All Stories by Alexandra Goho
- Chemistry
Parrot plumage has exclusive pigmentation
The spectacular colors of parrot feathers owe their vibrancy to a set of pigments found nowhere else in nature.
- Materials Science
Nanostructures mimic Inuit stone sculptures
Chemists have created nanoscale versions Inuit rock sculptures, an advance that could facilitate the development of next-generation sensors and electronic devices.
- Materials Science
Slick Surfaces: Pressure builds to make better motor oils
Motor oil's protection against the wear and tear of steel engine parts takes effect only at high pressures.
- Materials Science
Venetian Grinds
Venetian Renaissance artists, renowned for their vibrant colors, mixed powdered glass with their paints in an attempt to expand their palettes and create unique optical effects.
- Archaeology
In the Buff: Stone Age tools may have derived luster from diamond
Ancient Chinese people may have used diamonds to polish their stone axes to mirrorlike finishes.
- Chemistry
Molecular surgery traps hydrogen inside carbon cage
In a feat of precision chemistry, scientists have locked a pair of hydrogen atoms inside a soccer ball–shaped carbon molecule known as a buckyball.
- Materials Science
Tiles stack for shell strength in abalone
In abalone shells, microscopic tiles of calcium carbonate stack on top of each other in a highly ordered arrangement to create a superstrong material.
- Chemistry
Chemistry au Naturel
Chemists aim to mimic natural systems with the hope of developing more-efficient chemical processes that are also less harmful to the environment.
- Materials Science
Petrified wood: Quick and easy
Materials scientists have turned wood into stone in a matter of days, mimicking a natural process that takes millions of years.
- Chemistry
Hungry for Hydrogen: Microbes in hot springs feed on unlikely source
Microbes dwelling in Yellowstone National Park's hot springs draw their energy not from sulfur but from hydrogen.
- Chemistry
Building artificial cells from scratch
Scientists have created artificial cells that can live and produce proteins as their natural counterparts do, but can't replicate.
- Materials Science
Infrared Vision: New material may enhance plastic solar cells
The vision of flexible, low-cost, lightweight plastic solar cells has moved one step closer to reality with the creation of a material that can harness infrared light.
