All Stories
- Physics
Skipping stone physics could aid net-tangled whales and more
The unexpected movement of buoys and spheres in water could lead to redesigns for fishing nets and ships.
- Chemistry
Scientists turn plastic wastes into soap
Chemists developed a way to turn plastic waste into surfactants. Those chemicals could one day become key recruits in a greener war on grime.
- Animals
Where does Godzilla get his atomic breath?
Some secrets of the kaiju’s atomic breath can be explained with creative applications of physics and biology.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Lignin
This rigid polymer transports water and gives trees their strength.
- Environment
Ultrasound waves can help remove polluting microplastics in water
The innovative process concentrates microplastics within a flowing liquid. A two-step process then removes the potentially toxic bits.
- Ecosystems
The Amazon is in trouble. Here’s why — and why it matters
Challenges from human-caused climate change, deforestation and degradation leave the fate of this vast forest uncertain.
- Chemistry
Experiment: Kimchi chemistry
In this cooking and food science project, we make kimchi from scratch and investigate changes in pH and glucose as it ferments.
- Space
Let’s learn about the Milky Way
At a glance, the Milky Way may look like just a disk of stars. But its structure is actually much more complex.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Supercool
When a liquid is supercooled, it has been chilled below its freezing point without freezing.
- Archaeology
Ötzi the Iceman’s DNA reveals his looks and ancestry
A reanalysis of the ancient guy’s genes shows he was balding and had dark skin. He also had an unusual amount of early farmer ancestry.
- Earth
The sun shines brightest in South America’s Atacama Desert
Solar rays in this high-altitude desert at times rival the light intensity on Venus.
- Tech
With tech, farms can double up to produce both food and power
Agrivoltaics merges agriculture with photovoltaic panels, which generate electricity from sunlight. The combo produces clean energy and edible crops.
