Stemming the Plastic Tide: 10 Rivers Contribute Most of the Plastic in the Oceans
The Yangtze alone pours up to an estimated 1.5 million metric tons into the Yellow Sea
Stories by Prachi Patel
Could Cobalt Choke Our Electric Vehicle Future?
Demand for the metal, which is critical to EV batteries, could soon outstrip supply
Seeing the Unseen: New, Low-Cost Technique Tracks Objects Hidden by Fog
A new, low-cost technique could reveal objects shrouded in mist or dust
Fuzzy Fibers Could Help Rockets Take the Heat
The Velcro-like threads could help tomorrow’s spacecraft engines reach Mars or beyond
Tiny Silk Batteries Dissolve within Weeks
Biodegradable power source could run medical implants deep in the body
Wireless Phone Charging Picks Up Steam
Newer technologies, growing consumer interest and adoption by gadget makers are breathing fresh air into the concept
These Microscopic Bots Could Swim through the Bloodstream to Deliver Drugs
Chemists create micro swimmers that can be controlled by light
Cheap Paper Diagnostics Would Save Lives in Remote, Impoverished Places
Cheap, rapid screening for diseases such as Ebola and tuberculosis could save lives in remote and impoverished places
Silkworms Spin Super-Silk after Eating Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene
The strong, conductive material could be used for wearable electronics and medical implants, researchers say
Maker Movement Turns Scientists into Tinkerers
Researchers in growing numbers are starting to enlist do-it-yourself 3-D printers, cheap electronics, sensors and more to advance their work
The First Comprehensive Look at Global Food Waste Is as Bad as You'd Expect
The U.S. is one of the top offenders
Tech Turns to Biology as Data Storage Needs Explode
Interest by Microsoft and others in DNA–based storage could deliver post-silicon electronic memory within a decade
![Autism Glass Takes Top Student Health Tech Prize [Slide Show]](https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/8FA81BFE-BB4D-4A9A-9E6522A02062E917_agenda.jpg?w=275&h=154&fit=crop)
Autism Glass Takes Top Student Health Tech Prize [Slide Show]
A Stanford grad student's invention uses Google Glass to help autistic children recognize facial and social cues in real time
Paper Diagnostic Tests Could Save Thousands of Lives
The technology for simple and inexpensive diagnostic medical tools is available. Here’s how to get it from the labs to the front lines
Magnetically Guided Gene Therapy Heals Blood Vessels
An external magnet guided cells to repair arteries in mice
New Ink, and Regular Pen, Draw Working Electrical Circuits
Silver-based ink, flowing from a ballpoint pen, write circuits that power lights
Good-Bye to Curved Lens: New Lens Is Flat
It could one day be printed on flexible plastic for thin, bendable gadgets
Pacemaker Powered by Heartbeats Has Watch Parts
An automatic wristwatch mechanism harnesses heartbeats
