materials

Endlessly recyclable materials could fix our plastic waste crisis

by

Untold amounts of plastic waste is polluting our land and seas. Now, we’re using chemical tricks to design infinitely and easily recyclable materials Technology 2 March 2022 By Katharine Sanderson Graham Carter One thing chemists do superbly is make bonds between atoms. We are now wading through the consequences of that success: plastic waste that … Read more

The rise of the molecular machines set to make new wonder materials

by

Machines made of atoms are being used to sew together new materials molecule by molecule, which could open the floodgates to all manner of innovation Technology 2 March 2022 By Katharine Sanderson   Graham Carter Simple molecular machines have existed for about two decades. Early examples include molecular wheels that could move along an axle, … Read more

Scientists Unveil Extremely Small Battery For The Smallest Computers in The World

by

There was a time, not so long ago, when computers were so large, they occupied entire rooms. Today, some processing units can come as small as a few specks of dust. Even next to a grain of rice, these stacks of micrometer-sized chips look infinitesimal.    Shrinking computer batteries to fit that size, however, has proved … Read more

Newly Invented Catalyst Dramatically Increases The Efficiency of Turning CO2 Into Fuel

by

It took nature decades of photosynthesis, followed by eons of intense heat and pressure from geological activity to bake atmospheric carbon dioxide into the long chains of hydrocarbon that make up fossil fuels.   We don’t have the luxury of millions of years to mop up the excess carbon from our atmosphere, but advances in … Read more

Six graphics that reveal what materials we consume – and what we waste

by

We are devouring ever more biomass, fossil fuels, metals and minerals each year. These graphics show how, and the shocking picture of how much we throw away Environment 9 February 2022 By Joshua Howgego Dominik Vanyi/Unsplash The sheer scale and complexity of the material economy makes it difficult to grasp how much of each different … Read more

Eco-friendly straws: Edible straws made by bacteria are better than paper or plastic ones

by

Plastic straws are increasingly being avoided for both health and environmental reasons, but the alternatives all have their downsides – until now Technology 17 January 2022 By Leah Crane Paper straws are not ideal Benjamin John/Alamy When it comes to drinking with a straw, there is no perfect option – plastic straws can release microplastics … Read more

Bits of asteroid Ryugu are among ‘most primordial’ materials ever examined

by

Tiny particles of rock gathered from the asteroid Ryugu are some of the most primordial bits of material ever examined on Earth and could give us a glimpse into the origins of the solar system. Asteroid 162173 Ryugu measures about 2,953 feet (900 meters) in diameter and orbits the sun between Earth and Mars, occasionally … Read more