Glass

Even if you don't know what 3D microfluidic networks are, that doesn't change the fact that they have some very valuable possible uses. Scientists have now devised a much easier method of making the things, by taking casts of plant roots.

How do you keep a glass of beer cold the longest? With science, of course. That's what one researcher has turned to, finding the optimal shape of drinking vessel that will keep a poured beer chilled for as long as possible while you drink it.

Vibration-absorbing, sound-damping materials such as sheets of rubber and expanded foam tend to be thick, bulky and soft. A new material is a big exception to that tendency, however, as it absorbs vibrations while staying stiff and thin.

Using a 3D printer that works with molten glass, researchers forged LEGO-like glass bricks with a strength comparable to concrete. The bricks could have a role in circular construction in which materials are used over and over again.

Scientists have demonstrated a new potential treatment for bone cancer. A bioactive glass laced with a toxic metal was able to kill up to 99% of the cancer without harming healthy cells, and could even help regrow healthy bone after.

Glass-fragment waste typically just ends up in landfills, but perhaps that doesn't always have to be the case. A study shows that ground glass particles can be mixed with soil to produce a plant growth medium that's actually better than soil alone.

Lots of glass surfaces can brighten up a room, but it also lets in too much heat as well as neighbors’ prying eyes. A new metamaterial is not only more transparent to light, but adds privacy, cools the room inside, and automatically cleans itself.

Glass might soon have some competition from an unlikely rival – bamboo. Scientists in China have turned regular old bamboo into a transparent material that’s also resistant to fire and water, and suppresses smoke.

Bricks made of discarded glass and recycling-waste ash have been shown to insulate better than regular bricks, while also requiring less energy to produce. And of course, they additionally use materials which would otherwise end up in landfills.

Scientists are using UV-emitting glass to keep problematic undersea biofilms at bay. The technology may find use in applications such as underwater viewing ports and camera lenses, and perhaps even one day the hulls of ships.

After decades of physics-based theorizing, researchers have succeeded in creating a novel optical metamaterial using conventional materials. Its enhanced electromagnetic effect may make true one-way glass a reality and solar panels more efficient.

Today's internet- and cellular-connected cars require antennas more than ever, but working the devices into vehicles' bodies limits the design possibilities. LG is out to change that, with a windshield-integrated transparent antenna.