Audio long read: How to detect consciousness in people, animals and maybe even AI
The search for signs of consciousness has expanded, thanks to advanced neuroimaging techniques. These tools allow researchers to detect consciousness in unresponsive humans, and now researchers are looking to develop tests that work in animals and perhaps even artificial intelligence systems of the future. This is an audio version of our Feature: How to detect consciousness in people, animals and maybe even AI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Viral spread: how rumours surged in revolutionary France
00:48 How the 18th-Century 'Great Fear’ spread across rural FranceIn the late 1700s, rural France was beset with rapidly spreading rumours of aristocratic plots to suppress revolutionary ideas. But how, and why, these rumours were able to spread so quickly has puzzled historians. Now, using modern epidemiological modelling, a team suggests that a combination of high wheat prices, income and literacy level drove this period of French history known as the Great Fear.Research Article: Zapperi et al.News: An abiding mystery of the French Revolution is solved — by epidemiology12:40 Research HighlightsAn unorthodox explanation for dark energy — plus, and how a tiny marsupial predator overcame near extinction.Research Highlight: Does dark energy spawn from black holes? Could be a bright ideaResearch Highlight: Tiny Australian predator defies drought to recover from near-extinction15:13 The quantum interpretation quizPhysicists differ widely in their interpretations of quantum mechanics, and so do Nature readers, according to our Cosmo-inspired quiz. The quantum world is notoriously difficult to explain, with interpretations of the mathematical foundations ranging from the epistemic, which only describes information, to the realist, where equations map onto the real world. The quiz suggests that many readers prefer the realist, even if that is difficult to mesh with the physics itself.Feature: Physicists disagree wildly on what quantum mechanics says about reality, Nature survey showSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Fusion energy gets a boost from cold fusion chemistry
00:46 Electrochemical fusionResearchers have used electrochemistry to increase the rates of nuclear fusion reactions in a desktop reactor. Fusion energy promises abundant clean energy, but fusion events are rare, hindering progress. Now, inspired by the controversial claim of cold fusion, researchers used electrochemistry to get palladium to absorb more deuterium ions, that are used in fusion. When a beam of deuterium was fired at the deuterium-filled palladium, they saw a 15% increase in fusion events. They did not get more energy than they put in, but the authors believe this is a step towards enhancing fusion energy and shows the promise of electrochemical techniques.Research Article: Chen et al.News and Views: Low-energy nuclear fusion boosted by electrochemistry10:06 Research HighlightsDo ants hold the key to better teamwork? — plus, the coins that hint at extensive hidden trade networks in southeast Asia.Research Highlight: Super-efficient teamwork is possible — if you’re an antResearch Highlight: Ancient coins unveil web of trade across southeast Asia12:31 The microbial taste of chocolateChocolate gets its best tastes from microbes, according to a new study. Fermentation of cocoa beans helps create chocolate tastes but not much has been known about the process. Now, the temperature, pH and microbes involved have been identified and the researchers showed how it would be possible to manipulate these to produce premium chocolate flavours.News: Why chocolate tastes so good: microbes that fine-tune its flavourSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Controversial climate report from Trump team galvanizes scientists into action
In this Podcast Extra, we discuss a report released by the US Department of Energy, which concluded that global warming is “less damaging economically than commonly believed”. However, many researchers say that the report misrepresents decades of climate science.We discuss how scientists are trying to coordinate a unified response amidst concerns that this report will be used in attempts to repeal a 2009 government ruling that greenhouse gases endanger public welfare.News: Outrage over Trump team’s climate report spurs researchers to fight backNews: Are the Trump team’s actions affecting your research? How to contact Nature Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Sun-powered flyers could explore the mysterious mesosphere
00:46 Tiny solar flyerResearchers have used a phenomenon known as thermal transpiration to create a solar-powered flying device that can stay aloft without any moving parts. The diminutive device, just one centimetre across, consists of two thin, perforated membranes that allow air to flow through the device, generating lift. Although only a proof-of-concept, the team hope that a scaled-up version of the device could be used to measure conditions in the mesosphere, a particularly hard-to-study part of the Earth’s atmosphere, or even on Mars.Research Article: Schafer et al.News and Views: Levitating platform could ride sunlight into the ‘ignorosphere’News: These tiny flyers levitate on the Sun's heat alone07:57 Research HighlightsA 3D scan of body art on a 2,000-year-old mummy reveals the techniques used by ancient tattooists — plus, the bacterial cause of a devastating sea-star disease.Research Highlight: Intricate origins of ice mummy’s ink revealedResearch Highlight: Mystery of billions of sea-star deaths solved at last10:22 Quantum gravity goes to the labDespite being one of the most successful scientific frameworks in history, there is one thing that quantum physics can’t explain: gravity. Whether gravity is quantum in nature is something that has had physicists vexed, but now a slew of experiments are being planned to try and answer this question. We hear how these experiments will work, and what their results might mean for physicists’ understanding of the universe.News Feature: Is gravity quantum? Experiments could finally probe one of physics’ biggest questions20:26 Briefing ChatHow genes can have different effects depend on the parent they come from, and how lithium shows promise in treating Alzheimer’s disease in mice studies.Nature: These genes can have the opposite effects depending on which parent they came fromNature: New hope for Alzheimer’s: lithium supplement reverses memory loss in miceSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Nature Podcast brings you the best stories from the world of science each week. We cover everything from astronomy to zoology, highlighting the most exciting research from each issue of the Nature journal. We meet the scientists behind the results and provide in-depth analysis from Nature's journalists and editors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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