New self-cleaning concrete could keep buildings looking new
Building materials that clean themselves could save immense time and labor in homes and businesses, as well as reduce disease risk in settings such...
Spiders and ants inspire this unsinkable metal
Scientists, inspired by diving bell spiders and rafts of fire ants, have created a metallic structure that is so water repellent, it refuses to...
The smell of old books could help preserve them
Old books give off a complex mélange of odors, ranging from pleasant (almonds, caramel and chocolate) to nasty (formaldehyde, old clothes and trash).
Detecting early...
Scientists create ‘artificial leaf’ that turns carbon dioxide into fuel
Scientists have created an "artificial leaf" to fight climate change by inexpensively converting harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) into a useful alternative fuel.
The new technology,...
Scientists finally know how the world’s toughest material stays so strong
Nacre is the rainbow-sheened material that lines the insides of mussel and other mollusk shells.
More commonly known as mother-of-pearl, nacre’s combination of hardness and...
Scientists find where the heaviest elements in our universe come from
Researchers have found the unequivocal evidence of where the heaviest elements in our universe come from.
For the first time, the researchers have detected an...
Scientists create new catalyst that can turn carbon dioxide into fuels
Imagine grabbing carbon dioxide from car exhaust pipes and other sources and turning this main greenhouse gas into fuels like natural gas or propane:
A...
Scientists find a simpler way to make some medicines
Chemists find a new way of creating the building blocks of many drugs.
Organic chemists at Ohio State University have figured out how to synthesize...
Scientists find a cheaper way to produce hydrogen
Replacing today's expensive catalysts could bring down the cost of producing the gas for fuel, fertilizer and clean energy storage.
Researchers at the Department of...
NAZI scientists created an alternative to DDT pesticide
DFDT, a fast-acting insecticide, has an alarming history, researchers report.
“We set out to study the growth of crystals in a little-known insecticide and uncovered...