Shinshu University

There’s no debate that microplastics present an ever-increasing ecological and health threat, but given their size, they're incredibly hard to remove from water. Now, some scientists believe sound waves and microfluidic technology may hold the key.

The world's oceans are under threat not only from plastic trash, but also from "microplastics" – many of which take the form of fibers shed by synthetic fabrics as they're being washed. A new system uses sound to capture those fibers at their source.

Copper electrical wiring may soon be facing some stiff competition – or actually, some very stretchy competition. Scientists at Pennsylvania State University and Japan's Shinshu University recently created a "super-stretchable" conductive yarn made from graphene.