Engineering Design

Climate

For greener toilets and air conditioning, consider saltwater

Using saltwater would allow coastal cities to save their freshwater for drinking and to reduce their carbon footprints. Some could save money, too.

Space

Fairy tale inspiration could help rovers explore risky places

Taking a cue from Hansel and Gretel, scientists propose a way for rovers to send back data from treacherous terrain.

Materials Science

Analyze This: A new fabric mimics polar bears’ pelts for warmth

With layers that work like polar bears’ skin and fur, a material absorbs light and keeps it from escaping.

Plants

Could a plant ever eat a person?

For now, humans aren’t on the menu for carnivorous plants. But what would it take for one to consume a person?

Environment

Fungi help rescue crops being harmed by microplastics

Microplastics in the soil hinder plant growth. But two finalists at Regeneron ISEF found that fungi and farm waste can reduce the harm.

Fossils

This ancient bird rocked a head like a T. rex

This bird from 120 million years ago had a head like a dinosaur and a body more like today’s birds.

Tech

Nanocrystal ‘painted’ films may someday help relieve summer heat

The rainbow palette and cooling powers of new plant-based films comes from their microscopic surface patterns of tiny crystals.

Tech

A device spots and counts honeybees hosting a dangerous parasite

At Regeneron ISEF, three teens debuted an infrared system to detect honeybees carrying mites. It can show beekeepers when a colony needs to be treated.

Environment

Older diesel school buses linked to more student absences

Schools that replaced or upgraded old diesel school buses increased student attendance rates, new research shows.

Environment

Making yards more diverse can reap big environmental benefits

Replacing grass with native plants uses less water and fewer chemicals while providing additional benefits to people and wildlife.

Tech

A new solar-powered gel purifies water in a flash

The unusual, fruit-inspired structure of this material provides quick filtration that could satisfy people's daily water needs.

Animals

Analyze This: Puppies naturally mimic human actions

Unlike cats, whose ancestors hunted alone, dogs evolved from a species that hunted in packs. Being social might explain why pups copy humans.