Technology, features and articles | Educational Science

Jan 11, 2017

In Images: Amazing Artificial Spider Silk

Unassuming creatures (Image credit: Julie Larsen Maher ©WCS)Though spider silk may seem unremarkable, it is one of the toughest materials in the world. Recent research has shown how to mass produce this remarkable fiber in the lab. Incredibly tough (Image credit: Hellen Grig , Shutterstock)Spider silk can withstand high tension...

Jan 11, 2017

Strong, Flexible Spider Silk Created in Lab

We've built skyscrapers, planes that travel faster than sound and particle colliders a mile below the Earth's surface. Yet in some ways, the humble little house spider has got humans beat: The silken threads spiders use to ensnare prey are amazing feats of natural engineering. Pound-for-pound, inch-for-inch, spider silk can...

Jan 11, 2017

US Army Wants Biodegradable Bullets That Sprout Plants

Not only are bullets a physical hazard, but they're an environmental hazard, too. At US Armytraining facilities around the world, hundreds of thousands of spent shells litter proving grounds. Because there is no efficient way to clean up the shells, they're left where they fall. But that's a problem. The...

Jan 30, 2017

Help Me, Obi-Wan! New Hologram Technology Mimics 'Star Wars'

Princess Leia's holographic plea in the classic film Star Wars inspired researchers to work toward a device that could project real-life sci-fi holograms. Now, the futuristic 3D imaging may be one step closer to reality. A team of physicists at the Australian National University (ANU) invented a tiny device that...

Feb 8, 2017

Who Invented the Refrigerator?

Refrigeration is the process of creating cooling conditions by removing heat. It is mostly used to preserve food and other perishable items, preventing foodborne illnesses. It works because bacteria growth is slowed at lower temperatures. Methods for preserving food by cooling have been around for thousands of years, but the...

Feb 16, 2017

3D-Printed Micro-Camera Sees with Eagle-Eye Vision

A bird of prey on the hunt must be able to clearly see faraway objects while remaining aware of threats in its peripheral vision. In some cases, that's also true for a drone — even one so small that its eye must fit on the tip of a ballpoint pen....

Feb 17, 2017

When Will Augmented Reality Get Real?

Augmented reality, or AR, is technology that blends virtual content with real-world surroundings. Unlike virtual reality, which immerses you in a self-contained digital world, AR overlays 3D graphics and interactive characters into your everyday world. In the hit game Pokémon Go, players use their smartphones to catch Pokémon characters in...

Feb 23, 2017

Straight Out of Sci-Fi: Hoverbike 'Surfs' Through the Air in Test

The hoverbike prototype, dubbed Scorpion-3, is capable of lifting itself and a driver into the air. (Image credit: Hoversurf/YouTube)Think of it as half drone, half motorcycle: A new hoverbike prototype aims to make flying as simple as riding a bike. Hoversurf, a Russian drone startup, recently unveiled its Scorpion-3 hoverbike...

Mar 2, 2017

Could This Hat-Camera Combo Be Google's Next Hit?

Google recently filed a patent for a technology-enhanced baseball cap that can take still photos and capture video from a camera mounted on the brim, according to news reports. The high-tech cap may be the tech giant's follow-up to its failed Google Glass and could offer competition to similar wearable...

Mar 7, 2017

This House Was 3D Printed in Less Than 24 Hours

A new house has been erected in a town outside Moscow, but this home was not built in the traditional sense — it was constructed with 3D printing. The first 3D-printed residential home, engineered by the tech startup Apis Cor, took less than a day to construct and cost under...

Mar 8, 2017

In Photos: Building the Superfast 'Hyperloop One' Transit System of the Future

A pioneering vision (Image credit: Hyperloop One)In 2013, SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk proposed a futuristic transportation concept, dubbed the Hyperloop, that would zoom passengers seated inside pods through low-pressure tubes at blistering speeds of about 760 mph (1,220 km/h). Now, a startup called Hyperloop One (not affiliated with...

Mar 9, 2017

Why Space Travel Can Be Absolutely Disgusting

NASA's requirements for becoming an astronaut are stringent, but not overly daunting. Essentially, hopefuls must have a bachelor's degree in science, be physically fit, and stand between 58.5 and 76 inches tall. What NASA doesn't mention, however, are the intangibles. You can probably think of a few: coolness under pressure,...

Mar 9, 2017

5 Synthetic Yeast Chromosomes Created

The world is one step closer to a new synthetic organism. Scientists have created five synthetic yeast chromosomes and placed them inside yeast cells. The chromosomes are composed of the normal letters, or base pairs, that make up DNA, but the sequence is slightly different from those found naturally in...

Mar 10, 2017

Disney Scientists Turned an Entire Metal Room into a Wireless Charger

When you need to charge your electronic devices on the go, it can be a hassle trying to find somewhere to plug in. And though some devices can already be charged without wires, researchers at The Walt Disney Company have recently supersized the technology by building a wireless charging room....

Mar 13, 2017

New 3D Display Uses Bubbles to Project Images

The new 3D display is a proof of concept, using laser-generated bubbles to create 3D images visible from all angles. (Image credit: Kota Kumagai/YouTube)Fluorescent bubbles inside a liquid display could be the next big thing in 3D technology, allowing viewers to walk around the screen without using any special glasses,...