Tech
- Physics
Wind power gets downsized — but in a good way
Two young scientists have developed ways to tap into wind power on a small scale.
- Tech
Fingers leave tell-tale clues about you on your phone
Analyzing chemicals on a cell phone tells researchers what the caller had been up to. That includes recent meals and where they'd been.
- Math
Cool Jobs: Motion by the numbers
What do car crash testers, video game creators and scientists who study athletic performance have in common? All use geometry in their cool jobs.
- Computing
Two numbers set a record — and not just for being book length
Twin primes are prime numbers that differ by just 2. The largest known twins have just been discovered — each 388,342 digits long!
- Tech
Star Trek technology becomes more science than fiction
On Star Trek, the characters used devices that seemed wild, futuristic and impossible. But those sci-fi gadgets are inspiring real-world, useful inventions.
- Tech
Implant traps cancer cells on the move
A device implanted under the skin extended the life of mice with breast cancer. It trapped injected cancer cells before they created tumors in organs throughout the body.
- Animals
These young inventors had to make like a crab
This year’s top challenge for Broadcom MASTERS finalists was to design and build a robotic arm based on a crab’s arm and claw.
- Tech
Hack: How to spy on a 3-D printer
Computer scientists have found that a hacker can eavesdrop on a 3-D printer using a smartphone. The technique uses sound and energy data produced by the printer.
- Tech
Water sensor quickly detects algal poison
A new sensor can detect poisons from harmful algae within minutes so that drinking-water plants can start timely treatments.
- Environment
Rocket nozzle research propels teen to big win
A 13-year old won the top prize at this year’s Broadcom MASTERS science competition. She had determined the best shape for a rocket nozzle.
- Science & Society
How computers get out the vote
Increasingly computers play a role in voting. Here’s why that concerns scientists, even as they acknowledge that computers may be increasingly essential.
- Chemistry
New coating for metals could cut engine wear
Scientists have developed a new coating for engine parts that could reduce friction and engine wear. One big benefit: Cars may require fewer oil changes.
