In this episode:
To prevent the loss of wildlife, forest restoration is key, but monitoring how well biodiversity actually recovers is incredibly difficult. Now though, a team have collected recordings of animal sounds to determine the extent of the recovery. However, while using these sounds to identify species is an effective way to monitor, it’s also labour intensive. To overcome this, they trained an AI to listen to the sounds, and found that although it was less able to identify species, its findings still correlated well with wildlife recovery, suggesting that it could be a cost-effective and automated way to monitor biodiversity.
Research article: Müller et al.
Researchers develop algae-based living materials that glow when squeezed, and a 50-million-year-old bat skull that suggests echolocation was an ancient skill.
Research Highlight: Give these ‘living composite’ objects a squeeze and watch them glow
Research Highlight: Fossilized skull shows that early bats had modern sonar
A brain imaging study reveals how high-fat foods exert their powerful pull, and how being asleep doesn’t necessarily cut you off from the outside world.
Nature News: Deep asleep? You can still follow simple commands, study finds
Nature News: Milkshake neuroscience: how the brain nudges us toward fatty foods
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Our podcast highlights of 2021
The Nature Podcast annual holiday spectacular
Coronapod: Omicron - your questions answered
Pluto's strange ice patterns explained by new theory
Coronapod: vaccines and long COVID, how protected are you?
How 'megastudies' are changing behavioural science
Coronapod: How has COVID impacted mental health?
What’s the best diet for people and the planet?
Audio long-read: The chase for fusion energy
Coronapod: everything we know about the new COVID variant
Researcher careers under the microscope: salary satisfaction and COVID impacts
Sea squirts teach new lessons in evolution
Coronapod: new hope from COVID antiviral drugs
The past and future of the Earth's climate
Audio long-read: How dangerous is Africa’s explosive Lake Kivu?
Podcast special: onboard the climate train to COP26
China’s COVID vaccines have been crucial — now immunity is waning
Genomics unwraps mystery of the Tarim mummies
Coronapod: can scientists harness COVID super-immunity?
Viking presence in the Americas pinpointed by ancient solar storm
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