While some plastic is recycled, most ends up in landfills or polluting the environment. New plastics that are easy to recycle could change that.

Using new technologies, researchers have 3-D printed a flower whose petals curl when immersed in water. This shows how 3-D printing can be used to print 4-D objects.

Wallpaper can give a room pizzazz and personality that a simple paint job won’t achieve. But a new type of wall covering offers to do even more — serve as an alarm system that scouts for signs of fire.

A special computer-controlled laser was used to inscribe patterned graphene onto a range of different materials, including this bread. Beyond drawing cute owls, though, scientists want to use the technology to put electronic sensors on everyday items.