How can battery-powered aircraft get off the ground?

Getting electric planes to take off, and the latest from the Nature Briefing.

In this episode:

00:45 The challenges facing battery-powered flight

While battery-powered cars are becoming increasingly common, the same cannot be said for aeroplanes. This week, a team of researchers look at the technical and economic challenges facing battery-powered flight.

Perspective: Viswanathan et al.

09:24 Research Highlights

The enormous nerve circuitry in elephant trucks, and capturing images with light that’s never been near an object.

Research Highlight: Oh elephant, what big nerves you have!

Research Highlight: Light that never ‘sees’ items takes their picture

11:47 Briefing Chat

We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, assessing the effectiveness of smartphone mental health apps, and how saliva helps children assess relationships.

Stat: What types of mental health apps actually work? A sweeping new analysis finds the data is sparse

Stat: Kisses, licks, and drool: Study shows how ‘saliva sharing’ shapes babies’ understanding of the closest relationships

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