How to Make Glass More Reusable

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The material is made from chains of amino acids, which make up proteins just like most of the materials in our body. The hard bit has been making it like glass, in particular to make it transparent. They can also 3D print it and cast this material in molds. And they managed to get this to retain and stay solid even when it returns to room temperature.

00:46 A pair of supermassive black holes in the distant universe

Supermassive black holes are found at the centre of galaxies across the universe. But observations of galaxies with more than one – caused by the merging of two galaxies – have been rare. Now, researchers have combined data from a number of telescopes and satellites, to reveal a pair of supermassive blackholes farther from Earth than any pair detected previously. They hope this will offer insights into how galaxies form.

Research article: Chen et al.

News and Views: Distant supermassive black holes spotted in galaxy merger

10:53 Research Highlights

Why appetite can increase after dieting, and gliding mammals’ flight-associated genes.

Research Highlight: Can’t keep off lost weight? Blame your ‘hunger cells’

Research Highlight: How gliding mammals developed the flaps for ‘flight’

13:35 A clinical trial of an AI heart assessor

A team of researchers and clinicians report results of a clinical trial designed to test the ability of an AI to accurately interpret echocardiogram images – a technique frequently used to assess heart health. The results showed that the AI was as good at measuring a metric of cardiac function as a trained human, but was able to speed up the diagnosing process, suggesting this method could play a role in improving healthcare in future.

Research article: He et al.

20:42 Briefing Chat

We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, we hear the ultrasonic sounds that stressed plants make, and discuss a 3D printed glass made from amino acids.

Nature News: Stressed plants ‘cry’ — and some animals can probably hear them

Nature News: 3D-printable glass is made from proteins and biodegrades

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