Nature Podcast

Meet the ‘Wee-rex’. Tiny tyrannosaur is its own species


Listen Later

00:45 The debate around Nanotyrannus

A hotly debated species of dinosaur, assumed by many to be a juvenile T. rex, is actually a separate species, according to new research. Nanotyrannus was a dinosaur anatomically similar to T. rex, but about a tenth of the size, leading many to argue it was a young version of the iconic species. However, examination of the limb bones of a well-preserved Nanotyrannus fossil suggests it was close to finishing its growth and so would never become as large as a T. rex, leading the authors to argue that it is, in fact, a different species.


Research Article: Zanno and Napoli

News and Views: T. rex debate settled: contested fossils are smaller rival species, not juveniles

News: ‘Teenage T. rex’ fossil is actually a different species

Video: Hotly debated dinosaur is not a tiny T. rex after all


08:46 Research Highlights

An artificial ‘neuron’ could pave the way to build a brain-inspired computer — plus, how bats buck the trend by hunting prey their own size.


Research Highlight: Artificial brains with less drain

Research Highlight: By the time you hear these bats, it’s too late


11:19 A less invasive way to prevent breast cancer

An ‘anti-hormone’ therapy has shown promise in halting the onset of hallmarks associated with breast cancer, in a small trial. Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women worldwide, but preventative measures, such as mastectomies, are invasive. A new study examined the efficacy of a treatment that blocks progesterone, a hormone thought to play an important role in breast cancer progression. The therapy reduced both specific clinical markers of breast cancer and the number of cells that can become cancerous. Larger, longer trials are needed to show that this treatment could ultimately become part of a breast cancer prevention strategy, but the team think that this work shows the promise of this approach.


Research Article: Simões et al.


18:41 Briefing Chat

A new approach to speed up CRIPSR therapies reaching clinical trials, and how vocal cords could be healed using a tiny 3D printer.


Nature: Personalized gene editing helped one baby: can it be rolled out widely?

Nature: World’s smallest 3D bioprinter could rebuild tissue during surgery


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.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Nature PodcastBy Springer Nature Limited

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

717 ratings


More shows like Nature Podcast

View all
Science Quickly by Scientific American

Science Quickly

1,382 Listeners

The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists Podcast

614 Listeners

Big Picture Science by Big Picture Science

Big Picture Science

940 Listeners

Eye Podcast by Nature Publishing Group

Eye Podcast

0 Listeners

NPP BrainPod by Springer Nature

NPP BrainPod

16 Listeners

Pediatric Research Podcast by Nature Publishing Group

Pediatric Research Podcast

4 Listeners

The Quanta Podcast by Quanta Magazine

The Quanta Podcast

527 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

961 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

435 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

416 Listeners

Science Magazine Podcast by Science Magazine

Science Magazine Podcast

822 Listeners

Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,381 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

354 Listeners

Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

Unexpected Elements

353 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

478 Listeners

Immune by Vincent Racaniello

Immune

280 Listeners

Physics World Weekly Podcast by Physics World

Physics World Weekly Podcast

78 Listeners

The world, the universe and us by New Scientist

The world, the universe and us

110 Listeners