How a tougher skin could change the shape of stealth aircraft
Stealth fighters and bombers are among the most expensive aircraft in the world, and they rely on a radar-absorbent polymer skin to avoid detection.
But...
This compound in candles lights the way to grid-scale energy storage
A compound used widely in candles offers promise for a much more modern energy challenge—storing massive amounts of energy to be fed into the...
Opioid overdose deaths are rising. Can we make less addictive painkillers?
Opioids are the most powerful painkillers we have, but they’re incredibly addictive.
Tens of thousands of people in the U.S. die of an opioid overdose...
Was your catalytic converter stolen? Here’s why
Catalytic converters cut down on toxic car emissions.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, they’re one of the greatest environmental inventions of all time.
Today,...
Scientists create the whitest paint ever made
To curb global warming, engineers have created the whitest paint ever made.
Coating buildings with this paint may one day cool them off enough to...
This sweat sensor could alert doctors, patients to looming COVID cytokine storm
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors recognized that patients who developed a "cytokine storm" -- a surge of pro-inflammatory immune proteins -- were often...
What are forever chemicals, and do they last forever?
Forever chemicals are known for being water-, heat- and oil-resistant, which makes them useful in everything from rain jackets to firefighting foams.
But the chemistry...
Scientists are making music from spider webs
Spiders are master builders, expertly weaving strands of silk into intricate 3D webs that serve as the spider's home and hunting ground.
If humans could...
Scientists extend the life of a dipolar molecule
Static, long-lasting molecules are key to molecule-based quantum simulation and information processing.
In 2018, Kang-Kuen Ni and her lab earned the cover of Science with...
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....