Cornell University researchers have developed a new lightweight and stretchable material with the consistency of memory foam that has potential for use in prosthetic body parts, artificial o... Read more
Phase-changing material could allow even low-cost robots to switch between hard and soft states. In the movie “Terminator 2,” the shape-shifting T-1000 robot morphs into a liquid state to sq... Read more
For hundreds of years, optical devices like telescopes and microscopes have relied on solid lenses that slide up and down to magnify and to focus. To tune how much light is received, convent... Read more
ETH researchers are able to make objects such as particles and liquid droplets fly in mid-air by letting them ride on acoustic waves. For the first time, they have been able to also control... Read more
The modified paper could be used as the foundation for a new generation of inexpensive biomedical diagnostics Paper is known for its ability to absorb liquids, making it ideal for products s... Read more
A new way of making crystalline silicon, developed by U-M researchers, could make this crucial ingredient of computers and solar cells much cheaper and greener. Silicon dioxide, or sand, mak... Read more
It could even lead to self-cleaning windows After a rain, the cupped leaf of a pitcher plant becomes a virtually frictionless surface. Sweet-smelling and elegant, the carnivore attracts ants... Read more
If you want to know exactly what a substance is, your best bet is to use something like a gas chromatographer. The problem is, such machines tend to be large, lab-based and expensive –... Read more
Lab-on-a-chip devices work by directing small samples of liquid through tiny “microchannels” embedded in a small platform, and are used for analyzing liquids in medical and scientific settin... Read more