Benjamin Thompson

United Kingdom

Host at Nature Podcast

Journalist at Nature

Journalist @nature, host of the @naturepodcast. I like music, old video games and people like you.

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Articles

Long-awaited ape genomes give new insights into their evolution - and ours

2 weeks ago | nature.com | Benjamin Thompson |Shamini Bundell

Download the Nature Podcast 09 April 2025In this episode:00:46 Complete sequencing of ape genomesResearchers have sequenced the complete genomes of six ape species, helping uncover the evolutionary history of our closest relatives and offering insights into what makes humans human. The genomes of chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, Bornean orangutan, Sumatran orangutan and siamang have been sequenced end-to-end, filling in gaps that have long eluded researchers. Research Article: Yoo et al.
From Hippocrates to COVID-19: the scientific fight to prove diseases can be airborne

2 weeks ago | nature.com | Benjamin Thompson

Download Nature hits the books 07 April 2025Science writer and New York Times columnist Carl Zimmer's latest book Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life we Breathe dives into the invisible maelstrom of microbial life swirling in the air around us — examining how it helped shape our world, and the implications that breathing it in can have on human health.
Trump team removes senior NIH chiefs in shock move

2 weeks ago | nature.com | Benjamin Thompson |Max Kozlov

Download the Nature Podcast 04 April 2025 In this Podcast Extra, we hear the latest on how decisions by the Trump administration are affecting science in the US. Most recently, a purge of National Institutes of Health (NIH) leadership has seen the chiefs of multiple institutes and centres removed from their posts.
Audio long read: How quickly are you ageing? What molecular ‘clocks’ can tell you about your health

3 weeks ago | nature.com | Heidi Ledford |Benjamin Thompson

Download the 27 March long read podcastWith money pouring in and an unprecedented level of public attention and excitement, scientists are publishing a steady stream of papers on ways to measure how rapidly a person’s body is declining.
New lasso-shaped antibiotic kills drug-resistant bacteria

4 weeks ago | nature.com | Benjamin Thompson |Shamini Bundell

Download the Nature Podcast 26 March 2025In this episode:00:46 Newly discovered molecule shows potent antibiotic activityResearchers have identified a new molecule with antibiotic activity against a range of disease-causing bacteria, including those resistant to existing drugs. The new molecule — isolated from soil samples taken from a laboratory technician’s garden — is called lariocidin due to its lasso-shaped structure.
Sapphire anvils squeeze metals atomically-thin

1 month ago | nature.com | Benjamin Thompson |Shamini Bundell

Download the Nature Podcast 12 March 2025In this episode:00:46 2D metals made using sapphire pressTaking inspiration from industrial forging, researchers have demonstrated a way to squeeze molten metals into atomically-thin layers, creating relatively large flakes of 2D metals.
Audio long read: Why kids need to take more risks - science reveals the benefits of wild, free play

1 month ago | nature.com | Benjamin Thompson

Download the 28 February long read podcastOver the past two decades, research has emerged showing that opportunities for risky play are crucial for children’s healthy physical, mental and emotional development. However, because play is inherently free-form it has been difficult to study. Now, scientists are using innovative approaches, including virtual reality, to probe the benefits of risky play, and how best to promote it.
If your heart stops, this smartwatch-AI can call for help

1 month ago | nature.com | Benjamin Thompson |Nick J. Howe

Download the Nature Podcast 26 February 2025In this episode:00:47 A ‘smart’ way to quickly detect cardiac arrestGoogle researchers have developed an AI for a smartwatch that will call for help if its wearer is having a cardiac arrest. Trained, in part, on data gained when patients had their hearts deliberately stopped during a medical procedure, the team’s machine-learning algorithm can automatically detect the telltale signs of cardiac arrest.
Asteroid Bennu contains building blocks of life

2 months ago | nature.com | Nick J. Howe |Benjamin Thompson

Download the Nature Podcast 29 January 2025In this episode:00:46 Evidence of ancient brine reveals Bennu’s watery pastAnalysis of samples taken from the asteroid Bennu reveal the presence of organic compounds important for life, and that its parent asteroid likely contained salty, subsurface water.
What's the best way to become a professor? The answer depends on where you are

Jan 22, 2025 | nature.com | Nick J. Howe |Benjamin Thompson

Download the Nature Podcast 22 January 2025In this episode:00:56 How the paths to professorship varyA huge analysis of hiring practices has revealed that criteria to get a promotion to full professorship is hugely variable around the world. The authors suggest that this variability results in researchers from countries that value one type of metric being locked out of professor positions in others.