Featured blog: Nanomagnets and wires point to a potentially better mousetrap — or crude trap — for dealing with oil spills.

Scientists show that cheap chemical dyes may one day help with the efficient capture of the sun's energy

Two weeks from now, an astrophysicist, neuroscientist, and nanoscience researcher will each be named to receive $1 million Kavli Prizes.

Water softens squid beaks toward their base, so they don't cut into the squid's own soft tissue. (p. 222)

Diamond can hold quantum information even at room temperature, which makes it a candidate material for future quantum computers. (p. 216)

When dehydrated, the larvae of an African fly replace the water in their cells with a sugar, which solidifies and helps keep cellular structures intact. (p. 197)

Fish alter the growth of crystals in their skin, making it supershiny. (p. 77)

Tissues printed with an ink-jet could provide patches for damaged organs, new cell-based materials for drug testing, new ways to probe cellular communication, living sensors, or even fuel cell–type batteries. (p. 56)

Inspired by the quick-shut action of the Venus flytrap, researchers have designed a patterned surface with microscale hills that can rapidly flip to form valleys. (p. 324)

A new polymer membrane that efficiently separates carbon dioxide from methane could greatly ease the processing of natural gas. (p. 269)