Materials Science

Materials Science

salton sea
A team of scientists hopes deep-earth lithium could sustain America's vast demand for batteries. But extracting it won't be easy.
superconductors
In a major advance, scientists have found a new and groundbreaking way to force electrons to flow only in one direction in a superconductor.
crystallization
Crystallization is an entirely random process, so scientists have developed clever ways to investigate it at a molecular level.
lithium-sulfur batteries
A lucky discovery involving lithium-sulfur batteries has a legitimate chance to revolutionize how we power our world.
cellulose nanocrystals
Using cellulose from trees and a synthetic polymer, MIT researchers have created a material that "is stronger and tougher than some types of bone, and harder than typical aluminum alloys."
edible electronics
Edible electronics, devices that can be broken down and digested, could perform many useful functions inside the body.
da vinci helicopter
Da Vinci dreamed up a helicopter 400 years before they actually existed. Now, engineers have brought his design to life, but with a twist.
Outfitted with wheels and rotors, the bot can morph from a land drone into a quadcopter in seconds.
If you put very fine black powder powder in a confined space it explodes in a cloud of heat, gas and noise.
hardened wood
Are hardened wood knives and nails coming to a store near you?
The dream of zero resistance is closer than you may think. One of the biggest physical problems in modern society is resistance. Not political or social resistance, mind you, but electrical […]
From explosions to their unique and vibrant colors, the fireworks displays we adore require quantum physics. This Thursday, July 4, 2019, is remarkable for a number of reasons. It happens to […]
If you thought that diamonds were the hardest things of all, this will have you thinking again. Carbon is one of the most fascinating elements in all of nature, with chemical […]
With the right material at the right temperature and a magnetic track, physics allows you to never lose energy. The idea of levitating off the ground has been a staple of […]
The medal-winning Norwegian team had a most unusual explanation for why their speed skaters wore blue. Is there any science to back it up? Every four years, the Olympics come around, […]
Aiming for the nearest star would necessitate a whole slew of advances. Even if the mission fails, humanity wins by investing in itself. There have been some magnificent moments in NASA […]
Its 18 large, segmented golden mirrors aren’t even the whole story. But how much gold is really in there? “Hey, if our eyes could access the infrared part of the light […]