Nature Podcast

In this episode: 00:45 How to tackle AI deepfakes It has long been possible to create deceptive images, videos or audio to entertain or mislead audiences. Now, with the rise of AI technologies, such manipulations have become easier than ever. These deepfakes can spread misinformation, defraud people, and damage economies. To tackle this, researchers and companies are developing tools to find and label deepfakes, in an attempt to rob them of their potential to wreak havoc. News Feature: How to stop AI deepfakes from sinking society — and science 11:17 Research Highlights Ultra-accurate measurement of Earth’s day-length using lasers, and the insect that amputates its own legs to survive the cold. Research Highlight: How lasers detect day-length changes of a few milliseconds Research Highlight: Snow-loving flies amputate their own legs for survival 14:04 Stacked timbers might be evidence of ancient woodworking Ancient stone tools are well preserved in the archeological record, and are used by researchers to understand the lives of ancient hominins. But other materials like wood are less common, since they will only preserve under specific conditions. Now researchers have found a trove of wooden artefacts in Zambia dated to be around 476,000 old. In particular, stacked timbers from the site could be the earliest known wooden structure, perhaps implying that ancient hominins had a greater capacity for woodworking than previously thought. Research article: Barham et al. News & Views: Hominins built with wood 476,000 years ago Nature News: These ancient whittled logs could be the earliest known wooden structure 22:00 OSIRIS-REx brings haul of asteroid dust and rock back to Earth This week, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx successfully landed a capsule containing rocks and dust from the asteroid Bennu. We talk with reporter Alex Witze, who was on the ground in Utah when the samples landed, to find out what these ancient rocks could reveal about the origins of the Solar System. Nature News: Special delivery! Biggest-ever haul of asteroid dust and rock returns to Earth Subscribe 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.

In this episode: 00:45 A new insight into cancers' selective spread Cancer cells can spread to bones in the late stages of disease and in many cancers, cells actually preferentially metastasise to the spine. The reason for this has been a puzzle to researchers for years, but now a team has found a new kind of stem cell that may be involved in this process. The stem cell is found in mice and humans and could represent a clinical target in the treatment of cancer. Research article: Sun et al. News and Views: Stem cells provide clues to why vertebrae attract tumour cells 09:55 Research Highlights A preference for certain percussion instruments among palm cockatoos, and modelling where people wait on train platforms. Research Highlight: This parrot taps out beats — and it custom-builds its instruments Research Highlight: The maths of how we wait in crowded places 12:29 Briefing Chat This time, a second trial shows the effectiveness of using MDMA to help treat post-traumatic stress disorder, and how an upgrade to an X-ray laser will let researchers make ultra-crisp ‘molecular movies’. Nature News: Psychedelic drug MDMA moves closer to US approval following success in PTSD trial Nature News: World’s most powerful X-ray laser will ‘film’ chemical reactions in unprecedented detail Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:46 A sustainably-sourced, super-strong adhesive The modern world is held together by adhesives, but these fossil-fuel derived materials come at an environmental cost. To overcome this, a team have developed a soya-oil based adhesive, which also takes inspiration from the proteins that marine animals like mussels use to stick firmly to rocks. The researchers say their glue is strong, reversible, and less carbon intensive to produce than existing adhesives. Research article: Westerman et al. 07:43 Research Highlights Why chemicals derived from wood could be sustainable alternatives to a common plastic building block, and how historical accounts helped researchers estimate the brightness of a 1859 solar flare. Research Highlight: Wood component yields useful plastics — without the health risks Research Highlight: A historic solar flare’s huge intensity is revealed by new tools 10:08 New insights into childhood stunting and wasting Around the world, millions of children are affected by malnutrition, which can result in stunting or wasting, both associated with serious health issues. Despite a widespread recognition of the seriousness of stunting and wasting, there are still questions about their extent, causes and consequences. To answer these, a team have pooled data from previous studies, and show that nutritional interventions targeting the earliest years of life could have the greatest impact. Research article: Benjamin-Chung et al. Research article: Mertens et al. Research article: Mertens et al. Nature Collection: Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals 20:29 Briefing Chat This time, what rejoining the Horizon Europe research-funding programme means for UK research, and the 1.4-million-year-old stone balls that are mystifying scientists. Nature News: Scientists celebrate as UK rejoins Horizon Europe research programme Science: Were these stone balls made by ancient human relatives trying to perfect the sphere? Subscribe 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.

