Tech
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Earth
Water-Hogging Electric Vehicles
Electric cars may save on gasoline, but some can place an indirect drain on other resources.
- Tech
Nanocrystal
Researchers have used DNA as Velcro to create the first materials that spontaneously assemble into regular 3-D patterns.
- Tech
Smells like DNA
By reshuffling the chemical letters of the genetic code, scientists have made short strands of DNA that can distinguish several different smells, such as explosives and food preservatives.
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- Tech
Energy forest
Silicon nanowires can at least double the storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries.
- Tech
Tractor beam
Magnetic nanoparticles selectively bind to specific bacteria and can drag them out of a liquid.
- Computing
Social Networking for Zebras
Scientists are developing a new branch of network theory to understand zebra communities.
- Tech
Crystal clear
Growing nanowires directly on a crystal might lead to high-density memory chips and transparent LEDs
- Tech
A smaller magnetometer
A novel sensor the size of a rice grain can detect magnetic fields as small as those produced by brain or heart waves.
- Tech
Bad Vibrations
Despite computer models and wind tunnel tests, bridges show surprising vibrations and movements that engineers are still learning to cope with.
- Tech
Bucky shrink-wrap
Scientists filmed cage-shaped carbon molecules as they shrank to become buckyballs.
- Tech
Hooking up
Cleverly designed molecules can self-assemble into networks and stay robustly connected.
