Dinosaur-destroying asteroid struck in spring
Nature Podcast
podcast@nature.com
4.5 • 893 Ratings
🗓️ 23 February 2022
⏱️ 25 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
00:47 Pinpointing the season when an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs
Around 66 million years ago, an enormous asteroid struck the Earth, leading to the end of the time of the dinosaurs. In a new paper, a team of scientists looked at evidence from fossilised fish, and suggest it happened in springtime in the Northern Hemisphere.
Research article: During et al.
08:42 Research Highlights
Transparency shrinks the gender pay-gap in academia, and how Tutankhamen’s meteorite-metal dagger was forged.
Research Highlight: Gender pay gap closes after salary information goes public
Research Highlight: How a space rock became King Tut’s dagger
11:01 How climate change is affecting nighttime wildfires
Cool, damp nights are a critical barrier to fire progression around the world. But a recent study has revealed that the duration and intensity of nighttime fires has increased in many places, as a result of climate change. The researchers say this trend is likely to continue, hampering efforts to control blazes.
Research article: Balch et al.
18:56 Briefing Chat
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, how transgenic, fluorescent fish found their way into Brazil’s watercourses, and the ecological impact of a giant oil spill in Peru.
Science: Transgenic glowing fish invades Brazilian streams
Nature News: Unprecedented oil spill catches researchers in Peru off guard
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Nature. |
| 0:02.0 | In an experiment, I don't know yet. |
| 0:06.0 | Why is Blight so far? |
| 0:08.0 | Like, it sounds so simple. |
| 0:09.0 | They had no idea. |
| 0:11.0 | But now the data's... |
| 0:12.0 | I find this not only refreshing, but at some level astounding. |
| 0:20.0 | Nature. |
| 0:25.7 | Welcome back to the nature podcast. |
| 0:30.5 | This week, working out the season that the dinosaurs perished. |
| 0:33.9 | And how warmer nights are affecting wildfire intensity. |
| 0:35.5 | I'm Benjamin Thompson. |
| 0:37.0 | And I'm Nick Petrich-Chow. |
| 0:56.6 | One day, 66 million years ago, a meteor around 10 kilometres wide hit the earth and led to one of the most famous mass extinctions, the event that marked the end of the time of the dinosaurs and the start |
| 1:03.4 | of what some call the age of mammals. But a question you might not have asked about that |
| 1:09.9 | dramatic day was, |
| 1:11.7 | What time of year was it? |
| 1:13.7 | Well, now we may have an answer, thanks to a new paper in nature. |
| 1:18.8 | I called up one of the authors, Melanie During, to find out more, |
| 1:22.4 | and started by asking a very important question for any paleontologist. |
| 1:27.2 | What is your favourite dinosaur and why? |
| 1:30.0 | Oh my gosh, I don't have one. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from podcast@nature.com, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of podcast@nature.com and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

