Researchers are scrambling to understand the biology of new coronavirus variants and the impact they might have on vaccine efficacy.
﻿Around the world, concern is growing about the impact that new, faster-spreading variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus will have on the pandemic. In this episode of Coronapod, we discuss what these variants are, and the best way to respond to them, in the face of increasing evidence that some can evade the immunity produced by vaccination or previous infection.
News: ‘A bloody mess’: Confusion reigns over naming of new COVID variants News: Fast-spreading COVID variant can elude immune responses News: Could new COVID variants undermine vaccines? Labs scramble to find out News: How to redesign COVID vaccines so they protect against variants News: J&J;’s one-shot COVID vaccine offers hope for faster protection Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coronapod: Variants – what you need to know

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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In this episode: 
00:46 Mysterious methane emission from a cool brown dwarfThe James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is revealing the makeup of brown dwarfs — strange space objects that blur the line between a planet and a star. And it appears that methane in the atmosphere of one of these objects, named W1935, is emitting infrared radiation. Where the energy comes from is a mystery however, researchers hypothesise that the glow could be caused by an aurora in the object’s atmosphere, perhaps driven by an as-yet unseen moon.
Research Article: Faherty et al. 
10:44 Research HighlightsThe discovery that bitter taste receptors may date back 450 million years, and the first planet outside the Solar System to boast a rainbow-like phenomenon called a ‘glory’.
Research Highlight: Bitter taste receptors are even older than scientists thought Research Highlight: An exoplanet is wrapped in glory 
13:07 How working memory worksWorking memory is a fundamental process that allows us to temporarily store important information, such as the name of a person we’ve just met. However distractions can easily interrupt this process, leading to these memories vanishing. By looking at the brain activity of people doing working-memory tasks, a team have now confirmed that working memory requires two brain regions: one to hold a memory as long as you focus on it; and another to control its maintenance by helping you to not get distracted.
Research article: Daume et al. News and Views: Coupled neural activity controls working memory in humans 
22:31 Briefing ChatThe bleaching event hitting coral around the world, and the first evidence of a nitrogen-fixing eukaryote.
New York Times: The Widest-Ever Global Coral Crisis Will Hit Within Weeks, Scientists Say Nature News: Scientists discover first algae that can fix nitrogen — thanks to a tiny cell structure
Nature video: AI and robotics demystify the workings of a fly's wing
Vote for us in the Webbys: https://go.nature.com/3TVYHmP Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keys, wallet, phone: the neuroscience behind working memory

In this episode:
00:46 Mapping ‘ghost roads’ in tropical forestsAcross the world, huge numbers of illegal roads have been cut into forests. However, due to their illicit nature, the exact numbers of these roads and their impacts on ecosystems is poorly understood. To address this, researchers have undertaken a huge mapping exercise across the tropical Asia-Pacific region. Their findings reveal over a million kilometers of roads that don’t appear on official maps, and that their construction is a key driver for deforestation.
Research Article: Engert et al.
10:44 Research HighlightsHow climate change fuelled a record-breaking hailstorm in Spain, and an unusual technique helps researchers detect a tiny starquake.
Research Highlight: Baseball-sized hail in Spain began with a heatwave at sea Research Highlight: Smallest known starquakes are detected with a subtle shift of colour
13:02 Briefing ChatA clinical trial to test whether ‘mini livers’ can grow in a person’s lymph node, and the proteins that may determine left-handedness.
Nature News: ‘Mini liver’ will grow in person’s own lymph node in bold new trial Nature News: Right- or left-handed? Protein in embryo cells might help decide
Nature video: How would a starfish wear trousers? Science has an answer Vote for us in the Webbys: https://go.nature.com/3TVYHmP
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.

The 'ghost roads' driving tropical deforestation

Around the world, rates of cancers that typically affect older adults are increasing in those under 50 years old. Models based on global data predict that the number of early-onset cancer cases like these will increase by around 30% between 2019 and 2030.
The most likely contributors — such as rising rates of obesity and early-cancer screening — do not fully account for the increase. To try and understand the reasons behind this trend, many researchers are searching for answers buried in studies that tracked the lives and health of children born half a century ago.
This is an audio version of our Feature Why are so many young people getting cancer? What the data say Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Audio long read: Why are so many young people getting cancer? What the data say

In this episode: 
00:35 Pregnancy advances your ‘biological’ age — but giving birth turns it backGrowing a baby leads to changes in the distribution of certain chemical markers on a pregnant person’s DNA, but new research suggests that after giving birth, these changes can revert to an earlier state.
Nature News: Pregnancy advances your ‘biological’ age — but giving birth turns it back 
08:07 Bird gestures to say 'after you'A Japanese tit (Parus minor) will flutter its wings to invite their mate to enter the nest first. Use of these sorts of gestures, more complex than simply pointing at an object of interest, were thought to be limited to great apes, suggesting that there are more non-vocal forms of communication to be found in the animal kingdom.
Scientific American: Wild Birds Gesture ‘After You’ to Insist Their Mate Go First 
13:34 The carbon cost of home-grown vegResearch have estimated that the carbon footprint of home-grown food and community gardens is six-times greater than conventional, commercial farms. This finding surprised the authors — keen home-growers themselves — who emphasize that their findings can be used to help make urban efforts (which have worthwhile social benefits) more carbon-efficient.
BBC Future: The complex climate truth about home-grown tomatoes 
20:29 A look at next week's total eclipseOn 8th April, a total eclipse of the Sun is due to trace a path across North America. We look at the experiments taking place and what scientists are hoping to learn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pregnancy's effect on 'biological' age, polite birds, and the carbon cost of home-grown veg

In this episode:01:28 Inflammation’s role in memoryHow memories are stored is an ongoing question in neuroscience. Now researchers have found an inflammatory pathway that responds to DNA damage in neurons has a key role in the persistence of memories. How this pathway helps memories persist is unclear, but the researchers suggest that how the DNA damage is repaired may play a role. As inflammation in the brain is often associated with disease, the team were surprised by this finding, which they hope will help uncover ways to better preserve our memories, especially in the face of neurodegenerative disorders.
Research Article: Jovasevic et al. News and Views: Innate immunity in neurons makes memories persist
08:40 Research HighlightsThe effect of wind turbines on property values, and how waste wood can be used to 3D print new wooden objects.
Research Highlight: A view of wind turbines drives down home values — but only briefly Research Highlight: Squeeze, freeze, bake: how to make 3D-printed wood that mimics the real thing
11:14 How melting ice is affecting global timekeepingDue to variations in the speed of Earth’s rotation, the length of a day is rarely exactly 24 hours. By calculating the strength of the different factors affecting this, a researcher has shown that while Earth’s rotation is overall speeding up, this effect is being tempered by the melting of the polar ice caps. As global time kept by atomic clocks occasionally has to be altered to match Earth’s rotation, human-induced climate change may delay plans to add a negative leap-second to ensure the two align.
Research article: Agnew News and Views: Melting ice solves leap-second problem — for now
20:04 Briefing ChatAn AI for antibody development, and the plans for the upcoming Simons observatory.
Nature News: ‘A landmark moment’: scientists use AI to design antibodies from scratch Nature News: ‘Best view ever’: observatory will map Big Bang’s afterglow in new detail
Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Subscribe to Nature Briefing: AI and robotics Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coronapod: Variants – what you need to know

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