Engineering Design
- Artificial Intelligence
5 things to remember when talking to a chatbot
When using ChatGPT or other chatbots, remember your voice matters and watch out for flattery and hallucinations. And for important advice, ask real people.
- Health & Medicine
A little shape-up helps these pimple patches get a grip
These zit patches use some innovative geometry to anchor onto skin. This solves one problem that’s hindered other uses of microneedles for drug delivery.
- Tech
A modified glue gun squirts a material to help heal broken bones
The handheld printer might someday apply bone-repair patches directly onto fractures — complete with antibiotics to prevent infection.
- Earth
These ultra-long experiments outlive their scientists — on purpose
To study phenomena that unfold over decades or even centuries, scientists may launch projects they may never see finished.
- Chemistry
Let’s learn about surprising uses for human waste
Around the world, scientists are investigating ways to turn poop and pee into fertilizer, fuel and construction materials.
- Science & Society
Behold the world’s weirdest library — which might save your life
This bizarre collection of “standard reference materials” help ensure the safety of waterways, buildings, medicines, foods and much more.
- Artificial Intelligence
AI shouldn’t be trusted with your mental health, teen finds
Her research suggests that ChatGPT and similar AI systems are not suitable replacements for human therapists.
- Animals
Ripple bugs’ frilly feet inspired a water-striding robot
The insects’ nimble movements on the surface of water inspired a robot with automatically unfurling fans on its feet.
- Earth
Cities across the world are sinking. Here’s how they might rebound
Affected coastal cities tend to flood more often — a growing threat in this era of continuing sea level rise.
- Chemistry
Structures that work like Hermione’s magic handbag land a chemistry Nobel
Richard Robson, Susumu Kitagawa and Omar Yaghi developed these metal-organic frameworks, which can trap pollutants, collect water from air and more.
- Health & Medicine
Floss delivers flu vaccine to mice needle-free
The creative solution may one day allow people to vaccinate themselves — no injection needed.
- Physics
Discoveries behind quantum computers win the Nobel Prize in physics
John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John Martinis turned up quantum effects in an electric circuit. This 1980s find underlies today’s quantum computers.
