Nature Podcast12 Mars 2025

Sapphire anvils squeeze metals atomically-thin

00:46 2D metals made using sapphire press

Taking inspiration from industrial forging, researchers have demonstrated a way to squeeze molten metals into atomically-thin layers, creating relatively large flakes of 2D metals. Using a hydraulic press containing two sapphire anvils, a team was able to create sub-nanometer thick sheets of different metals — these sheets had diameters exceeding 0.1 mm, orders of magnitude larger than other methods have achieved. 2D metals have been theorized to possess several useful properties not seen in their larger, 3D counterparts, but have been difficult to make at scale, something this method may help overcome.

Research Article: Zhao et al.

News and Views: Metals squeezed to thickness of just two atoms

09:36 Research Highlights

The discovery of ancient puppets on remains of a large pyramid offers a glimpse into rituals in Mesoamerica, and how the presence of a certain pattern of sleep brainwaves might help predict which people will recover from an unresponsive state.

Research Highlight: Ancient puppets that smile or scowl hint at shared rituals

Research Highlight: Who’s likely to wake up from a coma? Brainwaves provide a clue

12:17 The virology lessons learnt from the COVID pandemic

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, has become one of the most closely examined viruses on the planet. In the five years since the pandemic, over 150,000 articles have been written about it, and 17 million genome sequences have been generated. We discuss the lessons virologists have learnt from this intense study of a single organism, and how these might help the world prepare for future pandemics.

News Feature: Four ways COVID changed virology: lessons from the most sequenced virus of all time

23:36 Briefing Chat

How an AI alert-system could help researchers train their telescopes on a neutron star collision, and how expiration dates on plastic food-waste helped biologists age birds’ nests.

Nature: How AI could let us watch epic star collisions in real time

Science: Plastic waste in bird nests can act like a tiny time capsule

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