Graphene is superstrong and superconductive, and it has applications in everything from construction to electronics. But to date there have been almost no commercial uses of the material.
This connection of springs is a new type of material that can change shape and learn new properties.
Jonathan Hopkins
Ryan H. Lee, University of California, Los Angeles
Computer-based neural networks can learn to do tasks. A new type of material, called a mechanical neural network, applies similar ideas to a physical structure.
An unusual folded shape in a meteorite prompted scientists to dive deep into a rabbit hole – discovering a potential new way to make specially shaped diamonds in the lab.
Most plastic products that are clear and strong are made using bisphenol A, or BPA.
Beton Studio/iStock via Getty Images
The US Environmental Protection Agency is reexamining the health effects of bisphenol A. A chemist explains why BPA is in plastics and why it’s hard to find a safe replacement.
Nickel oxide, the gray-and-black-striped material, demonstrates unique properties when exposed to hydrogen.
Purdue University/Kayla Wiles
The ability to store information is central to learning and the field of artificial intelligence. Researchers have shown how a unique material shows basic learning properties similar to that of slugs.
The Curiosity Mars rover, launched in November 2011, is powered by a nuclear battery that relies on thermoelectric materials to turn heat from radioactive decay into electricity.
(NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
More than two-thirds of the world’s energy is wasted as heat. Thermoelectric materials can convert unwanted heat into electricity, but finding the best ones has been slow.
The unique properties of clays make them suitable for a wide variety of applications.
(Shutterstock)
Jason Ng, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology e Andrea Sedgwick, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
Throughout human history, clay has played a role in many different industries. Its unique properties make it suited for a wide applications in widely ranging industries.
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.
The material that your shirt is made of plays a big role in how hot you feel.
RUNSTUDIO/Photodisc via Getty Images
More companies are selling products that claim to keep you cool on hot days. But it turns out that common materials used in sports clothing may not always be the best.
A smartphone that bends: one day soon this could be your flexible friend.
Shutterstock/Gang Liu
Is it too much to dream of batteries that are part of the structure of an item, helping to shape the form of a smartphone, car or building while also powering its functions?
World Cup jerseys have to please players, national officials, FIFA rulemakers and – perhaps most importantly – fans who buy them to show support for their teams.
Fractured concrete pavement slabs on a street in Canton, Mich.
Victor Li
‘Bendable concrete’ is not an oxymoron. Mimicking designs found in nature, engineers are making concrete that gives under stress without shattering – an advance that could improve US infrastructure.
Subbing new risks for the current dyes’ dangers?
Evgeny Savchenko/Shutterstock.com
Less-toxic hair dye would be a great invention. But discounting the risks that come with nanoparticles could undermine other efforts to protect human health and environmental from their effects.