Nature Podcast

Lizard-inspired building design could save lives

May 15, 2024

3D printing resin made from bodybuilding supplement, tiny parrots resort to kill due to housing shortages, researchers mimic lizards to prevent building collapse, advanced algorithm discovers thousands of asteroids, Google Cloud helps identify near-Earth asteroids, study reveals neuron structures in human brain, importance of understanding cortex for treating diseases.

31:27

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Quick takeaways

A novel lipoic acid-based resin for 3D printing offers recyclability and sustainability, addressing plastic waste concerns.

Inspired by lizards, a modular building system prevents total collapse by stopping initial failures from spreading, enhancing structural safety.

Deep dives

New Recyclable Resin for 3D Printing

Researchers have developed a new recyclable photopolymer resin for 3D printing that addresses sustainability concerns. Traditional resins are derived from petrochemical resources, contributing to plastic waste challenges. The new resin, based on lipoic acid, allows depolymerization back to a form that can be refotocured, enabling a closed-loop system. By utilizing dynamic disulfide bonds in lipoic acid, the resin can be broken down and reformed, leading to more sustainable 3D printing materials.

Introduction

2min

Innovative Photopolymer Resin for Sustainable 3D Printing

12min

Innovative Strategies for Preventing Building Collapses

11min

Discovery of Thousands of Asteroids Using Advanced Algorithm

2min

Utilizing Computational Power to Identify Near-Earth Asteroids

2min

Exploring the Intricacies of the Human Brain Through Advanced Imaging

3min

Exploring the Cortex and Its Medical Potential

2min

In this episode:

00:45 A recyclable 3D printing resin from an unusual source

Many 3D printers create objects using liquid resins that turn into robust solids when exposed to light. But many of these are derived from petrochemicals that are difficult to recycle. To overcome this a team has developed a new type of resin, which they’ve made using a bodybuilding supplement called lipoic acid. Their resin can be printed, recycled and reused multiple times, which they hope could in future contribute to reducing waste associated with 3D printing.

Research Article: Machado et al

10:05 Research Highlights

How housing shortages can drive a tiny parrot resort to kill, and the genes that gave cauliflower its curls.

Research Highlight: These parrots go on killing sprees over real-estate shortages

Research Highlight: How the cauliflower got its curlicues

12:27 To learn how to make safe structures researchers... destroyed a building

Many buildings are designed to prevent collapse by redistributing weight following an initial failure. However this relies on extensive structural connectedness that can result in an entire building being pulled down. To prevent this, researchers took a new approach inspired by the ability of some lizards to shed their tails. They used this to develop a modular system, which they tested by building — and destroying — a two storey structure. Their method stopped an initial failure from spreading, preventing a total collapse. The team hope this finding will help prevent catastrophic collapses, reducing loss of life in aid rescue efforts.

Research Article: Makoond et al.

Nature video: Controlled failure: The building designed to limit catastrophe

23:20: Briefing Chat

An AI algorithm discovers 27,500 new asteroids, and an exquisitely-accurate map of a human brain section reveals cells with previously undiscovered features.

New York Times: Killer Asteroid Hunters Spot 27,500 Overlooked Space Rocks

Nature News: Cubic millimetre of brain mapped in spectacular detail

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