Fish farms feed millions of people around the world, but they also consume a lot of fish that are dried or ground up to make aquafeed. Researchers are developing more sustainable alternatives.
Workers need a map to lead them through the crisis.
PeopleImages/E+ via Getty Images
Although the end of the pandemic may be in sight, the costs of working remotely are growing. It’s time companies had a plan – even if they aren’t returning to the office any time soon.
Thomas Edison remains the poster child of American invention 89 years after his death.
Underwood & Underwood via the Library of Congress
The story of invention in America typically features larger-than-life caricatures of white men like Thomas Edison while largely ignoring the contributions of women and people of color.
A cross section of lab-grown human liver tissue. The green shows the network of blood vessels.
Velazquez et al. Cell Systems
New strategy helps build synthetic organs from scratch. This enabled the researchers to grow functioning liver tissue in the lab that could be transplanted into mice with liver disease.
A simple chain of amino acids folds into a complex three-dimensional structure.
Scientists in an artificial intelligence lab have made a breakthrough in solving the problem of how proteins fold into their final three-dimensional shape. The work could speed up creation of drugs.
These beautiful curves hold the key to a simple way to vary the stiffness of robotic grippers.
njekaterina/DigitalVision via Getty Images
Plastic waste is a global problem. Now a chemist has developed a new strategy for breaking down the most common plastic so it can be not just recycled, but upcycled into desirable goods.
What happens to millions of these?
Kristoferb/Wikipedia
Batteries power much of modern life, from electric and hybrid cars to computers, medical devices and cellphones. But unless they’re made easier and cheaper to recycle, a battery waste crisis looms.
Light is key to ultrasensitive chemical sensors.
Kwanchai Lerttanapunyaporn/EyeEm via Getty Images
An optical sensor that can detect individual molecules promises early detection of diseases and environmental contamination.
This artist’s rendering shows OSIRIS-REx spacecraft descending toward asteroid Bennu to collect a sample of the asteroid’s surface.
NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona
OSIRIS-REx will touch down on asteroid Bennu, collect a sample of the dust and begin its journey back to Earth, where scientists will study it, hoping to learn secrets of the solar system’s origin.
Researchers take a closer look at how activities that engage the whole family can help young distance learners build STEM skills.
MoMo Productions/Getty Images
A strong identity as a scientist is crucial for girls to succeed in STEM fields such as computer science. Are educators recognizing and rewarding the right behaviors?
AI-powered detectors are the best tools for spotting AI-generated fake videos.
The Washington Post via Getty Images
Fake videos generated with sophisticated AI tools are a looming threat. Researchers are racing to build tools that can detect them, tools that are crucial for journalists to counter disinformation.
Sometimes promising innovations, such as this glass that can harness solar energy, developed by scientist Lance Wheeler, take a long time to reach consumers.
Aaron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Artificial brains are far in the future, but computer chips that work like brains could keep computers advancing when today’s silicon transistor chips reach their limit.
This antibody adopts a Y-shape. The arms of the Y make up the part of the antibody that binds to the target.
ALFRED PASIEKA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Antibodies are great for neutralizing viruses. But they are big and bulky. Antibody engineers are now creating smaller synthetic antibody-like molecules that may be better for fighting COVID-19.
Many prizes that aim to spur innovation are winner-take-all.
VCG for 2019 RoboMaster Robotics Competition Final Tournament via Getty Images
Luciano Kay, University of California, Santa Barbara
Society has never faced more pressing challenges. Researchers are investigating how monetary prizes can help focus innovators’ attention, creativity and investment on finding solutions.
Professor and Director of Quantitative Biosciences Institute & Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco