The unusual inspiration for this energy-free cooling system is elephant skin
Mimicking the heat-regulating ability of an elephant's skin, the bumpy fungus-based tiles improved cooling rates by as much as 70% compared to flat tiles.
Apr 2025 10
Apr 2025 3
Tentacled biodegradable cleaners hunt microplastics in open water
Soft, branched particles made from biodegradable chitosan can swim and collect microplastics for up to 30 minutes in water, bubbling up to the surface for collection when done
Mar 2025 27
By zapping seawater with electricity, scientists make a solid carbon-negative building material
In a double whammy, the method sucks up carbon dioxide and upcycles it into a material that can be used to make concrete, cement, plaster, and paint.
Mar 2025 20
Engineers turn sewage sludge into fuel and feed
Scientists have developed a solar-powered method to convert solid waste into valuable green hydrogen and animal feed.
Mar 2025 13
The secret to better batteries could be in your closet
Adding nylon to batteries makes them more efficient, safer, and longer-lasting, researchers have found
Mar 2025 6
Innovative device converts car exhaust to electricity
Wrapped around a car's tailpipe, the device could harness waste heat to produce enough electricity to at least charge a phone
Feb 2025 27
Natural rock weathering captures carbon over millennia. Chemists just reduced it to weeks.
By firing rock dust in standard cement kilns, they altered the mineral's chemistry so that it quickly react with carbon dioxide in the air.
Feb 2025 13
Large-scale recycling of modern textiles is now in sight
Fast fashion creates mountains of polyester-cotton textile waste—a new recycling method that separates and recycles the two materials could be what the industry needs.
Jan 2025 30
Engineers propose turning Earth into a low-carbon ammonia factory
Brewing ammonia using the natural rocks, heat, and pressure found below our feet would slash the emissions of fertilizer production
Jan 2025 23
Researchers strike the “Achilles Heel” of desalination
New technology cuts chemical and energy use of removing salt from seawater. It could save millions of dollars, making desalination far more accessible.
