Collaborate Disseminate
Old electronics are tricky to recycle, meaning they clog up landfills while locking valuable metals away. Now scientists have demonstrated printed circuits that can be degraded on demand, returning their materials to reusable forms.Continue ReadingCate… Continue reading Electronic circuit degrades on demand into recyclable pieces
As effective as fossil fuels may be, their impact on the planet cannot be overstated. Now researchers at Berkeley Lab have coaxed bacteria into directly producing a new biofuel with an energy density significantly higher than jet fuel.Continue ReadingC… Continue reading Bacteria-made biofuel packs higher energy density than jet fuel
Where there’s electricity, there’s usually heat – and that’s a major hurdle for shrinking electronic devices. Scientists have now found that nanowires made of a certain isotope of silicon can conduct heat 150 percent better than regular silicon, potent… Continue reading Isotope-pure silicon nanowires could make computer chips much cooler
Data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument’s (DESI’s) first survey run has produced the largest and most detailed 3D map of the universe so far. The stunning image reveals the gigantic cosmic web of galaxies across billions of light-years – and… Continue reading Largest-ever 3D map of the universe reveals gigantic cosmic web
Berkeley Lab engineers have developed a roof coating that can keep a building warmer or cooler, depending on the weather. When it’s warm out, the material will reflect sunlight and heat, but this radiative cooling automatically switches off in winter, … Continue reading Smart roof coating reflects heat in summer and traps it in winter
In a breakthrough that could open up exciting new possibilities in computing and electronics, scientists in the US have developed a two-dimensional magnetic material that is the thinnest in the world. The magnet is just a single atom thick and, unlike … Continue reading World’s thinnest magnet is just a single atom thick
Plastic is a major environmental issue, since most of it doesn’t break down easily – and even when it does, it usually forms microplastic pieces that pose their own problems. A new type of compostable plastic is embedded with enzymes that, when trigger… Continue reading Embedded enzymes make for compostable plastics that break down in days
Microscopic wars are constantly raging all around, on and inside us, as bacteria fight for resources and room. They’ve developed some crafty weapons in the process, such as tailocins, which act somewhat like “homing missiles” against their enemies. Now… Continue reading Bacterial “homing missiles” could unlock new antibiotic treatments
Devices that mimic the natural process of photosynthesis, in which plants use sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into energy, could one day help us tackle a number of environmental issues. Scientists have now demonstrated a new type of technolog… Continue reading Artificial photosynthesis device improves its own efficiency over time
Astronomers have detected a strange signal coming from a group of neutron stars that could be the fingerprints of a long-sought elementary particle – and maybe even dark matter. An unexplained excess of X-rays hints at axions, hypothetical “ghost” part… Continue reading Unexplained X-ray signals from neutron stars hint at “ghost” particles