Dog vs. machine: Who’s a better bomb detector?
What's better at finding a hidden bomb -- a dog or an electronic chemical detector? In this episode, the Reactions team travels to the U.S....
This stuff in furniture, kitchenware may increase beast cancer risk
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are found in furniture, electronics, and kitchenware to slow the spread of flames in the event of a fire. However, a...
How the world ran out of semiconductors?
There’s a global shortage in semiconductors, and it’s becoming increasingly serious. The US is currently reviewing of its supply of the technology, following a landmark...
New catalyst makes styrene manufacturing cheaper, greener
Chemical engineering researchers have developed a new catalyst that significantly increases yield in styrene manufacturing, while simultaneously reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. "Styrene...
Bacteria could help make stronger cars, airplanes and armor
Biological systems can harness their living cells for growth and regeneration, but engineering systems cannot. Until now. Qiming Wang and researchers at the USC Viterbi School...
COVID-19, one year later: What do we know now?
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we switched up our usual content to bring viewers reliable coronavirus info from the experts. One year later,...
New study could help make hydrogen useful, sustainable fuel
Hydrogen is an incredibly powerful fuel, and the ingredients are everywhere—in plain old water. Researchers would love to be able to use it widely as...
Edible holograms could decorate foods one day
Holograms are everywhere, from driver's licenses to credit cards to product packaging. And now, edible holograms could someday enhance foods. Researchers reporting in ACS Nano...
Scientists create liquid crystals that look a lot like their solid counterparts
The liquid crystals could improve computer and TV displays. Scientists have designed new kinds of liquid crystals that mirror the complex structures of some solid...
Proper fit of face masks is more important than material, shows study
Scientists studying the effectiveness of different types of face masks have found that to provide the best protection against COVID-19, the fit of a...