Nature.

In a experiment, I don't know yet.

Why is so far?

Like, it sounds so simple.

They had no idea.

But now the data's people.

I find this not only refreshing, but at some level astounding.

Nature.

Hello and welcome to a packed edition of the Nature podcast.

This week, we'll be asking writers their thoughts on the relevance that science fiction has in the modern era, and what relevance AI has to Earth science. Plus, you'll hear three fantastically festive science-themed carols,

and we'll be testing the pod team's knowledge of this year's biggest research stories.

This is the Nature podcast for December the 21st, 2017.

I'm Adam Levy.

And I'm Benjamin Thompson.

It's no secret that the 21st century presents some immense challenges for our societies.

And many of these, from climate change to food security, are deeply connected to how we use our planet.

Earth sciences are grappling to uncover the implications of these crises, as well as to propose

solutions.

In a comment piece in this week's nature, Lucas Jopper argues that artificial intelligence

might be one essential solution. Lucas is chief environment scientist at Microsoft.

To my knowledge, it's the first chief environmental scientist's position in the technology industry.

Lucas is keen for progress in AI to be used to tackle Earth's challenges.

...