How gliding marsupials got their 'wings'
04/24/24 • 28 min
1 Listener
In this episode:
00:46 Optical clocks at sea
Optical atomic clocks are the most precise timekeeping devices on the planet, but these devices are huge and difficult to work with, limiting their use outside of the lab. Now, researchers have developed a portable optical clock and demonstrated its robustness by sending it on a perilous sea journey. The team hope that this work will pave the way to more practical uses of optical clocks, such as on satellites where they could help improve the accuracy of GPS technologies.
Research Article: Roslund et al.
News and Views: Robust optical clocks promise stable timing in a portable package
09:34 Research Highlights
Evidence of ritual burning of the remains of a Maya royal family, and the first solid detection of an astrophysical tau-neutrino.
Research Highlight: Burnt remains of Maya royalty mark a dramatic power shift
Research Highlight: Detectors deep in South Pole ice pin down elusive tau neutrino
11:52 How marsupial gliding membranes evolved
Several marsupial species have evolved a membrane called a patagium that allows them to glide gracefully from tree to tree. Experiments show that mutations in areas of DNA around the gene Emx2 were key to the evolution of this ability, which has appeared independently in multiple marsupial species.
Research article: Moreno et al.
News and Views: Marsupial genomes reveal how a skin membrane for gliding evolved
19:22 Briefing Chat
How overtraining AIs can help them discover novel solutions, and researchers manage to make one-atom thick sheets of ‘goldene’.
Quanta Magazine: How Do Machines ‘Grok’ Data?
Nature news: Meet ‘goldene’: this gilded cousin of graphene is also one atom thick
Subscribe to Nature Briefing: AI and robotics
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode:
00:46 Optical clocks at sea
Optical atomic clocks are the most precise timekeeping devices on the planet, but these devices are huge and difficult to work with, limiting their use outside of the lab. Now, researchers have developed a portable optical clock and demonstrated its robustness by sending it on a perilous sea journey. The team hope that this work will pave the way to more practical uses of optical clocks, such as on satellites where they could help improve the accuracy of GPS technologies.
Research Article: Roslund et al.
News and Views: Robust optical clocks promise stable timing in a portable package
09:34 Research Highlights
Evidence of ritual burning of the remains of a Maya royal family, and the first solid detection of an astrophysical tau-neutrino.
Research Highlight: Burnt remains of Maya royalty mark a dramatic power shift
Research Highlight: Detectors deep in South Pole ice pin down elusive tau neutrino
11:52 How marsupial gliding membranes evolved
Several marsupial species have evolved a membrane called a patagium that allows them to glide gracefully from tree to tree. Experiments show that mutations in areas of DNA around the gene Emx2 were key to the evolution of this ability, which has appeared independently in multiple marsupial species.
Research article: Moreno et al.
News and Views: Marsupial genomes reveal how a skin membrane for gliding evolved
19:22 Briefing Chat
How overtraining AIs can help them discover novel solutions, and researchers manage to make one-atom thick sheets of ‘goldene’.
Quanta Magazine: How Do Machines ‘Grok’ Data?
Nature news: Meet ‘goldene’: this gilded cousin of graphene is also one atom thick
Subscribe to Nature Briefing: AI and robotics
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
Living on Mars would probably suck — here's why
Humans setting up home in outer space has long been the preserve of science fiction. Now, thanks to advances in technology and the backing of billionaires, this dream could actually be realised. But is it more likely to be a nightmare?
Kelly and Zach Weinersmith join us to discuss their new book A City on Mars and some of the medical, environmental and legal roadblocks that may prevent humanity from ultimately settling in space.
A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through? Kelly and Zach Weinersmith Particular Books (2023)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
Audio long read: Why loneliness is bad for your health
Many people around the world feel lonely. Chronic loneliness is known to have far-reaching health effects and has been linked to multiple conditions and even early death. But the mechanisms through which feeling alone can lead to poor health is a puzzle. Now, researchers are looking at neurons in the hopes that they may help explain why health issues arise when social needs go unmet.
This is an audio version of our Feature Why loneliness is bad for your health
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Featured in these lists
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/nature-podcast-38265/how-gliding-marsupials-got-their-wings-49803583"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to how gliding marsupials got their 'wings' on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy