Benjamin Thompson

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

Download the Nature Podcast 30 AprilIn this episode: 00:46 What will be left of US science after Trump 2.0? 100 days into his term, President Donald Trump and his administration have already caused the biggest shakeup in modern scientific history, slashing funding, bringing large swathes of US research to a standstill and halting many clinical trials. But many fear these actions are just the beginning.

2 weeks ago | nature.com | Helen Pearson |Benjamin Thompson

Download the 25 April long read podcastResearch shows that, over the past two decades, rates of mental illness have been increasing in adolescents in many countries. While some scientists point to soaring use of smartphones and social media as a key driver for this trend, others say the evidence does not show a large effect of these technologies on teenagers’ psychological health.

3 weeks ago | nature.com | Benjamin Thompson |Shamini Bundell |Elizabeth Gibney

Download the Nature Podcast 25 April 2025In this episode: 00:27 Five people see ‘olo’, a brand-new colourUsing a laser system to activate specific eye cells, a team has allowed five study participants to perceive a vibrant blue-greenish hue well outside the natural range of colours seen by humans.

4 weeks ago | nature.com | Benjamin Thompson |Nick J. Howe

Download the Nature Podcast 16 April 2025In this episode:00:46 A potato pangenomeResearchers have created a ‘pangenome’ containing the genomes of multiple potato types, something they believe can help make it easier to breed and sequence new varieties. The potato’s complicated genetics has made it difficult to sequence the plant’s genome, but improvements in technology have allowed the team to combine sequences, allowing then to look for subtle differences in between varieties.

1 month 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.