In this episode: 00:30 Early humans pushed to brink of extinction Around 900,000 years ago the ancestors of modern humans were pushed to the brink of extinction, according to new research. Genetic studies suggest that the breeding population of our ancestors in Africa dropped to just 1,280 and didn’t expand again for another 117,000 years. This population crash would likely have had an impact on human genetic diversity, and may have driven the evolution of important features of modern humans, such as brain size. Nature News: Human ancestors nearly went extinct 900,000 years ago 3:49 The pollution legacy of Antarctica’s research stations Poor historical waste practices have left high levels of pollution around Antartica’s research facilities. By surveying the seafloor near Australia’s Casey research station, researchers have revealed high concentrations of hydrocarbons and heavy metals.This pollution is likely to be widespread, but its impact on the continent is unknown. Nature News: Antarctic research stations have polluted a pristine wilderness 07:43 Melting sea-ice causes catastrophic penguin breeding failure Persistently low levels of sea-ice around Antarctica have caused emperor penguins to abandon their breeding colonies early, resulting in the death of large numbers of chicks. Although the affected populations only represent a small number of the total emperor penguins on the continent, it’s unclear how they’ll fare if trends in sea-ice melt continue. Science: Emperor penguins abandon breeding grounds as ice melts around them 09:23 The AI trained to describe smells Researchers have developed an artificial-intelligence that can describe how compounds smell by analysing their molecular structures. The system’s description of scents are often similar to those of trained human sniffers, and may have applications in the food and perfume industries. Currently the AI works on individual molecules, and is unable to identify the smells associated with complex combinations of molecules, something humans noses do with ease. Nature: AI predicts chemicals’ smells from their structures Subscribe 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.

In this episode: 00:47 First observation of oxygen 28 Oxygen 28 is an isotope of oxygen with 20 neutrons and eight protons. This strange isotope has long been sought after by physicists, as its proposed unusual properties would allow them to put their theories of how atomic nuclei work to the test. Now, after decades of experiments physicists believe they have observed oxygen 28. The observations are at odds with theory predictions, so they imply that there’s a lot more physicists don’t know about the forces that hold atomic nuclei together. Research article: Kondo et al. News and Views: Heaviest oxygen isotope is found to be unbound 10:06 Research Highlights How venus fly traps can protect themselves from wildfires, and a ball-point pen that can ‘write’ LEDs. Research Highlight: Venus flytraps shut their traps when flames approach Research Highlight: A rainbow of LEDs adorns objects at the stroke of a pen 12:39 An AI for Drone Racing AIs have been beating humans at games for years, but in these cases the AI has always trained in exactly the same conditions in which it competes. In chess for example, the board can be simulated exactly. Now though, researchers have demonstrated an AI that can beat humans in a place where simulation can only take you so far, the real world. The Swift AI system is able to race drones against champion-level humans, and beat them most of the time. The researchers hope this research can help improve the efficiency of drones in general. Research article: Kaufmann et al. News and Views: Drone-racing champions outpaced by AI Video: AI finally beats humans at a real-life sport - drone racing 19:51 Briefing Chat This time, the Indian Space Research Organization’s successful moon landing, and the low level of support offered to researchers whose first language isn’t English by journals. Nature News: India lands on the Moon! Scientists celebrate as Chandrayaan-3 touches down Nature News: Scientists who don’t speak fluent English get little help from journals, study finds Subscribe 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.

Investigations suggest that, in some fields, at least one-quarter of clinical trials might be problematic or even entirely made up. Faked or unreliable trials are dangerous, as they could end up being included in the reviews that help inform clinical treatments. However, the extent of the problem in unclear, and many researchers urge stronger scrutiny. This is an audio version of our Feature: Medicine is plagued by untrustworthy clinical trials. How many studies are faked or flawed? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:47 The brain-computer interfaces that help restore communication People with certain neurological conditions can lose the ability to speak as a result of facial paralysis. This week, two teams demonstrate the potential of devices called brain-computer interfaces to help people in these situations communicate. These interfaces work by identifying the brain activity associated with the intent to say words, and converting this activity into speech-related outputs, such as text or audio. Both devices show marked improvements compared with previous interfaces, and show that the technology could represent a way to help restore communication to people with severe paralysis. Research article: Metzger et al. Research article: Willett et al. News and Views: Brain implants that enable speech pass performance milestones 11:46 Research Highlights How wind-tunnel experiments could help athletes run the fastest marathon ever, and an analysis that could help explain why birds are the colours they are. Research Highlight: Physicists find a way to set a new marathon record Research Highlight: Which birds are drab and which dazzle? Predators have a say 14:06 How much heat can tropical leaves take? As the climate warms, tropical forests around the world are facing increasing temperatures. But it’s unknown how much the trees can endure before their leaves start to die. A team has combined multiple data sources to try and answer this question, and suggest that a warming of 3.9 °C would lead to many leaves reaching a tipping point at which photosynthesis breaks down. This scenario would likely cause significant damage to these ecosystems’ role in vital carbon storage and as homes to significant biodiversity. Research article: Doughty et al. 21:01 Briefing Chat This time, a reexamination of Ötzi the iceman’s DNA suggests he had a different appearance, and the failure of a Russian mission to the moon. Nature News: Ötzi the Iceman has a new look: balding and dark-skinned Nature News: Russian Moon lander crash — what happened, and what’s next? Subscribe 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.

