Miryam Naddaf

Briefing chat: Pokémon turns 30 — how Pikachu and pals inspired generations of researchers Hear the biggest stories from the world of science | 27 February 2026

Tune in to hear Ben, @nickpetrichowe.bsky.social & I talk about how the world of Pokémon & the world of science come in together, featuring Charizard bees & Turtwig fossils + what a phylogenetic tree of 646 Pokémon monsters looks like.
My fav is Jigglypuff & Pikachu exposing predatory journals

Pokémon turns 30 — how the fictional pocket monsters shaped science The Japanese media sensation has inspired generations of researchers in fields as diverse as evolution, biodiversity and research integrity.

Watching the Pokémon TV series & owning a Poké ball were some of my happiest childhood memories. Little did I know that one day I’d be interviewing scientists around the world to talk about how Pokémon inspired them to name bees and fossils, teach biodiversity & even expose predatory journals!

Iranians are experiencing a collective trauma. Thousands have been killed/injured in recent events, the economy is crippled & the threat of a wider conflict is real. This is especially difficult for those living in Iran, as many have lost (or fear losing) loved ones. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

YouTube video by Nature Podcast Science in 2026: what to expect this year

Tune in to hear about what’s in store for science in 2026, from compact AI models that may beat LLMs in reasoning, clinical trials of gene editing to treat rare genetic disorders, space missions, particle physics experiments, & the continued aftershocks of policy changes by the Trump administration.

YouTube video by Nature Podcast Hard the Hydrogel is Stuck

An ode to a rubber duck that was stuck to a rock, thanks to a newly designed, AI-enhanced super-adhesive hydrogel capable of sticking even in wet, salty conditions. @nature.com

YouTube video by Nature Podcast I Am the Very Model of a Miniature Tyrannosaur

A Christmas carol brought to you by @nature.com celebrating the discovery this year that Nanotyrannus was actually its own species, not a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex as had been believed.

How to spot fake scientists and stop them from publishing papers Journals are considering doing identity checks to expose fake authors — but there are downsides.

I recently wrote about cases of identity fraud in scientific publishing — including use of made-up personas as authors or peer reviewers and impersonation of real researchers. There are ongoing discussions on how to prevent such cases, but the solutions aren’t simple.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

AI chatbots are sycophants — researchers say it’s harming science Nature asked researchers who use artificial intelligence how its propensity for people-pleasing affects their work — and what they are doing to mitigate it.

Is AI sycophancy holding science back?
A preprint by @jurafsky.bsky.social and his team found that AI chatbots are 50% more sycophantic than humans.
In this piece, researchers tell me how AI sycophancy is creeping into many of the tasks that they use LLMs for.
Read more @nature.com