Nature Podcast
A weekly audio digest of new scientific research, featuring the scientists behind the papers and reporting from Nature's own journalists.
A highly structured weekly science news show with two distinct formats. The main episodes are narrative reports on new papers, weaving in pre-recorded expert interviews. The shorter 'Briefing Chat' episodes feature two hosts in a conversational breakdown of recent stories from Nature's daily newsletter.
“Unlike purely conversational science shows, it's editorially rooted in the *Nature* journal, giving it unparalleled access and authority. Its hybrid format combines narrated, documentary-style segments with more informal co-host discussions, catering to different listening preferences.”
Who hosts this show
The Nature Podcast is the flagship audio show from the prestigious scientific journal *Nature*. Each week, its team of journalists breaks down the latest discoveries from astronomy to zoology. The show features a mix of narrative deep dives into major research papers, with commentary from the scientists involved, and conversational "Briefing Chats" about breaking science news.
Credentials & credits
- Benjamin Thompson: Senior Multimedia Editor at Nature, award-winning podcast producer.
- Shamini Bundell: Senior Multimedia Editor and Journalist at Nature, science filmmaker with a background in Zoology and an MSc in Science Media Production.
- Nick Petrić Howe: Journalist and producer for Nature, co-author on Nature articles.
Other ventures
- Nature Video (YouTube Channel)
- Coronapod (previous limited series podcast)
- RPGeeks (Shamini Bundell's science-based D&D group)
What kind of podcast
When new episodes drop
- 01Briefing Chat: What tickling a chimpanzee can tell us about the evolution of speechJun 26, 2026 · 12 min
- 02Medical records could be revealed by AI training-data vulnerabilityJun 24, 2026 · 20 min
- 03Briefing Chat: Testosterone and sperm may get a boost from obesity drugsJun 19, 2026 · 12 min
- 04DNA from hunter-gatherer teeth reveals secrets of ancient plagueJun 17, 2026 · 27 min
- 05Briefing Chat: The epic journey of Stonehenge’s central stoneJun 12, 2026 · 11 min
- 06Newly-discovered whale graveyard dates back millions of yearsJun 10, 2026 · 22 min
- 07
- 08Your phone can use tiny skin-colour changes to measure your heart rateJun 3, 2026 · 18 min
Notable episodes
- 01DNA from hunter-gatherer teeth reveals secrets of ancient plague
Reveals the discovery of a 5,500-year-old plague strain, challenging theories that major outbreaks only began with agricultural societies.
- 02Briefing Chat: Testosterone and sperm may get a boost from obesity drugs
Highlights a two-year home trial of a brain-computer interface that a user called "nothing short of revolutionary," showcasing the tech's real-world impact.
- 03Medical records could be revealed by AI training-data vulnerability
Explores a critical and timely issue in tech ethics: how AI systems can compromise the privacy of sensitive medical data.
What you'll be asked on this show
The show's main episodes use a journalistic, narrative style rather than a live interview. A host sets the scene for a new scientific paper, providing context before weaving in pre-recorded clips from the paper's authors. The questions are not a live back-and-forth but are used to elicit specific explanations of methodology, findings, and implications. Questions progress from clarifying the 'how' of the research (e.g., 'How did you find evidence...?') to the 'so what' of its impact ('How does your work address existing questions...?') and potential for future study.
The show has two alternating formats: long-form narrative episodes and shorter 'Briefing Chats'. Main episodes, often hosted by Benjamin Thompson and Nick Petrić Howe, use narration and pre-recorded expert clips. 'Briefing Chats', often featuring Nick Petrić Howe and Shamini Bundell, are conversational breakdowns of recent science news.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
10 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
process
2- Q.01
“How did you find evidence of [the discovery]?”
This question is used to have the researcher explain their specific methodology in accessible terms.
- Q.02
“Is this just finding the results, not necessarily the mechanism?”
A clarifying question to understand the limitations or scope of the current research.
personal
1- Q.01
“What did you learn about the people or subjects involved?”
The host asks this to bring out the human or tangible story behind the scientific data.
industry
1- Q.01
“Does this finding suggest [a broader implication]?”
A common question to move from the specific result to its wider significance in the field.
future
3- Q.01
“How does your work address existing questions in your field?”
This helps establish the research's context and importance by framing it within ongoing scientific conversations.
- Q.02
“What questions still remain after your research?”
A frequent closing question that points towards the next steps in this line of scientific inquiry.
- Q.03
“Are researchers hoping this could be used more widely in the future?”
Asks about the future application and scalability of a new technology or finding.
controversy
1- Q.01
“How might other researchers react to your evidence?”
A way to tactfully ask about potential controversy, debate, or how the findings might shift paradigms.
backstory
1- Q.01
“Can you give a recap on what these [drugs, concepts, etc.] are?”
Used in 'Briefing Chat' episodes to provide listeners with essential background context on a topic.
technique
1- Q.01
“What kind of [technology] is this?”
A direct clarifying question used in 'Briefing Chat' to define a key term for the audience.
Signature segments
- · Research Highlights
- · Briefing Chat
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are almost exclusively the researchers, scientists, and academics who authored the specific research paper in *Nature* (or another major journal) that is being discussed in the episode.
- Ruairi Macleodon DNA from hunter-gatherer teeth reveals secrets of ancient plague
- Oliver Buchmulleron DNA from hunter-gatherer teeth reveals secrets of ancient plague
- Moritz Knolleon Medical records could be revealed by AI training-data vulnerability
- Marzyeh Ghassemion Medical records could be revealed by AI training-data vulnerability
- Francesco Sylos Labinion Medical records could be revealed by AI training-data vulnerability
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
No sponsors or ads were detected in the provided evidence. The podcast is produced by Springer Nature Limited, a commercial publisher, as part of its editorial content.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- What are the different formats of the Nature Podcast?
- The podcast alternates between two main formats: a longer narrative episode that deep-dives into new research papers with audio from scientists, and a shorter 'Briefing Chat' where two hosts discuss a few recent science news stories conversationally.
- Who are the hosts?
- The show is hosted by a team of journalists from Nature, primarily Benjamin Thompson, Nick Petrić Howe, and Shamini Bundell.
- Is the Nature Podcast still being produced?
- Yes, it is an active podcast that releases new episodes on a weekly basis.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on major podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and episodes are also posted on the Nature Podcast YouTube channel.
- What kind of guests appear on the show?
- Guests are typically the scientists, researchers, and academics who authored the new scientific paper being discussed in that episode.
- Is this a good podcast to learn about science?
- Yes, it's an excellent source for reliable, accessible, and up-to-date science news, as it's produced by journalists from one of the world's leading scientific journals.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Nature Podcast on Muck Rackmuckrack.com
- [02]Nature Podcast on Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [03]Shamini Bundell's Biography | Muck Rackmuckrack.com
- [04]Shamini Bundell | Science and Dragons (Official Website)shaminibundell.com
- [05]Lessons from award-winning podcasts: Nature's Benjamin Thompson | The Publisher Podcastshows.acast.com
- [06]Nature's Take: what's next for the preprint revolution - PubMedpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- [07]Science film-making and D&D with Shamini Bundell - YouTubeyoutube.com
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