In this episode: 00:49 The search for animals’ magnetic sense sufferers a potential setback Exactly how animals sense Earth’s magnetic field has long eluded researchers. To understand it, many have turned to the fly model Drosophila melanogaster, long thought to be able to detect magnetic fields. However, a recent Nature paper has raised questions about this ability, a finding that could have repercussions for scientists’ efforts to understand the mechanism behind magnetic sensing, one of the biggest questions in sensory biology. Research article: Bassetto et al. News & Views: Replication study casts doubt on magnetic sensing in flies 10:53 Research Highlights The world’s first filter feeder, and human-caused climate change in the Bronze Age. Research Highlight: This ancient reptile wanted to be a whale Research Highlight: Bronze Age deforestation changed Europe’s climate 13:03 An iconic observatory shuts down This week the famed Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico shut down. The facility’s main telescope collapsed in 2020 and the site has since been battered by storms and pandemic-related shutdowns. Now, with funding exhausted and no clear plan in place, scientists are wondering what will become of the site. Nature News: Closing down an icon: will Arecibo Observatory ever do science again? 20:28 Briefing Chat This time, the Standard Model of physics still isn't dead according to new measurements of muons' magnetic moment, and finding the most diverse habitat on Earth under your feet. Nature News: Dreams of new physics fade with latest muon magnetism result The Guardian: More than half of Earth’s species live in the soil, study finds Subscribe 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.

A perfect storm of factors has led to huge racial disparities in maternal healthcare. In the USA, as abortion clinics continue to close, this inequity is projected to widen. In this podcast from Nature and ScientificAmerican, we hear from leading academics unpacking the racism at the heart of the system. From the historical links between slavery and gynaecology to the systematic erasure of America’s Black midwives. What is behind the Black maternal mortality crisis, and what needs to change? Read more of Nature's coverage of racism in science. Read full list of sources here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:46 A measure of refugees’ welcome in Europe With repeated humanitarian crises displacing millions of people, researchers have been considering how this might affect acceptance of refugees. Will some refugees be more welcome than others? Will continued movements erode support for refugees overall? To answer these questions, a huge study looks at the attitudes of 33,000 people from 15 European countries towards refugees. They find that overall support for refugees has slightly increased, although some characteristics, such as ability to speak the language of the country they’re settling in, are preferred. They hope this research will help policymakers to respond to stresses on the asylum system. Research article: Bansak et al. 11:26 Research Highlights The unusual feeding grounds of the pygmy right whale, and the JWST spots a possible quasar from the early Universe. Research Highlight: An enigmatic little whale’s habits, from its own mouth Research Highlight: JWST spots what could be a quasar from the early Universe 13:44 Briefing Chat We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, how designing shapes to roll down wiggly lines has implications for quantum physics, and a settlement for the family of Henrietta Lacks. Research Article: Sobolev et al. Video: These shapes roll in peculiar ways thanks to new mathematics Nature News: How the ‘groundbreaking’ Henrietta Lacks settlement could change research Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the Nature Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app. An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast is available too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest episode of Nature hits the books, physicist Athene Donald joins us to discuss her book Not just for the boys, why we need more women in science. We discuss how science has historically excluded women, the barriers to entry and retention that remain prevalent, and what could be done to improve the situation for female scientists today. Not Just for the Boys: Why We Need More Women in Science, Athene Donald, Oxford University Press (2023) Music supplied by Airae/Epidemic Sound/Getty images. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neuroscientists are creating more naturalistic experiments that they hope will provide a more nuanced understanding of animal — and human — behaviour. These set-ups differ from the classic laboratory experiments that have been used for decades, and may help in the understanding of behaviours such as escaping a predator or finding scarce food. By studying these natural actions, scientists are hoping to glean lessons about the brain and behaviour that are more holistic and more relevant to everyday activity than ever before. This is an audio version of our Feature: Lab mice go wild: making experiments more natural in order to decode the brain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: How tweaking social media algorithms affects polarization Societies are becoming increasingly polarized, with people reportedly shunning those with differing political views. Social media is often thought to be exacerbating these divides, by creating echo chambers and filtering out dissimilar views. Many hoped that tweaking the algorithms that drive these platforms could reduce polarization. But, a group of studies show that such changes have little to no affect on polarization, implying that solutions to this issue are trickier than previously thought. Research Article: Nyhan et al. News and Views: Influence of Facebook algorithms on political polarization tested News: Tweaking Facebook feeds is no easy fix for polarization Subscribe 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.

