Engineering Design
- Physics
What did you say? Fabric masks can really muffle voices
Some types of face masks muffle speech more than others — something that teachers should take into account.
- Agriculture
Dew collector brings water to thirsty plants
This invention grabs water from the air at night. All it needs is the sun’s warmth the next day to release that moisture to growing plants.
- Health & Medicine
What kids need to know about getting a COVID-19 shot
COVID-19 vaccines are already being administered to some adults. Here’s what that means for kids and teens.
- Chemistry
Bye-bye batteries? Power a phone with fabric or a beacon with sound
New piezoelectric systems produce electricity in unusual ways, such as when a certain nylon bends or underwater ceramics vibrate.
- Earth
Analyze this: Microplastics are showing up in Mount Everest’s snow
Microplastics have made their way to the snow on Earth’s tallest peak. Most of the plastic likely comes from climbers’ equipment and clothes.
- Brain
A taste map in the brain is a scattering of tiny flavor islands
Some senses are highly organized in the brain. Taste is not. And that points to just how important it is.
- Health & Medicine
Early details emerge about the new U.K. coronavirus variant
The variant may spread more easily from person to person. That could make continuing to wear masks all the more important, experts say.
- Chemistry
A soil-based ‘concrete’ could make buildings green, even on Mars
A new soil-based material offers an alternative to concrete for 3-D printing environmentally friendly buildings.
- Chemistry
Flexible devices may help clothes solar power your screens
A fluorescent polymer duo boosts the efficiency of solar cells. One day this material may coat your jacket, hat or backpack to provide power on the go.
- Environment
Old clothes soon may be recycled, not trashed
One day, clothes may be recycled almost as much as plastics and glass are now. See how chemists are moving us in that direction.
- Space
Star of science and movies, the Arecibo radio telescope is dead
Broken cables led to catastrophic damage of its history-making dish. The U.S. National Science Foundation will now dismantle what remains.
- Space
Why Arecibo’s loss is such a big deal for astronomy
Damage to the radio telescope in Puerto Rico has robbed scientists of a special tool for studying everything from asteroids to galaxies.
