Engineering Design

Environment

This ‘living’ concrete slurps up a greenhouse gas

Microbes help harden a mix of sand and gelatin into a living concrete that could interact with people and the environment in great new ways.

Humans

Brainwaves of people with coarse, curly hair are now less hard to read

Electrodes weren’t designed for people with coarse, curly hair. A redesign was needed, scientists say.

Health & Medicine

First drug is found to block the new coronavirus

A series of new trials show that the antiviral drug remdesivir offers promise in speeding the recovery of patients with COVID-19.

Chemistry

Rock Candy Science 2: No such thing as too much sugar

Making rock candy at home takes a lot more sugar than you might think. Why? This experiment will show you why.

Environment

Here’s one way to harvest water right out of the air

Need water but you have no access to rain, lakes or groundwater? Materials known as metal-organic frameworks could be used to slurp that water from the air, new data show.

Health & Medicine

Six foot social-distancing will not always be enough for COVID-19

To avoid COVID-19, keeping a 6-foot social distance is a good rule of thumb. But for plenty of instances, that might not be nearly far enough.

Environment

Legos could last a disturbingly long time in the ocean

By looking at toys washed up on beaches, scientists have estimated how long it takes hard plastics to break down in the oceans. And it’s a long time.

Chemistry

Batteries should not burst into flames

Because lithium-ion batteries power modern life, they need to store a lot of energy. Now scientists are focusing on making them safer.

Health & Medicine

Antibodies from former COVID-19 patients could become a medicine

The experimental treatment uses antibodies from the blood plasma of COVID-19 survivors. It may prevent disease in other people or help treat the sick.

Health & Medicine

New ultrasound treatment kills off cancer cells

Low-frequency ultrasound destroys cancer cells while leaving most healthy cells intact.

Environment

Greener than burial? Turning human bodies into worm food

Composting human bodies yielded good results — and good soil — in one small study. It could become an alternative to burial or cremation in one state.

Health & Medicine

Silk can be molded into strong medical implants

Freeze-dried and powdered silk has a long shelf life. It also is cheap to ship and can be molded into sturdy medical implants.