Physiology podcasts

The episode connects historical evidence and modern biological methods. Meagan Cantwell and Christie Wilcox discuss nuclear history, a gene associated with hair graying and old Swiss cheese. Lizzie Wade explains how radiocarbon evidence is changing the chronology of the Inca empire. Nicholas Bush then describes neuronal recordings and computational approaches to understanding the circuits that generate rhythmic breathing.

Hosted by Sarah Crespi

A global analysis suggests protected areas are more extensive than existing conservation accounts imply, while biodiversity remains under threat. A second research segment examines a large study associating brown fat with a broader range of health benefits. Research highlights consider Solar System stability and differences in brain aging among great apes.

The episode examines what happens chemically when cooked starch cools and is reheated. Melissa and Jam discuss glucose polymers, insulin, digestion, crystallization, resistant starch, and interactions with gut microbes. They review studies involving foods such as bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes, and explore the proposed effects of repeated reheating. The discussion connects everyday cooking questions to food chemistry and the evidence behind claims about leftovers.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Francesca and Ilaria discuss taste-receptor research, mitochondrial biology and a reported ALS case study involving an antisense oligonucleotide treatment. Giuliana Galati interviews University of Padua physicist Francesco Recchia about nuclear phenomenology. The episode links these discussions to the underlying research papers and distinguishes a clinical case report from established treatment evidence.

Hosted by Francesca Cecilia Lauta, Ilaria Zanardi

Jonathan Long discusses the expanding scientific study of peptides, from improved methods for discovering molecules in the body to the success of GLP-1 medicines. The conversation distinguishes research progress from untested wellness claims and examines the search for compounds that reproduce aspects of exercise biology.

Hosted by Nicholas Weiler

Nature staff examine what an invisible watermark for AI-generated text could mean for research integrity and the detection of synthetic content, then discuss cross-cultural research showing that ticklishness is a distinct and specialized body sensation with common anatomical patterns.

Ishmail Abdus-Saboor explores why touch can feel painful or pleasurable and how scientists study those experiences. The conversation connects sensory pathways to social behavior and evolution, including work with unusual animal models and the challenge of interpreting subjective experience through experiments.

Hosted by Janna Levin

The hosts discuss nitrogen fixation in a marine alga and the evidence for a nitrogen-fixing organelle. Related topics include plastic pollution, antimicrobial resistance and the rumen microbiome. The episode links microbial evolution and physiology with marine nutrient cycling.

Hosted by Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt

Alison Barth explains how distinct neuron types contribute to cortical function and how learning can be used as an experimental window into the organization and plasticity of cortical circuits.

Andrew Huberman and immunologist Max Krummel discuss immune function, sleep, emotions, memory, the thymus, autoimmunity, cancer and immunization.

This eLife episode explores trade-offs between body size and sperm production in gorillas, fever-driven changes in malaria-infected cells, the neuroscience of gambling machines, whether infants are predisposed to dance, and high-altitude adaptations in bird eggs.

Julia Kaltschmidt investigates whether signaling between the gut and brain helps explain persistent fatigue. She describes research on the enteric nervous system and sickness responses, including a proposed reflex that could connect infection to longer-lasting symptoms and guide future work on biomarkers.

Hosted by Nicholas Weiler

John Wingfield and Fran Bonier discuss how hormones help wild animals respond to social challenges, seasons and environmental stress. The conversation examines the challenge hypothesis, emergency life-history transitions and allostasis, drawing on studies of wild birds. Wingfield also reflects on scientific leadership and advice for early-career researchers.

Hosted by Marty Martin, Cameron Ghalambor

Brad Gemmell discusses how changing environmental conditions affect the behaviour and ecology of small marine organisms. Topics include ctenophore predation, diatoms and ocean carbon cycling, and the role of upside-down Cassiopea jellyfish as ecosystem engineers. The conversation connects organismal physiology and movement with broader changes in marine ecosystems.

Hosted by Marty Martin

Katrine Lekang discusses blood, its transport functions in the body and its cultural significance. Conversation in Norwegian.

Polina Shichkova discusses models of brain metabolism, including energy supply and the cellular processes that maintain neuronal function.

Jancitha Ellers, Enrico Rezende and Wilco Verberk join Cameron Ghalambor to discuss predicting ecological responses to warming. Topics include measuring heat tolerance in ectotherms, integrating trait data and improving models of species responses to high temperatures. The conversation was recorded around a predictive-ecology symposium in Granada.

Hosted by Marty Martin, Cameron Ghalambor

Ray Huey discusses how thermal physiology informs understanding of organisms and climate change. The conversation traces his work on lizards, research on mountaineering and survival at altitude, and approaches to scientific writing. It also considers graduate training and the development of a research career in ecology and evolution.

Hosted by Marty Martin, Art Woods

Henrik Lindén discusses spinal circuits that generate rhythmic movement and the models used to understand their activity.

Christof Koch discusses the physical principles behind neuronal computation, from membrane dynamics to the integration of incoming signals.