HS-ETS1-3

Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

  1. Earth

    Don’t let the bedbugs bite

    A trio of teens has found a nontoxic way to stop bedbugs dead in their tracks. The method relies on a mesh of fibers that a bug can step into easily — but never leave.

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  2. Tech

    The road less worn

    Two teens have found a new use for old tires. By grinding them up and adding them to asphalt, the old rubber can create stronger, longer-lived roads. And the bonus: The process recycles tires that might otherwise have been burned, creating pollution.

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  3. Chemistry

    Urine may make Mars travel possible

    On Earth, urine is a waste. En route to Mars, it could be a precious renewable commodity: the source of drinking water and energy.

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  4. Physics

    Sending student science to space

    Two teachers describe how they worked with the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program to get middle-school scientists excited about research and space.

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  5. Physics

    Filter lets in only the right light

    Scientists have built a light filter that only permits light coming from one desired angle to pass through. Built from alternating layers of transparent materials, it could help minimize the glare in telescopes and cameras or boost the efficiency of solar cells.

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  6. Physics

    Laser tweezers grab nano bits

    An optical fiber, a bit of gold and a laser make up a new type of tweezers. Scientists may soon use it to pick up and move around individual viruses or proteins.

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  7. Tech

    Branching out for safer water

    Clean drinking water could be only a tree branch away, a new study finds.

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  8. Earth

    Intel STS finalist takes on arsenic poisoning

    Concerned about arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh, Intel Science Talent Search finalist Thabit Pulak invented an affordable filter to help people remove this toxic pollutant from their drinking water.

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  9. Tech

    A 3-D printer prints a better life

    3-D printing technology isn’t just for making toys. High school student Nick Parker is part of a group using their homemade printers to create mechanical hands for people who need them.

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  10. Animals

    Explainer: Tagging through history

    What started as little metal bands have evolved into high-tech devices — some of which rely on satellites to share their findings.

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  11. Brain

    ‘Study drugs’ can be dangerous

    The misuse of these ADHD medicines not only constitutes cheating, but they can become addictive and can mess with your head.

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  12. Chemistry

    A plant enemy’s enemy

    Plants use chemicals to recruit help in fighting off pests.

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