In this episode: 00:46 How to see in the dark like it’s daytime There are many methods for better night-vision, but often these rely on enhancing light, which may not be present, or using devices which can interfere with one another. One alternative solution is to use heat, but such infrared sensors struggle to distinguish between different objects. To overcome this, researchers have now combined such sensors with machine learning algorithms to make a system that grants day-like night-vision. They hope it will be useful in technologies such as self-driving cars. Research article: Bao et al. News and Views: Heat-assisted imaging enables day-like visibility at night 09:27 Research Highlights Benjamin Franklin’s anti-counterfeiting money printing techniques, and how much snow is on top of Mount Everest really? Research Highlight: Ben Franklin: founding father of anti-counterfeiting techniques Research Highlight: How much snow is on Mount Everest? Scientists climbed it to find out 11:47 Briefing Chat We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, the cost to scientists of English not being their native language, and the mysterious link between COVID-19 and type 1 diabetes. Nature News: The true cost of science’s language barrier for non-native English speakers Nature News: As COVID-19 cases rose, so did diabetes — no one knows why Subscribe 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.

In this episode: 00:45 A sustainable solution for schistosomiasis control Schistosomiasis is a serious parasitic disease that affects millions of people, who become infected when they come into contact with contaminated water. To prevent the spread and reinfection of this disease, researchers trialled an environmental intervention that removed plants from lakes in Senegal. These plants act as food for freshwater snails – intermediate hosts for the disease. Results showed that this reduced disease levels, and that the plants could be composted to increase agricultural yields, suggesting this approach could be used to improve health and the economy. Research article: Rohr et al. News and Views: A sustainable way to control the parasitic disease schistosomiasis 12:03 Research Highlights How artificial intelligence can predict the art that people will find memorable, and the protein-based, shock-absorbing gel that can stop projectiles in their tracks. Research Highlight: Memorable artworks are easy to predict Research Highlight: Supersonic ‘bullets’ are softly captured by a protein gel 14:52 Briefing Chat We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, an update on Chandrayaan-3, India’s latest attempt to land a craft on the Moon - and birds that use anti-bird spikes to build nests. Nature News: India's Moon lander successfully launches — but biggest challenge lies ahead The Guardian: Crows and magpies using anti-bird spikes to build nests, researchers find Subscribe 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.

In this episode: 00:23 Using ChatGPT to generate a research paper from scratch A pair of scientists have produced a research paper in less than an hour with the help of the generative artificial intelligence (AI) ChatGPT. The aim of this exercise was to explore the technology’s ability to act as a research ‘co-pilot’ and spark debate about its use. While AI tools like ChatGPT have the potential to speed up research, it is still unclear what role they should play in research. Nature News: Scientists used ChatGPT to generate an entire paper from scratch — but is it any good? 06:28 Last week saw the world’s hottest day on record – twice On Monday last week the average worldwide temperature reached 17.01 °C, beating a record set in 2016. Then, on Tuesday that record was broken again, as average temperatures hit 17.18 °C. Further record-breaking days may follow this year as a result of climate change, and the arrival of the El Niño weather phenomenon, which is expected to strengthen in the coming months. Bloomberg: Earth Keeps Breaking Temperature Records Due to Global Warming Nature News: El Niño is here — how bad will it be? 10:03 Anti-ageing protein boosts monkey memories Injecting monkeys with the naturally occurring protein klotho can improve their cognition. Previous work had shown that elevated levels of the enzyme could improve cognitive functions in mice, now researchers have shown that injecting klotho into old rhesus macaques caused them to perform better in memory-related tasks. While the mechanism behind this effect is unclear, it’s hoped that the finding could ultimately lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases in humans. Nature News: Anti-ageing protein injection boosts monkeys’ memories Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the Nature Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app. An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast is available too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:46 The effects of evolution on a minimal genome In 2016, researchers created a ‘minimal cell’ bacterium with a genome that only contains genes essential for the organism's survival. Any mutation in these genes could be fatal, so it was unclear whether there could be scope for evolution. But now, a team has grown this bacterium through 2,000 generations and shown that it does have the ability to evolve and can recover from some of the fitness costs associated with its streamlined genome. Research article: Moger-Reischer et al. 09:21 Research Highlights Dolphins use ‘baby talk’ when talking to their offspring, and how microwaving plastic containers can release microplastic particles. Research Highlight: Dolphin mums whistle ‘baby talk’ with their calves Research Highlight: What happens when you microwave that plastic bowl? 12:18 The first hints of giant gravitational waves Gravitational waves were first detected in 2015, when two black holes collided — sending ripples in space-time across the Universe. Last week, four separate research collaborations found signatures of a wholly different kind of gravitational wave, with unknown origins. Nature’s Davide Castelvecchi explains how these waves were detected, and what this could mean for researchers’ understanding of black holes and the history of the cosmos. Nature News: Monster gravitational waves spotted for first time Nature News: Giant gravitational waves: why scientists are so excited 20:01 Briefing Chat We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, new vaccine to protect Tasmanian devils against a deadly contagious cancer, and the ‘paradoxical’ palm that flowers and fruits underground. Nature News: Tasmanian devil cancer vaccine approved for testing The Guardian: ‘Mind-boggling’ palm that flowers and fruits underground thrills scientists Subscribe 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.

