(Simon McGill/Moment/Getty Images)Concrete remains a widely used and highly adaptable construction material, but it has notable drawbacks—particularly its tendency to crack due to low tensile strength. To address this vulnerability, researchers have been exploring ways to develop concrete that can repair itself, and a new innovation might be a significant breakthrough.A Self-Healing Breakthrough Using...
Deimos glimmers faintly in a scene awash with pre-dawn mauves and lilacs. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)Mars is a quiet and desolate world. Aside from a few robotic explorers tirelessly studying its terrain, the red planet remains uninhabited and eerily still.Echoes in the WindThe only sound one might hear is the soft rustling of Martian winds. There are...
Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci. (Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain)You may have heard that it takes more muscles to frown than to smile — often shared as a simple motivation to turn that frown upside down, because smiling supposedly takes less effort and brings more happiness.However, when we look at the anatomy, those numbers don’t quite...
Treatment with lemborexant (right) resulted in larger volume in the hippocampus (central purple spiral) and a smaller gap in brain tissue (white space) compared with another sleep aid treatment (left)Samira Parhizkar/WashU MedicineA widely available sleep aid has shown unexpected potential in supporting brain health by significantly reducing the accumulation of tau proteins — a...
If the living tattoos are created with bioluminescent microbes, they'd be able glow at night as seen in this illustrative imageChatGPTA team of researchers from four European countries is creating a novel way to apply microbial life as “living tattoos” on building exteriors. These biological coatings will not only absorb carbon dioxide from the...
Dawn Aerospace is selling its Aurora spaceplane direct to customersDawn AerospaceDawn Aerospace is taking a bold step by announcing it will sell its spaceplane directly to clients, much like how major aircraft manufacturers market commercial airliners. This approach hints at a possible transformation in the traditional space launch industry.Challenging the Vertical Integration of Space...
If a solar storm of this magnitude were to hit the Earth today its effect would be cataclysmic on our electronic and telecommunications networksDepositphotosA recent study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters has revealed compelling evidence of an exceptionally powerful solar storm that struck Earth more than 14,000 years ago, near the end...
A vertical forest in Vietnam’s tropics: beauty meets bioclimatic designTo Huu DungThe Vietnamese architecture firm 85 Design has created an innovative narrow home that serves as both a residence and a workspace, embodying a fresh approach to sustainable living. Known as Ga.o House, this project reimagines how compact buildings can address modern environmental challenges...
A year-long pilot of a curbside EV charging solution has ended, with Rheinmetall reporting it ready for widespread introductionRheinmetallSeveral curbside charging solutions have been introduced to help apartment dwellers join the electric vehicle movement without relying solely on public charging stations. However, Rheinmetall AG’s approach stands out as one of the most discreet to...
Macrophages infected by Yersinia pestis bacteria. (Anne Derbise and Jose Barquero/Institut Pasteur/AFP)Recent research indicates that the bacteria causing the plague evolved to become less lethal over time, allowing it to infect people during three distinct pandemics over more than a thousand years.The Plague of Justinian: A Two-Century CrisisThe first pandemic, known as the Plague of Justinian, occurred...
