Engineering Design

  1. Materials Science

    Micro-barbs could make shots less painful

    A new type of microneedle design might take the sting out of shots and stick to the skin better than other approaches.

    By Stephen Ornes

  2. Climb like a slo-mo Spiderman using this super suction robot

    A whooshing ring of water keeps the robot’s vacuum from losing grip, even on rough surfaces

    By Carolyn Wilke
  3. Animals

    Mice show their feelings on their faces

    Pleasure, pain, fear and disgust — all can show on a mouse’s face. As computational analyses show, you just need to know what to look for.

    By Laura Sanders
  4. Tech

    Tackling the novel coronavirus calls for novel ideas

    Teams around the world are proposing new innovations to fight COVID-19. Projects tackle supply shortages, new treatments, vaccines and more.

    By Kathiann Kowalski
  5. Tech

    COVID-19 victims could breathe easier with these innovations

    Feared equipment shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic have prompted research teams to develop novel technologies to help oxygen-starved lungs.

    By Kathiann Kowalski
  6. Materials Science

    This ‘living’ concrete slurps up a greenhouse gas

    Microbes help harden a mix of sand and gelatin into a living concrete that could interact with people and the environment in great new ways.

    By Carolyn Wilke
  7. Science & Society

    Brainwaves of people with coarse, curly hair are now less hard to read

    Electrodes weren’t designed for people with coarse, curly hair. A redesign was needed, scientists say.

    By Laura Sanders
  8. Health & Medicine

    First drug is found to block the new coronavirus

    A series of new trials show that the antiviral drug remdesivir offers promise in speeding the recovery of patients with COVID-19.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  9. Chemistry

    Rock Candy Science 2: No such thing as too much sugar

    Making rock candy at home takes a lot more sugar than you might think. Why? This experiment will show you why.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  10. Tech

    Here’s one way to harvest water right out of the air

    Need water but you have no access to rain, lakes or groundwater? Materials known as metal-organic frameworks could be used to slurp that water from the air, new data show.

    By Sid Perkins
  11. Health & Medicine

    Six foot social-distancing will not always be enough for COVID-19

    To avoid COVID-19, keeping a 6-foot social distance is a good rule of thumb. But for plenty of instances, that might not be nearly far enough.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  12. Environment

    Legos could last a disturbingly long time in the ocean

    By looking at toys washed up on beaches, scientists have estimated how long it takes hard plastics to break down in the oceans. And it’s a long time.

    By Maria Temming