HS-ETS1-2
Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
- Tech
A new audio system confuses smart devices that try to eavesdrop
It works by playing soft, calculated sounds to help people protect their privacy from automatic speech-recognition systems.
- Tech
Teens’ new tech would send alerts to reduce preventable deaths
A trio of teen innovations created devices that can speed up the response time to pool accidents, overheating in cars and combat-related injuries.
- Climate
Coastal cities around the world are sinking, satellite data show
Of 99 coastal cities studied, nearly one-third are sinking. This leaves coastal communities increasingly vulnerable to rising seas.
- Physics
A new clock shows how gravity warps time — even over tiny distances
This clock measured how gravity changes the passage of time in different places — even spots just one millimeter apart.
- Animals
Here’s why cricket farmers may want to go green — literally
Crickets are great sources of protein, but they often kill each other in captivity. Green light could help solve the problem, two teens find.
- Chemistry
Reusable plastic bottles release hundreds of pollutants into water
Data show the plastic ends up tainting drinking water. For now, scientists don’t know what health risks downing these pollutants might pose.
- Environment
Bubbles could help remove trash from rivers
One young engineer devised a way to make bubbles sweep away the trash floating down a creek, like the one in her backyard.
- Plants
Electric shocks act like vaccines to protect plants from viruses
To protect crops against viruses in their home country of Taiwan, two teens invented a novel approach to fight blights.
- Tech
Smartphones can now bring Ice Age animals back to ‘life’
Scientists bring Ice Age creatures to life with augmented reality. You can view these creatures in your own world on a smartphone.
- Chemistry
Cellulose may keep ice cream from turning gritty in your freezer
Adding nanocrystals extracted from wood avoids the growth of ice crystals, keeping your treat smooth and creamy.
- Materials Science
This new fabric can ‘hear’ sounds or broadcast them
With special fibers that convert tiny vibrations to voltages, a new fabric senses sound. Someday, such fabrics could monitor the body or aid hearing.
- Materials Science
New cloth cools you when you’re hot, warms you when you’re cold
Scientists 3-D printed the new fabric, which has even more tricks up its sleeve — such as conducting electricity and resisting radio waves.
