Physics
- Physics
Thunderstorms hold stunningly high voltage
By studying particles called muons, scientists found that the electric potential inside a thunderstorm may be 10 times higher than previously thought.
- Health & Medicine
Here’s why Rapunzel’s hair makes a great rope ladder
The fairy tale ‘Rapunzel’ features a princess with a lifesaving head of hair. Could someone really use their hair as a ladder? Sort of.
- Space
On the lookout for micro-missiles from space
Speeding specks of space dust can damage spacecraft. But if they make it to Earth, these tiny rocks can offer lessons on how the solar system formed.
- Physics
How to turn a greenhouse into a powerhouse
See-through solar cells could turn greenhouses into solar power plants.
- Materials Science
A self-cleaning glass keeps itself spotless underwater
Microscopic pancake-like structures keep dirt and oil from sticking to the surface of this self-cleaning glass.
- Materials Science
Scientists Say: Zirconium
Zirconium is a metal that knows the meaning of tough. It’s so heat resistant that it’s used for molds to shape melted metals, and so radiation resistant that it coats nuclear reactors.
- Materials Science
This bandage uses electrical zaps to heal wounds faster
Scientists have invented a bandage that helps wounds heal faster by zapping them with electricity. The patient’s own motions power this device.
- Tech
This grid moves energy, but not always reliably
The grid that brings you electricity faces a host of threats. Engineers are at work to make it more reliable and nimble.
- Tech
Explainer: What is the electric grid?
Most of us get electricity through a huge system of power lines and equipment that together are known as the electric grid. Here’s how it works.
- Physics
High-speed video reveals the best way to shoot a rubber band
What’s the best way to shoot a rubber band? High-speed video reveals how to avoid hitting your thumb.
- Animals
How some insects fling their pee
Insects called sharpshooters use a tiny barb on their rear ends to hurl their pee at 20 times the acceleration of Earth’s gravity.
- Physics
Soggy cereal gives clues to how rock dams collapse
To find out how ice sheets move and rock dams collapse, two researchers turned the attention to breakfast cereal.
