MS-PS1-3

Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.

  1. Physics

    Shape-shifting cuts give shoes a better grip

    With pop-out structures inspired by kirigami and animals, a shoe sole goes from flat to spiky to boost friction on slippery surfaces such as ice.

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  2. Physics

    A contrast between shadows and light can now generate electricity

    A new device exploits the contrast between bright spots and shade to produce a current that can power small electronics.

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  3. Plants

    Silk-based microneedles may help treat diseased plants

    Engineers have invented silk microneedles to inject medicines into plants. One day farmers might use drones to dart their sick plants with meds from the air.

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  4. Space

    Astronauts may be able to make cement with their own pee

    Lunar dust and a compound found in urine might one day be used to build future dwellings on the moon, a new study finds.

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  5. Chemistry

    Ancient recipes helped scientists resurrect a long-lost blue hue

    Led by medieval texts, scientists hunted down a plant and used its fruit to make a blue watercolor with mysterious origins.

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  6. Physics

    Science offers recipes for homemade coronavirus masks

    New studies provide data on what types of mask materials protect best against the virus that causes COVID-19. They also point to the value of a really snug fit.

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  7. Tech

    Here’s one way to harvest water right out of the air

    Need water but you have no access to rain, lakes or groundwater? Materials known as metal-organic frameworks could be used to slurp that water from the air, new data show.

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  8. Materials Science

    Silk can be molded into strong medical implants

    Freeze-dried and powdered silk has a long shelf life. It also is cheap to ship and can be molded into sturdy medical implants.

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  9. Chemistry

    Converting trash to valuable graphene in a flash

    Flash heating of carbon-rich wastes creates graphene, which has many commercial uses.

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  10. Materials Science

    New twist can hush — even cloak — some sounds

    Swiss engineers developed clear, spiral structures to make a new sound-dampening system. Those twists block some vibrations and lets others through.

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  11. Earth

    Help for a world drowning in microplastics

    Microplastic pollution in our oceans and lakes is a problem. Scientists are testing solutions — from more biodegradable recipes to nanotechnology.

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  12. Materials Science

    Here’s how to hide some objects from heat-sensing cameras

    A special coating that conceals temperature information from heat-detecting cameras might someday be used as a privacy shield.

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