Science360
Science in Motion: Nature's Strongest Glue?
A lively, informal look at the amazing ""superglue"" produced by aquatic bacteria, discovered by scientists at Brown University and Indiana University in Bloomington.
Science360
A clear path to solar power
Solar cells integrated into new construction, particularly skyscrapers, are an enticing energy option. However, this effort can be hampered by the cost and architectural considerations sometimes needed to mount traditional photovoltaic...
Science360
Additive manufacturing: 3-D printing beyond plastic
At Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VT), Christopher Williams heads the effort to further advance 3-D printing--known among engineers as additive manufacturing--with copper, a widely used conductor in electronics....
Science360
Leaf Sensor
It started as a project for long term space survival, when NASA estimated that crews headed to or living on Mars would spend 80% of their waking hours farming! But, with support from the National Science Foundation, research into a leaf...
Science360
Soldier scientists inventing lighter bullet proof vests, and more
Kit Parker is a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve and has served multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan. Even when he's not in uniform, this Harvard University bioengineer makes it his mission to protect the men and women of the U.S....
Science360
Wave Energy
Harnessing energy from the waves of the world's oceans seems like the ultimate in renewable fuel. Yet research lags 15-20 years behind studies of solar and wind power. With funding from the National Science Foundation, Electrical...
Science360
Green Roofs
These days it seems everything is going green. Now you can add green roofs to that list. A green roof is covered with a waterproof membrane, a growing medium (such as dirt) and vegetation. Environmentalists have long touted the benefits...
Science360
Doppler on Wheels--the biggest dish on the road!
For nearly a decade, with support from the National Science Foundation, Doppler on Wheels (DOW) has been doing its best work in dangerous weather, driving into the eye of the storm to gather scientific data about wind, rain and snow that...
Science360
NSF Science Now: Episode 36
In this week's episode, we discover a protein that could someday eliminate malaria, learn about microbes battling it out in Antarctica, explore super Wi-Fi that uses UHF channels and virtually unwrap a 1500-year-old scroll.
Science360
Green Gasoline
Like everyone else, George Huber knows money doesn't grow on trees. But, ask him where gasoline comes from and he won't just tell you, he'll show you. To fully understand, Science Nation recently went with Huber to a local lumber yard in...
Science360
Biophotonics poised to make major breakthroughs in medicine
Imagine having the ability to manipulate light waves in order to see through a skull right into the brain, or being able to use lasers to diagnose a bacterial infection in a matter of minutes. At the Center for Biophotonic Sensors and...
Science360
Microwaves heating up ultra-high temperature (UHT) ceramics industry
A key to building denser, stronger materials that won't fail or fracture under extreme conditions is the manufacture of ultra-high temperature, or UHT, ceramics. UHT ceramics can withstand highly extreme conditions, such as the heat...
Science360
RoboBees: Design Poses Intriguing Engineering, Computer Science Challenges
It started with a TV show, ""Silence of the Bees,"" about honeybee populations in steep decline. At Harvard University, electrical engineers Rob Wood and Gu-Yeon Wei, and computer scientist Radhika Nagpal saw a challenge. And, so began...
Science360
Surgical Robots
We're stepping into the future of medicine with a look at the surgical robotics being developed at the Johns Hopkins Engineering Research Center for Computer-Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology. Here, engineers are designing less...
Science360
Spider Silk
Since the time of the ancient Greeks, humans have been using spider silk to dress wounds. Scientists now know spider webs not only have healing qualities, they can be stronger than steel! University of Wyoming Molecular Biologist Randy...
Science360
NSF Science Now: Episode 37
In this week's episode, we examine tunable prosthetics, explore origami engineering and duck-billed dinosaurs, and discover how king crabs are migrating to the warming seas off the Antarctic Peninsula. Check it out!
Science360
Tsunami Research
It's called a wavemaker, and it's a honkin' 300 feet long and 12 feet wide. With support from the National Science Foundation, this huge new tool, the largest of its type in the United States, is helping scientists perform large scale...
Science360
Renewable Energy
University of Colorado engineer Abby Watrous is on a mission in rural China, converting coal-burning homes and cook stoves into cleaner-burning models, using, among other things, the extremely abundant supply of pig poop. With funding...
Science360
Science of Innovation: Using viruses to make batteries
While most people see viruses as harmful, Angela Belcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology sees the future of energy. Belcher uses viruses engineered in her laboratory to form nano-scale wires for tiny batteries that could...
Science360
Solar Fuels: A grand challenge of 21st century chemistry
Solar panels are becoming a familiar site in communities across the United States, but what about solar fuels? A solar fuel is produced from sunlight through artificial photosynthesis, mimicking what Mother Nature has been doing for...
Science360
Virtual Reality Maps
The ancient city of Rome wasn't built in a day, but now that city, along with all its famous landmarks, can be digitized in just a matter of hours. A new computer program under development at the University of Washington in Seattle combs...