Materials
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Using wood to purify water
Chinese team takes steam generation up a notch.
Chinese scientists have developed a wood-based steam generator which, with the help of bacterial-produced nanomateria...
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Doing spiders out of a job
Researchers use bacteria to produce silk.
Spider silk has a lot going for it. It’s strong, very light, biodegradable and biocompatible, and has the potential t...
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Smile, we’re taking a good look at your teeth
Scientists now know a little more about decay.
Materials scientists in the US say they have cracked one of the secrets of tooth decay by identifying a small number ...
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Taking protective clothing up a notch
Playing with fibres may offer new performance levels.
US researchers are developing a nanofibre they believe could revolutionise safety gear for soldiers, emergency servic...
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Super-strong surgical tape does come off
Researchers tweak their impressive adhesive.
Last year, as we reported in Cosmos, US engineers unveiled a double-sided adhesive that could quickly and firmly stic...
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How to mop up excess carbon dioxide
Australians claim record with a super sponge.
Australian researchers say they have raised the bar for carbon dioxide capture and storage with a technology that res...
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A possible new way to deliver clean water
Ultrathin nanosheets filter out lead and mercury.
Australian and Chinese researchers have created an ultrathin sieve membrane from 2D nanosheets they say can filter po...
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Interactive screens from simple principles
Lee Constable looks at how smartphones became smart.
This is an excerpt from a feature article in the latest edition of Cosmos magazine. The most commonly used touchsc...
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Shoes that stick and clothes that reveal
That may sound bad, but it actually isn’t.
What we wear isn’t just about comfort and style when scientists get involved. Function rules fashion. Two recent i...
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Chemistry, concrete and ceramic cement
Two new ideas about materials old and new.
Whatever you’re building, strength tends to be a prerequisite, so anything that makes things stronger and more reliab...
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The potential of pollen paper
Researchers create a material that responds to humidity.
Scientists in Singapore have created a paper-like material derived from pollen that bends and curls in response to ch...
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Using perovskite to help shape light
It’s a cost-effective option in Faraday rotators.
Researchers in Australia say they have found a way to manipulate laser light at a fraction of the cost of current tec...