 2018: A wearable biosensor and a mechanical metamaterial.
20 September 2018: Negative emissions and swarms under strain
13 September 2018: The oldest drawing and the energy of data
6 September 2018: Space junk, and a physicist’s perspective on life
30 August 2018: Gravity’s big G and the evolution of babies
Backchat August 2018: Audio reporting, audience feedback, and Brexit
23 August 2018: Quantum computers and labour division in ants
16 August 2018: Bumblebees, opioids, and ocean weather
8 August 2018: Fox aggression, microbiota and geoengineering
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