After the successful separation of a monolayer of carbon atoms with honeycomb lattice known as graphene in 2004, a large group of 2D materials known as TMDCs and MXenes were discovered and studied.

This week’s science roundup covers 2025’s near-record heat, a new mpox strain and fresh clues about why hobbits vanished 50,000 years ago. Journalist Karen Hao unpacks the rise of AI “empires,” their ...