Engineering Design
- Brain
Neuroscientists use brain scans to decode people’s thoughts
The research may lead to new devices for people who can’t communicate easily. It also raises privacy concerns.
- Climate
For greener toilets and air conditioning, consider saltwater
Using saltwater would allow coastal cities to save their freshwater for drinking and to reduce their carbon footprints. Some could save money, too.
- Space
Fairy tale inspiration could help rovers explore risky places
Taking a cue from Hansel and Gretel, scientists propose a way for rovers to send back data from treacherous terrain.
- Materials Science
Analyze This: A new fabric mimics polar bears’ pelts for warmth
With layers that work like polar bears’ skin and fur, a material absorbs light and keeps it from escaping.
- Plants
Could a plant ever eat a person?
For now, humans aren’t on the menu for carnivorous plants. But what would it take for one to consume a person?
- Environment
Fungi help rescue crops being harmed by microplastics
Microplastics in the soil hinder plant growth. But two finalists at Regeneron ISEF found that fungi and farm waste can reduce the harm.
- Fossils
This ancient bird rocked a head like a T. rex
This bird from 120 million years ago had a head like a dinosaur and a body more like today’s birds.
- Tech
Nanocrystal ‘painted’ films may someday help relieve summer heat
The rainbow palette and cooling powers of new plant-based films comes from their microscopic surface patterns of tiny crystals.
- Tech
A device spots and counts honeybees hosting a dangerous parasite
At Regeneron ISEF, three teens debuted an infrared system to detect honeybees carrying mites. It can show beekeepers when a colony needs to be treated.
- Environment
Older diesel school buses linked to more student absences
Schools that replaced or upgraded old diesel school buses increased student attendance rates, new research shows.
- Environment
Making yards more diverse can reap big environmental benefits
Replacing grass with native plants uses less water and fewer chemicals while providing additional benefits to people and wildlife.
- Tech
A new solar-powered gel purifies water in a flash
The unusual, fruit-inspired structure of this material provides quick filtration that could satisfy people's daily water needs.
