All Stories
- Materials Science
Let’s learn about piezoelectric materials
Piezoelectric materials turn mechanical energy into electrical energy — and vice versa.
- Math
Scientists Say: Calculus
Calculus is math that deals with curves, from their changing slopes to the areas they enclose.
- Computing
A single chip like this could transmit a world’s worth of data
The internet has a big environmental footprint. But this new type of tech could help reduce the climate impact of computing.
- Science & Society
How daylight saving time throws off your internal clock
Turning the clock ahead knocks our bodies and brains out of sync with the sun. That leads to many potential health issues.
- Planets
Saturn’s moon Enceladus wears a thick blanket of snow
Pits on the frosty moon reveal the snow’s surprising depth, up to 700 meters (2,300 feet) in some places.
- Materials Science
Analyze This: Algae behind blue-glowing waves light up a new device
Some algae glow blue when they experience forces. Held in transparent plastic, they now make devices light up in response to gentle pushes and tugs.
- Planets
The dwarf planet Quaoar hosts an impossible ring
Quaoar’s ring lies outside the Roche limit. That’s an imaginary line beyond which rings aren’t thought to be stable.
- Computing
Scientists Say: Code
Writing code allows people to tell computers and other smart devices what to do.
- Physics
In a breakthrough experiment, fusion gave off more energy than it used
The sun creates energy through nuclear fusion. Now scientists have too. This achievement raises hopes for developing a new type of clean energy.
- Archaeology
Carvings on Australia’s boab trees reveal a people’s lost history
Archaeologists and an Aboriginal family are working together to find and document a First Nations group’s lost ties to the land.
- Microbes
Bacteria give some cheeses their distinct flavors
Linking types of bacteria to specific flavors could help cheesemakers tweak their products — or even develop new cheese flavor.
- Materials Science
Let’s learn about the weird science of ice
Better understanding of ice could lead to new deicing materials or even, someday, weather control.
