Engineering Design

  1. Chemistry

    Batteries should not burst into flames

    Because lithium-ion batteries power modern life, they need to store a lot of energy. Now scientists are focusing on making them safer.

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  2. Health & Medicine

    Antibodies from former COVID-19 patients could become a medicine

    The experimental treatment uses antibodies from the blood plasma of COVID-19 survivors. It may prevent disease in other people or help treat the sick.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    New ultrasound treatment kills off cancer cells

    Low-frequency ultrasound destroys cancer cells while leaving most healthy cells intact.

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  4. Environment

    Greener than burial? Turning human bodies into worm food

    Composting human bodies yielded good results — and good soil — in one small study. It could become an alternative to burial or cremation in one state.

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  5. Materials Science

    Silk can be molded into strong medical implants

    Freeze-dried and powdered silk has a long shelf life. It also is cheap to ship and can be molded into sturdy medical implants.

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  6. Physics

    Try This: Walking on water with science

    Water striders walk on water. How do they do it? They spread out. This experiment will show you how it works.

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  7. Physics

    Soap bubbles’ ‘pop’ reveals the physics of the bursts

    A bubble’s pop is a quiet, high-pitched noise. This can reveal the forces that occur during the bubble’s demise.

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  8. Science & Society

    COVID-19: When will it be safe to go out again?

    No one yet knows when social distancing can end. Experts explain we need 'herd immunity,' which won't be easy and may come at a horrific cost.

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  9. Brain

    Zapping the brain may make it work right again

    Sending electrical zaps to electrodes implanted deep in the brain can help people with Parkinson’s disease, depression and even obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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  10. Chemistry

    Converting trash to valuable graphene in a flash

    Flash heating of carbon-rich wastes creates graphene, which has many commercial uses.

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  11. Environment

    Decades-long project is linking our health to the environment

    Started in 1959, this California study is one of the oldest ongoing research projects in the world.

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  12. Brain

    Do you sleep enough to banish unpleasant moods?

    A large, long-term study in kids has linked getting too little shuteye with mood and behavior problems.

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