Encapsulated aerogel fibers, which mimic polar bear hair, offer a new fabric for warm, thin, and strong clothing. Continue reading Out with bulky puffer jackets, in with thin aerogel sweaters to keep warm
Scientists have long struggled to explain the formation of dolomite, a mineral that is abundant in ancient rocks. A new theory solves this 200-year-old problem, paving the way for exciting innovations in materials science. Continue reading Scientists solve a mountainous mystery
Manasvi Verma, 1st year PhD student in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program at Harvard Medical School. Jovana Andrejevic is a fifth-year Applied Physics Ph.D. student in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University. cover Image by Vlad Vasnetsov from Pixabay. This biography is part of our “Picture a Scientist” initiative. To learn more about the amazing men and women who paved … Continue reading John Dabiri: The oceanic adventures of a bioengineer
Those of us privileged enough to frequent aquariums have probably experienced the physical inability to move past the illuminated jellyfish enclosures. Something about their mesmerizing movements holds us captive. Most of us, however, admire the jellyfish, murmur incoherently about how majestic they are, and move on. John Dabiri, fortunately, is not most of us. Born to Nigerian immigrant parents in 1980, Dabiri is an aeronautics … Continue reading John Dabiri: The oceanic adventures of a bioengineer
The diabolical ironclad beetle is strong enough to survive being run over by a car. Engineers recently tried to determine what gives the shell its characteristic strength. Continue reading Uncrushable Bugs: Diabolical Ironclad Beetle has Shell Twice as Strong as Other Beetles
Central to coral reefs around the world is the deeply interdependent relationship between corals and algae. This interconnection is responsible for algae’s protected habitat, corals’ bright colors, and the mutual exchange of nutrients for photosynthesis. Algae growth is modulated by a process called self-shading, decreasing exposure to light. In an artificial setup, however, this process prevents researchers from growing coral quickly. To prevent this light … Continue reading 3D printed corals grow algae that photosynthesize more efficiently
A team of European researchers builds a zombie fungus cannon to understand how the fungus spreads its spores. Continue reading Zombie Fungus Cannon Sheds Insight into Fungus Reproduction
Sutures are commonly used to close wounds in the skin or other tissues. Similar to sewing fabric, the doctors will use a needle attached to a thread to penetrate the tissue and close the edges of the wound together, facilitating quick healing. Although surgical sutures have been used for thousands of years, they still have some limitations: 1) the needles cause some damage to the … Continue reading ‘Double-sided tape’ could replace surgical stitches
To achieve seamless cell-electronics interfacing, researchers have developed cyborg organs by growing human heart tissue together with dispersed, flexible electronics. Read Anqi Zhang’s article to learn more about cyborg organs! Continue reading “Cyborg” Human Organ Grown in a Dish
Colonies of social insects are capable of self-organizing and accomplishing complex tasks through individual interactions. For example, to march across large gaps, ants grip the bodies of each other, forming a living bridge that allows the colonies to reach the other side. Inspired by this swarm behavior of ants, scientists from the Chinese University of Hong Kong developed a nanoparticle self-assembly system that can fix … Continue reading ‘Ant bridge’-inspired nanoparticle assembly fixes broken electrical circuits