In the past two years, there has been an explosion in the number of papers published relating to 'skeletal editing', a technique that allows chemists to precisely edit a molecule by deleting, adding or swapping single atoms in its core. Although many of these methods are early in development, researchers hope skeletal editing could revolutionize how organic chemists design molecules, dramatically speeding up the drug-discovery process. This is an audio version of our Feature: ‘Almost magical’: chemists can now move single atoms in and out of a molecule’s core Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode: 00:46 Inside the brains of sleeping octopuses Researchers have probed the brains of octopuses and confirmed previous reports suggesting that these invertebrates have a two-stage sleep cycle similar to that seen in many vertebrates. The team suggests this system may have evolved independently in the two groups, as there are millions of years of evolutionary history between them. However, despite its presumed importance, it is a mystery why this system exists at all. Research article: Pophale et al. Nature Video: Do octopuses dream? Brain recordings provide the first clues 10:37 Research Highlights A huge volcano eruption that caused the most extreme lightning ever recorded, and a paper-inspired fabric that can keep you warm and cool. Research Highlight: Underwater volcano triggered the most intense lightning ever recorded Research Highlight: Fabric warms or cools the body at the flick of a switch 13:03 A hormone associated with more effective weight loss Calorie-restricted diets often lead to rapid weight loss at first, but over time this can slow, or even reverse. This is due to the body adapting; slowing its metabolism to use energy more efficiently. Now though, researchers have identified a key hormone in mice that seems to prevent this slowdown, which could prove useful for people who wish to lose weight. Research article: Wang et al. 20:02 Briefing Chat We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, the robot raspberry that teaches fruit-picking machines how to harvest, and an exoplanet without an atmosphere. Nature Communications: Junge et al. Nature Video: A robotic raspberry teaches machines how to pick fruit Nature News: Life in the cosmos: JWST hints at lower number of habitable planets Subscribe 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.

In this episode: 00:45 Why losing the Y chromosome makes bladder cancer more aggressive Loss of the Y chromosome in bladder cancer cells is associated with increased severity of disease, but the reasons behind this have been unclear. Now researchers show that the loss of this chromosome helps tumour cells evade the immune system. However, this mechanism also makes the cells more vulnerable to certain chemotherapy treatments, and the researchers hope their findings could help improve outcomes for patients in the future. Research article: Abdel-Hafiz et al. 07:30 Research Highlights How pollution particles ferry influenza virus deep into the lungs, and why artificial lights could dazzle glow worms into extinction. Research Highlight: Flu virus hitches a ride with haze particles deep into the lung Research Highlight: Glow-worms’ ‘come-hither’ signals are lost in the glare of human lights 10:10 Engineering synthetic cartilage The cartilage in our joints is able to withstand and dissipate a lifetime of impacts, protecting our bones and muscles from damage. But the mechanical properties of cartilage have made it difficult to mimic, and developing synthetic cartilage to replace damaged tissue has proved challenging. Now a team has developed a protein-based material that shares some of cartilage’s characteristics, and shown its potential in helping heal damaged tissue. Research article: Fu et al. 17:44 Briefing Chat We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, how early magnetic minerals might help explain why nature shows a preference for the ‘left handed’ or ‘right handed’ versions of certain molecules, and how human’s thirst for groundwater has made the North Pole drift. Science: ‘Breakthrough’ could explain why life molecules are left- or right-handed Nature News: Rampant groundwater pumping has changed the tilt of Earth’s axis Subscribe 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.