Nature's News & Views roundup of 2025

Nature's News & Views roundup of 2025

Author: Springer Nature Limited December 19, 2025 Duration: 20:20

Nature: Asteroids, antibiotics and ants: a year of remarkable science


In this episode:



1:58 Evidence of ancient brine on an asteroid

Samples taken from the asteroid Bennu by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft suggest the parent body it originated from is likely to have contained salty, subsurface water. This finding provides insights into the chemistry of the early Solar System, and suggests that brines might have been an important place where pre-biotic molecules were formed.

News & Views: Asteroid Bennu contains salts from ancient brine

Nature Podcast: Asteroid Bennu contains building blocks of life



08:01 How gene expression doesn't always reflect a cell's function

Cells are often grouped into categories according to the RNA molecules they produce. However a study of zebrafish (Danio rerio) brains revealed that cells can be functionally diverse even if they appear molecularly similar. This finding adds more nuance to how a cell's ‘type’ is ultimately defined.

News & Views: Does a cell’s gene expression always reflect its function?



12:01 The disproportionate mortality risks of extreme rainfall

An assessment of death rates in India’s coastal megacity of Mumbai revealed that the impact of extreme rainfall events will be highest for women, young children and residents of informal settlements. This situation is likely to become more pronounced as a result of climate change.

News & Views: Extreme rainfall poses the biggest risk to Mumbai’s most vulnerable people



14:46 An AI-designed underwater glue

Inspired by animals like barnacles and aided by machine learning, researchers have developed a super-sticky compound that works as an underwater adhesive. To demonstrate its properties, researchers applied it to a rubber duck, which stuck firmly to a rock on a beach despite being battered by the sea.

News & Views: AI learns from nature to design super-adhesive gels that work underwater

Nature Podcast: Underwater glue shows its sticking power in rubber duck test


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Each week, the Nature Podcast opens a door into the latest and most significant developments across the entire scientific landscape. Rather than just summarizing headlines, this production from Springer Nature Limited delves into the substance and the people behind the findings. You’ll hear directly from researchers as they explain their work, from astronomical discoveries to intricate zoological studies, all grounded in the rigorous reporting of Nature's own journalists and editors. The conversations provide context that turns complex papers into compelling narratives, offering a clear sense of why each story matters. It’s a direct line to the forefront of science, technology, and research news, delivered with a focus on depth and understanding. Tuning into this podcast is like having a thoughtful guide through the week's most pivotal science, making even the most specialized topics accessible and engaging for anyone curious about how the world works. The consistent quality and breadth of subject matter make it a reliable source for anyone looking to stay informed on scientific progress.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Nature Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Science in 2026: what to expect this year [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:53
In this episode, reporter Miryam Naddaf joins us to talk about the big science events to look out for in 2026. We’ll hear about: small-scale AI models that could outcompete Large Language Models in reasoning, clinical tr…
The Nature Podcast highlights of 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:09
00:40 What a trove of potato genomes reveals about the humble spudResearchers have created a ‘pangenome’ containing the genomes of multiple potato types, something they believe can help make it easier to breed and sequen…
The Nature Podcast festive spectacular 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:16
00:46 The gifts that sparked a love of scienceNature put a call out for readers to tell us about memorable presents that first got them interested in science, or mementos of their life in research. These include telescop…
Neanderthals mastered fire — 400,000 years ago [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:32
00:46 Evidence of the earliest fire Baked soil, ancient tools, and materials that could be used to start fires show that Neanderthals were making fire in the UK 400,000 years ago — the earliest evidence of this skill fou…
Photobombing satellites could ruin the night sky for space telescopes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:06
00:46 How satellite mega-constellations could ruin space-based astronomyThe ability of space-based telescopes to image the distant Universe could be in peril, according to new research investigating the impacts of light-…
This is what lightning on Mars sounds like [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:24
00:46 Martian ‘micro-lightning’The sounds of ‘micro-lightning’ have been recorded by NASA’s Perseverance rover, ending a long search for the phenomenon on Mars. A lack of suitable equipment has made it difficult to gathe…
Insulin cream offers needle-free option for diabetes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:05
00:45 A molecule that delivers insulin through the skinResearchers have developed a skin-permeable polymer that can deliver insulin into the body, which they say could one day offer an alternative to injections for diabe…