materials science

Enlarge / Look at this lovely cube-shaped piece of poo, courtesy of the Australian bare-nosed wombat. (credit: Patricia J. Yang et al., 2021) Scientists have been puzzling for decades over how the Australian...

Just a little soap improves the process of preparing two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride, researchers report. Chemists have found a way to get the maximum amount of quality two-dimensional hBN nanosheets from its...

Researchers report a way to make bulk metals by smashing tiny metal nanoparticles together, which allows for customized grain structures and improved mechanical and other properties. Metallurgists have all kinds of ways...

Enlarge (credit: StoreDot) Building a better battery requires dealing with problems in materials science, chemistry, and manufacturing. We do regular coverage of work going on in the former two categories, but we get...

Enlarge For applications like robotics, there's usually a clear division of labor between the processors that control the robot's body and the actuators that actually control the physical changes of that body. But a...

Enlarge / The output of two optical frequency combs, showing the light appearing at evenly spaced wavelengths. (credit: ESO) AI and machine-learning techniques have become a major focus of everything from cloud...

Enlarge (credit: Wikimedia Commons) Most of the disposable batteries you'll come across are technically termed alkaline batteries. They work at high pH and typically use zinc as the charge carrier. Zinc is great...

Enlarge / An experimental satellite, not made of wood, that was used to test ideas for orbital junk removal. (credit: NASA) We here at Ars were somewhat surprised to stumble across a BBC headline indicating that a...

TORONTO — If one day you buy a new TV with even brighter, more pristine colors, then you can thank the “bright” people at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Researchers at the facility...

Fluorine, a relatively abundant and light element, may serve as an alternative to lithium in rechargeable batteries, a new study shows. With increased use of rechargeable batteries to power modern technology,...

Researchers have created a color atlas for 466 unique varieties of single-walled carbon nanotubes. The researchers detail the nanotube color atlas in a study about a new method to predict the specific colors of thin...

A small U.K. startup has developed an algorithm that significantly reduces the level of quantum computing power needed to run a calculation that could pave the way for the development of exotic new materials. Scientists...

A new ultrafast way to produce stable perovskite cells and assemble them into solar modules could offer a greener way to power devices, buildings, and even the electricity grid, researchers report. Most solar cells...

Achieving passenger, occupant, and pedestrian safety compels car manufacturers and their suppliers to keep improving the performance and reliability of assisted driving technology. But as the number of safety features...

Enlarge / The iconic spire collapses as smoke and flames engulf the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15, 2019. (credit: Geoffroy van der Hasselt/AFP via Getty Images) On April 15, 2019, the world watched in...

Researchers have developed a new way to make micrometer-long machines by interlocking metal and plastic in a complex way. For years, researchers have been pursuing the goal of robots so tiny that they can maneuver...

The microscopic world is full of fascinating creatures, some of which serve as inspiration for cutting edge “synthetic microswimmers.” These particles could revolutionize medicine with their ability to move...

Large-scale computer simulations have mapped out the surprising behavior and mechanics of “soft and squishy” microgel suspensions made of microscopic liquid-filled polymer particles. Microgel suspensions occupy a...