Science

DNA’s strong bonds can act as a glue to make nanoparticles into sturdy materialsVladislav Kochelaevskiy/Alamy A material made from hollow nanoparticles and DNA is exceptionally strong, especially considering how small its building blocks are. It could eventually be used to build extremely sturdy medical and electronic devices. To make this super strong material, Horacio Espinosa at Northwestern University in Illinois and his colleagues started with particles made from metals like gold and platinum, each about 100 nanometres in size. Some were shaped like solid or hollow cubes with flattened corners, while others formed just the edges of a cube. The best way to ensure that a material has the properties you want is to assemble it from scratch, one building block at a tim...

Protecting Workers as We Shift to Electric Vehicles The United Auto Workers strike is, in part, a response to concern about the impact on labor of the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). Electric vehicles have fewer parts than those with internal combustion engines, and that will eliminate some jobs. Many of the new plants being constructed to build electric vehicles are in southern states that are hostile to labor unions. Tesla and some of the Asian electric vehicle manufacturers pay relatively low wages to their workers. The union correctly sees this as a moment to influence how and where American electric vehicles are manufactured and to ensure that labor ...

A robot powered by tiny explosions can jump 20 times its own length and carry 22 times its own weight. Its makers say it could be produced cheaply in bulk and is ideal for search-and-rescue missions or even exploring other planets. Most robots are powered by electric motors and batteries, which are reliable, tried-and-tested technologies, but can’t be miniaturised past a certain point. Robert Shepherd at Cornell University in New York and his colleagues have turned instead methane, a chemical fuel that can store energy at a much higher density than lithium-ion batteries and be scaled down to tiny insect-sized devices. The team created an actuator with a 3D-printed combustion chamber that weighs just 325 milligrams. A pair of electrodes create a spark and ig...

Pumping fluids, such as oil, through pipes consumes significant amounts of energyMike Mareen/Shutterstock A rhythmic pumping method inspired by the human heart could slash the energy used to move fluids through domestic and industrial pipes. Forcing fluids through such systems – be it moving oil and gas from drilling rigs to refineries or circulating water in our home heating systems – is estimated to use between 10 and 15 per cent of the world’s electricity supply. Turbulence inside pipes causes friction, which vastly inflates the energy needed to pump liquids. Previous attempts to reduce turbulence have included complex coatings on the inside of pipes, which would be costly to roll out on a wide scale. Björn Hof at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria says...

Putting This Summer's Record Global Heat Into Context This summer saw global average temperatures that were unprecedented. June set a record for the hottest June. July set a record not just for the hottest July — but the hottest month ever since modern record keeping began in the 19th century. August came in second for the all-time record. The results: deadly heat waves, overheated ocean waters, massive wildfires. To help put these phenomena into context, here are some of State of the Planet‘s most-read articles on extreme heat over the past few years, along with media reports about this year’s baking temperatures that quote Columbia Climate School experts. ...