Materials Science

Environment

This house was built partly from recycled diapers

Disposable diapers can replace nearly a third of the materials used in load-bearing structures, offering a potential path to more affordable housing.

Materials Science

A vegan leather made of dormant fungi can repair itself

Researchers developed a leather alternative made from dormant fungus that can be reanimated and then regrow when damaged.

Health & Medicine

A graphene “tattoo” could help hearts keep their beat

A proof-of-concept electronic heart tattoo relies on graphene to act as an ultrathin, flexible pacemaker. In rats, it treated an irregular heartbeat.

Chemistry

Here’s why some Renaissance artists egged their oil paintings

Some Renaissance artists created eggs-quisite paintings by adding yolks to oil paints, which may have helped add texture and prevent yellowing.

Animals

These transparent fish turn rainbow with white light. Now, we know why

Repeated structures in the ghost catfish’s muscles separate white light that passes through their bodies into different wavelengths.

Materials Science

These shape-shifting devices melt and re-form thanks to magnetic fields

Miniature machines made of gallium embedded with magnetic particles can switch between solid and liquid states.

Materials Science

Want a ‘Shrinky Dinks’ approach to nano-sized devices? Try hydrogels

Patterning hydrogels with a laser and then shrinking them down with chemicals offers a way to make nanoscopic structures out of many materials.

Chemistry

These chemists cracked the code to long-lasting Roman concrete

Roman concrete has stood the test of time, so scientists searched ruins to unlock the ancient recipe that could help architecture and climate change.

Animals

Here’s how polar bears might get traction on snow

Microstructures on the Arctic animals’ paws might offer extra friction that keeps them from slipping on snow, a new study reports.

Animals

Sea urchin skeletons’ splendid patterns may strengthen their structure

“Voronoi” geometric patterns found in sea urchin skeletons yield strong yet lightweight structures that could inspire the creation of new materials.

Health & Medicine

This stick-on ultrasound patch could let you watch your own heart beat

A new, coin-sized ultrasound probe can stick to the skin like a Band-Aid for up to two days straight, marking a milestone in personalized medicine.

Physics

Experiments hint at why bird nests are so sturdy

A bird’s nest is a special version of a granular material. Lab experiments and computer simulations explain its quirky behavior.