Whether they're in airplane wings, bridges or other critical structures, cracks can cause catastrophic failure before they're large enough to be noticed by the human eye. A strain-sensing "skin" applied to such objects could help, though, by lighting up when exposed to laser light.
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Graphene has a great deal of potential applications, including its use in energy storage, building materials and medical devices. According to the National University of Singapore, however, most commercially-produced graphene is of a poor quality.
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Earthworms are usually quite clean, despite the fact that they live in the dirt. That's because they're constantly secreting a lubricating layer of mucus, which keeps that dirt from sticking. Scientists have now replicated that quality in a new material that could have numerous applications.
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Water filters can get dirty and lose their effectiveness quickly. Now researchers have tested a new nature-inspired membrane that filters liquids using other liquids, making for a more efficient and longer-lasting membrane.
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Pop bottles are one of the most common types of plastic waste, so the more ways that we can find of recycling them, the better. With that in mind, researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed an inexpensive method of converting such bottles into a very useful aerogel.
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The ways modern science has harnessed the waste products of the human body for good may surprise. Now a team from the University of Cape Town has developed what it says is the world’s first biological brick made with human urine, with the strength able to be tweaked to serve a range of needs.
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We've already seen lubricant-infused coatings that repel almost all substances – such coatings could be used to keep airplane wings ice-free, or to stop bacteria from accumulating in kitchens. However, what if you want to repel all substances except one? Well, scientists have now got that covered.
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Removing oil spills from water is a difficult business, with various approaches having met with mixed results. Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Forestry believe they may be onto something, however, in the form of a reusable "wooden" sponge that absorbs oil while leaving water behind.
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MIT engineers recently managed to create cell-sized robots that could collect data about their environment, but were a little tricky to manufacture. Now, the team has found a way to mass produce these synthetic cells (syncells) through controlled fracturing of graphene.
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Woodleigh Crater in Western Australia is one of the largest on Earth. But now, researchers from Curtin University have discovered new evidence that the crater could be bigger than previously thought – thanks to the presence of one of the rarest minerals ever found.
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