Menopause and women’s health: why science needs to catch up

LISTEN TO THE LATEST SCIENCE NEWS, WITH NICK PETRIĆ HOWE AND SHAMINI BUNDELL. Your browser does not support the audio element. Download MP3 See transcript IN THIS EPISODE: 00:47 A FOCUS ON

WOMEN’S HEALTH Kerri Smith and Heidi Ledford join us to discuss two Features published in _Nature_ looking at topics surrounding women’s health. The first looks at efforts to understand how

menopause affects brain health, while the second shows how less research funding is allocated for conditions affecting women more than men. _Feature: __How menopause reshapes the brain_

_Feature: __Women’s health research lacks funding – these charts show how_ 18:15 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS The herb that could be a new source of cannabinoid compounds, and the vibrating crystal

that confirms Schrödinger’s cat. _Research Highlight: __Old and new cannabis compounds are found in an African herb_ _Research Highlight: __Schrödinger’s cat is verified by a vibrating

crystal_ 20:34 THE PLANET SWALLOWED BY A STAR Stars have a finite lifespan, and for many their fate is to expand as they reach the end of their lives. It’s long been speculated that these

growing stars will consume any planets in their way, but this process has never been seen directly. Now though, a chance observation led to a team catching a dying star in the act of eating

a Jupiter-like planet in the distant Milky Way. _Research article: __De et al._ 30:25 BRIEFING CHAT We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, a clearer image of the

supermassive black hole M87*, and how elephant seals catch some shut-eye while diving. _Nature News: __Black-hole image reveals details of turmoil around the abyss_ _New York Times:

__Elephant Seals Take Power Naps During Deep Ocean Dives_ _SUBSCRIBE TO NATURE BRIEFING, AN UNMISSABLE DAILY ROUND-UP OF SCIENCE NEWS, OPINION AND ANALYSIS FREE IN YOUR INBOX EVERY WEEKDAY._

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