Materials Science

  1. Chemistry

    New materials yank ‘forever chemicals’ from water

    Materials known as metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs, trap some PFAS fast — and can be reused again and again.

    By Carolyn Wilke
  2. Science & Society

    Behold the world’s weirdest library — which might save your life

    This bizarre collection of “standard reference materials” help ensure the safety of waterways, buildings, medicines, foods and much more.

    By Jenny Krumrine
  3. Materials Science

    Spooky! Grooved surface sends ice sailing — no outside push needed

    Boulders that have mysteriously moved across Death Valley’s landscape inspired the work. The new surface can slingshot ice in a chosen direction.

    By Sarah Wells
  4. Chemistry

    Structures that work like Hermione’s magic handbag land a chemistry Nobel

    Richard Robson, Susumu Kitagawa and Omar Yaghi developed these metal-organic frameworks, which can trap pollutants, collect water from air and more.

    By Meghan Rosen
  5. Materials Science

    Scientists transform pee into a golden opportunity

    By transforming urine into a valuable medical product, scientists hope to change how we view this human waste.

    By Katie Grace Carpenter
  6. Tech

    Get a sneak peek at the tech you may use in the future

    Holograms, 3-D printed clothing, personal robots — these technologies and more might one day transform your daily life.

    By Kathryn Hulick
  7. Tech

    Pickleballs inspire a new way to reduce drag on vehicles

    Dimples in a skin can be adjusted on demand to reduce drag or to steer where a vehicle goes.

    By Stephen Ornes
  8. Physics

    How polarized and UV-blocking sunglasses protect our eyes

    Their filters can cut glare to help us see more clearly. The best ones also filter out the sun’s UV rays — even on cloudy days — to limit eye damage.

    By Tejasri Gururaj
  9. Materials Science

    This electric ‘slime’ might help injuries heal faster

    Our bodies call in healing cells with an electrical signal. When stretched or squeezed, this gel makes electricity that could boost that alert.

    By Kendra Redmond
  10. Materials Science

    A beautiful blue butterfly wing offers a new way to study cancer

    Once a morpho butterfly wing is placed atop a thin slice of tissue, shining polarized light through it can help reveal how likely breast cancer is to spread.

    By Stephen Ornes
  11. Materials Science

    This engineer uses light to get hearts pumping

     Pengju Li designed a new type of pacemaker to help doctors during open-heart surgery.

    By Aaron Tremper
  12. Microbes

    Living lenses? Glass-coated microbes might take better photos

    Bacteria with a gene from sea sponges can coat themselves in glass. Working as tiny, bendable lenses, they could lead to thinner cameras or sensors.

    By Katie Cottingham