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How earthquakes and lightning help explain squeaky sneakers
- NATURE PODCAST
- 25 February 2026
How earthquakes and lightning help explain squeaky sneakers
High-speed footage reveals shoe squeaks can start with a tiny bolt of lightning — plus, evidence that a debated brain phenomenon exists in humans.
Nick Petrić Howe &
Dan Fox
Nick Petrić Howe
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Dan Fox
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Download the Nature Podcast 25 February 2026
In this episode:
00:44 The science of squeaky shoes
Research Article: Djellouli et al.
Basketball sound effects via Bradley Kanaris/Getty.
09:05 Research Highlights
Nature: Runaway black hole leaves a trail of stars
Nature: Super-sticky feet help a robot to climb the walls
11:31 Evidence of hippocampal neurogenesis
Research Article: Disouky et al.
Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the Nature Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music or your favourite podcast app. An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast is available too.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00619-4
Briefing chat: How hovering bumblebees keep their cool
How your brain chemistry rewards hard work
This robot hand detaches and walks by itself
Are our rock-climbing shoes shedding plastics?
Tracing the brain circuitry underlying movement and mood symptoms in Parkinson’s disease
Biggest black-hole outburst ever seen records death throes of a star
Subjects
Physics
Materials science
Brain
Latest on:
Physics
Materials science
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