Materials Science
Controversy Surrounds Blockbuster Superconductivity Claim
Will a possible breakthrough for room-temperature superconducting materials hold up to scrutiny?
Materials Science28 articles archived since 1845
Energy
The Superconductor Sensation Has Fizzled, and That’s Fine
The rise and fall of LK-99 offers a lesson on how to consider technology’s role in urgently needed energy transitions
Materials Science
Viral New Superconductivity Claims Leave Many Scientists Skeptical
Researchers say they have discovered a new room-temperature ambient-pressure superconductor, but many scientists are unconvinced
Materials Science
Controversial Physicist Faces Mounting Accusations of Scientific Misconduct
Allegations of data fabrication have sparked the retraction of multiple papers from Ranga Dias, a researcher who claimed discovery of a room-temperature superconductor
Materials Science
Shape-Shifting, Self-Healing Machines Are Among Us
Electronics that can bend, stretch and repair themselves could potentially work in applications ranging from tougher robots to smart clothes
Robotics
Bizarre Material Combines the Best Traits of Gel and Metal
A new material was used in a simple snail robot, but it could one day make artificial nervous systems for more complex machines
Quantum Physics
Quantum Light Could Probe Chemical Reactions in Real Time
Quantum bursts of light could help examine minute chemical reactions and reveal the quantum properties of mysterious materials
Materials Science
Scientists Made a New Kind Of Ice That Might Exist on Distant Moons
The “amorphous” solid is denser and could be water “frozen in time”
Materials Science
Ancient Roman Concrete Has ‘Self-Healing’ Capabilities
Mineral deposits called “lime clasts” found in ancient Roman concrete give the material self-healing capabilities that could help engineers develop more resilient modern concrete and reduce its associated emissions...
Materials Science
Mistletoe’s Ridiculously Clingy Seeds Could Make a Biological Glue
The festive parasite mistletoe’s sticky prowess explained
Materials Science
Silkworms Spin a Potential Microplastics Substitute
“Intentionally added microplastics” in pesticides and cosmetics could be made from silk instead
Materials Science
Engineered Metamaterials Can Trick Light and Sound into Mind-Bending Behavior
Advanced materials can modify waves, creating optical illusions and useful technologies
Materials Science
Poem: ‘Aerogel: A Quintain’
Science in meter and verse
Materials Science
Recycled Wind Turbines Could Be Made into Plexiglass, Diapers or Gummy Bears
A new resin can hold fiberglass wind turbines together for years and then be recycled into valuable products, making green energy even greener
Engineering
Sandcastle Engineering: A Geotechnical Engineer Explains How Water, Air and Sand Create Solid Structures
Building the ultimate sandcastle
Health Care
Marker Tip—Without Ink!—Makes a Hardy Medical Sampler
The marker material conserved samples for up to a week
Materials Science
The Kavli Prize Presents: Understanding Molecules [Sponsored]
Jacob Sagiv is a chemist who studies properties of self-assembled monolayers. This year, he shared The Kavli Prize in Nanoscience for his research.
Materials Science
New ‘Ionogels’ Are Tough, Stretchable and Easy to Make
They could find use as protective material, 3-D printer “ink” or longer-lasting batteries
Materials Science
Quantum Friction Explains Water’s Freaky Flow
Physicists have finally solved the long-standing mystery of why water moves faster through narrower nanotubes
Water
‘Portable Oasis’ Extracts Water from Dry Desert Air
An ultraporous humidity sponge could provide 300 gallons of fresh water a day
