Aug 06 2020 32 mins 150
Atomically thin 2D materials such as graphene have unique electronic and mechanical properties that could revolutionize how electronics are manufactured and used. Foldable radios and graphene tattoos that monitor blood pressure are just two of the examples given by Deji Akinwande in a conversation with Physics World’s Margaret Harris. Akinwande is professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Texas at Austin and he also talks about how 2D materials could be used to make better memories and switches for mobile phones. Did the explosion of a nearby star cause a huge extinction event on Earth 259 million years ago? The science writer Logan Chipkin joins us to talk about new claims from astronomers – and explains how a connection between a supernova and the “Hangenberg Crisis” could be verified. Finally, we chat about how physicists in China have built a quantum version of the ancient board game go – using entangled photons. While their invention is designed to challenge artificial intelligence systems, it would also change how humans play the game.
