Wood

Knocking down a wall to create an open-plan space can be expensive. Researchers have created sustainable, moveable wooden partition walls that can be positioned right where you want them, making ‘knocking through’ a thing of the past.

Wood isn’t usually very good at conducting electricity, but now scientists have created the first functional wooden transistor. It’s not the best, and it requires some processing, but it does work and could help make for biodegradable electronics.

Even though logging is prohibited in many of the world's forests, that doesn't stop some companies from logging in those areas anyways, then lying about the origins of the timber. Such groups may soon be foiled by the wood's chemical fingerprint.

While reusing cutlery is always better than discarding it, most people aren't going to be packing a knife and fork whenever they grab some fast food. Scientists have thus designed a plant-and-wood-based material that dissolves once broken apart.

Energy prices around the world have been rising alarmingly since 2021. While some have shared advice on how to heat the person rather than the home, researchers at KTH are working on a building material that could help regulate indoor temperatures.

Some people like to install a wooden seat on their toilet for its warmth, but the Block goes further. Described by Woodio as the world's first bio-material toilet, it ditches porcelain in favor of a modern toilet that's made from composite wood.

In countries such as India, a great deal of toxic dye waste from the textile industry is released into waterways, harming people and the environment. A new wood-derived filtration media could remove much of that dye from wastewater streams.

With the world focused on addressing climate change, scientists have had to get creative when it comes to developing sustainable building materials that tackle CO2 emissions. A team has now engineered wood that is stronger and traps carbon dioxide.

When it comes to bicycle commuting, a lot of people like "city bikes" that are light, simple and streamlined. With their built-in internally routed brake levers, Aintro Handlebars were designed with just such folks in mind.

By tinkering with fine details within wood, engineers in Sweden have come up with an interesting new way of harvesting electricity that leverages natural processes that already take place in drying wood.

Many readers may fondly recall building rubber-band-powered balsa wood model airplanes. While the things were kinda cool, they didn't fly for long, nor could they be remotely controlled. Such is not the case, however, with the new Tornado Updraft 12.

A lot of work goes into creating wooden objects like furniture, but some scientists are rethinking the process. They've created a wood-based ink that can be 3D printed into flat shapes, which then morph into more complex 3D forms as they dry out.