Why insects aren't huge: a new challenge to a decades-old idea

## Summary
Download the Nature Podcast 25 March 2026 In this episode: 00:44 Why insects aren’t massive Research Article : Snelling et al. 11:39 Research Highlights Nature: Faster ticking of ‘biological clock’ predicts shorter lifespan Nature : Mighty mini-magnet is low in cost and light on energy use 14:05 CRISPR creates CAR-T cancer therapy inside mice Research Article: Nyberg et al. News & Views: A gene-editing method generates immunotherapeutic CAR T cells in the body Nature: CRISPR makes enhanced cancer-fighting immune cells inside mice Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast is available too. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00976-0 Related Articles Agriculture and climate change are reshaping insect biodiversity worldwide The road to CAR-T-cell therapy for lethal childhood brain tumours Coffee linked to slower brain ageing in study of 130,000 people Replication study casts doubt on magnetic sensing in flies Subjects Ecology Biomechanics Immunology Latest on: Ecology Biomechanics Immunology ‘Continuity over novelty’: why environmental science needs to rethink its focus World View 25 MAR 26 Marine life is a silent casualty of armed conflicts Correspondence 24 MAR 26 I paused my PhD for 11 years to help save Madagascar’s seas Career Q&A 20 MAR 26 First known fossil hand of the hominin Paranthropus boisei News & Views 15 OCT 25 Fibular reduction and the evolution of theropod locomotion Article 20 NOV 24 Passive wing deployment and retraction in beetles and flapping microrobots Article 31 JUL 24 Exposed phosphatidylserine is an inhibitory molecule in T cell exhaustion Article 25 MAR 26 Remembrance of inflammations past News & Views 25 MAR 26 Parasites trigger epithelial cell crosstalk to drive gut–brain signalling Article 25 MAR 26 Jobs Postdoctoral Fellow A postdoctoral fellow position is available at NIH for translational research on neural mechanisms of frustration/irritability in mice and humans Bethesda, Maryland (US) National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health Junior Professorship (W1) for „Public Child Mental Health“ (f/m/d The Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University invites applications for the Junior Professorship (W1) for “Public Child Mental Health” (f/... New York City, New York (US) Springer Nature Ltd Assistant professor (Tenure Track) at Umeå University - Call for expression of interest Expression of interest for a Tenure-track assistant professor position focused on early-career researchers, with promotion path to associate professor Umeå, Sweden Umeå University

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Download the Nature Podcast 25 March 2026
In this episode:
00:44 Why insects aren’t massive
Research Article :
Snelling et al.
11:39 Research Highlights
Nature:
Faster ticking of ‘biological clock’ predicts shorter lifespan
Nature
:
Mighty mini-magnet is low in cost and light on energy use
14:05 CRISPR creates CAR-T cancer therapy inside mice
Research Article:
Nyberg et al.
News & Views:
A gene-editing method generates immunotherapeutic CAR T cells in the body
Nature:
CRISPR makes enhanced cancer-fighting immune cells inside mice
Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the Nature Podcast on
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,
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An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast
is available too.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00976-0
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Agriculture and climate change are reshaping insect biodiversity worldwide
The road to CAR-T-cell therapy for lethal childhood brain tumours
Coffee linked to slower brain ageing in study of 130,000 people
Replication study casts doubt on magnetic sensing in flies
Subjects
Ecology
Biomechanics
Immunology
Latest on:
Ecology
Biomechanics
Immunology
‘Continuity over novelty’: why environmental science needs to rethink its focus
World View
25 MAR 26
Marine life is a silent casualty of armed conflicts
Correspondence
24 MAR 26
I paused my PhD for 11 years to help save Madagascar’s seas
Career Q&A
20 MAR 26
First known fossil hand of the hominin Paranthropus boisei
News & Views
15 OCT 25
Fibular reduction and the evolution of theropod locomotion
Article
20 NOV 24
Passive wing deployment and retraction in beetles and flapping microrobots
Article
31 JUL 24
Exposed phosphatidylserine is an inhibitory molecule in T cell exhaustion
Article
25 MAR 26
Remembrance of inflammations past
News & Views
25 MAR 26
Parasites trigger epithelial cell crosstalk to drive gut–brain signalling
Article
25 MAR 26
Jobs
Postdoctoral Fellow
A postdoctoral fellow position is available at NIH for translational research on neural mechanisms of frustration/irritability in mice and humans
Bethesda, Maryland (US)
National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health
Junior Professorship (W1) for „Public Child Mental Health“ (f/m/d
The Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University invites applications for the   Junior Professorship (W1) for “Public Child Mental Health” (f/...
Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg (DE)
Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim der Universität Heidelberg
Faculty Positions at City University of Hong Kong (Dongguan)
Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors
Dongguan, Guangdong, China
City University of Hong Kong (Dongguan)
Associate or Senior Editor, Scientific Reports
Job Title: Associate or Senior Editor, Scientific Reports Location: New York, Jersey City, or Philadelphia (Hybrid Working Model) Application Deadl...
New York City, New York (US)
Springer Nature Ltd
Assistant professor (Tenure Track) at Umeå University - Call for expression of interest
Expression of interest for a Tenure-track assistant professor position focused on early-career researchers, with promotion path to associate professor
Umeå, Sweden
Umeå University

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
N/A

### Implications
- An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast is available too. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00976-0 Related Articles Agriculture and climate change are reshaping insect biodiversity worldwide The road to CAR-T-cell therapy for lethal childhood brain tumours Coffee linked to slower brain ageing in study of 130,000 people Replication study casts doubt on magnetic sensing in flies Subjects Ecology Biomechanics Immunology Latest on: Ecology Biomechanics Immunology ‘Continuity over novelty’: why environmental science needs to rethink its focus World View 25 MAR 26 Marine life is a silent casualty of armed conflicts Correspondence 24 MAR 26 I paused my PhD for 11 years to help save Madagascar’s seas Career Q&A 20 MAR 26 First known fossil hand of the hominin Paranthropus boisei News & Views 15 OCT 25 Fibular reduction and the evolution of theropod locomotion Article 20 NOV 24 Passive wing deployment and retraction in beetles and flapping microrobots Article 31 JUL 24 Exposed phosphatidylserine is an inhibitory molecule in T cell exhaustion Article 25 MAR 26 Remembrance of inflammations past News & Views 25 MAR 26 Parasites trigger epithelial cell crosstalk to drive gut–brain signalling Article 25 MAR 26 Jobs Postdoctoral Fellow A postdoctoral fellow position is available at NIH for translational research on neural mechanisms of frustration/irritability in mice and humans Bethesda, Maryland (US) National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health Junior Professorship (W1) for „Public Child Mental Health“ (f/m/d The Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University invites applications for the Junior Professorship (W1) for “Public Child Mental Health” (f/...

### Expert Commentary
This article covers nature, article, mar topics. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 495.