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Materials Science

More Stories in Materials Science

  1. A scanning electron microscope image of a sea urchin skeleton, showing many honeycomb-like holes
    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.
    By Rachel Crowell
  2. ultrasound patch on skin
    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.
    By Asa Stahl
  3. a bird nest between skinny tree branches
    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.
    By Emily Conover
  4. image of experimental fabric made of woven blue, green and red thread
    Materials Science

    This fabric can hear your heartbeat

    With special fibers that convert tiny vibrations to voltages, a new fabric senses sounds, letting it act as a microphone or a speaker.
    By Carolyn Wilke
  5. A Navajo woman sitting at a microscope
    Computing

     Core memory weavers and Navajo women made the Apollo missions possible

    The stories of the women who assembled integrated circuits and wove core memory for the Apollo missions remain largely unknown.
    By Joy Lisi Rankin
  6. a Schmidt's fringe-fingered lizard crawling on sand
    Animals

     How lizards keep detachable tails from falling off

    A hierarchical structure of micropillars and nanopores allows the tail to break away when necessary while preventing it from easily detaching.
    By Anna Gibbs
  7. three starfish on the ocean floor
    Animals

     A diamondlike structure gives some starfish skeletons their strength

    Electron microscope images of knobby starfish’s calcite skeletons reveal an unexpected architecture that compensates for the mineral’s brittleness.
    By Carolyn Wilke
  8. image of a city street scene
    Tech

     Materials of the last century shaped modern life, but at a price

    From our homes and cities to our electronics and clothing, the stuff of daily life is dramatically different from decades ago.
    By Carolyn Wilke
  9. glitter
    Chemistry

     This eco-friendly glitter gets its color from plants, not plastic

    Using cellulose extracted from wood pulp, researchers have created a greener alternative to traditional glitter.
    By Maria Temming