Engineering Design

Physics

Forests could help detect ‘ghost particles’ from space

If trees could act as natural antennas, one physicist proposes that they just might pick up signals of hard-to-spot ultra-high energy neutrinos.

Tech

Could we build a mecha?

In the movies, mechas come equipped with all kinds of abilities. But real giant robots would first have to master simpler actions, like walking and jumping.

Plants

This urban gardener is mimicking nature to create healthier plants

Urban garden specialist Kwesi Joseph is experimenting with rock dust and plants. He also helps New York City community and school gardens with gardening problems.

Tech

Artificial intelligence helped design a new type of battery

Supercomputing and AI cut the early discovery steps from decades to just 80 hours. The process led to a new solid electrolyte.

Health & Medicine

Health problems persist in Flint 10 years after water poisoning

Flint, Mich., residents still show health impacts long after a switch in their drinking-water source exposed them to toxic lead and other pollutants.

Health & Medicine

Family, friends and community inspired these high school scientists

When looking for research ideas, listen to the people around you. What problems are they facing? What could you do to help?

Environment

Bottled water hosts many thousands of nano-sized plastic bits

The finding emerges from tests of a new tool that identified smaller-than-ever tiny plastic bits in three brands of bottled water.

Physics

Here’s why blueberries aren’t blue — but appear to be

Blueberries actually have dark red pigments — no blue ones — in their skin. Tiny structures in the fruits’ waxy coat are what make them seem blue.

Science & Society

Scientists Say: Model

Models are representations of real-life systems or processes that we use to ask questions, make predictions and test our knowledge.

Life

Bacterial fossils exhibit earliest hints of photosynthesis

Microscopic fossils from Australia suggest that some bacteria evolved structures for oxygen-producing photosynthesis by 1.78 billion years ago.

Math

Geometry can shape our world in unexpected but useful ways

This math, and the geometers who use it, can solve problems from how to stack oranges to designing better vaccines.

Space

This space physicist uses radios to study eclipses

Nathaniel Frissell uses radio data to study how eclipses affect a layer of the atmosphere called the ionosphere.