Science

Side by side of mouse embryos. The one on the left appears to be developing normally, but the one on the right has an extra pair of legs.

How turning off one gene causes mice to grow 6 legs

A study of embryo development in mice led to the creation of a mutant mouse fetus with an extra pair of legs in place of genitals.

Kristin Houser

a rendering of three massive silver containers with "Ark" written on them

Food

This startup is trying to solve lab-grown meat’s biggest problem

A biotech startup has developed a new kind of bioreactor that could help increase cultivated meat production.

Kristin Houser

A man in a suit stands next to a robotic arm with computer-brain interfaces on a stage under blue lighting.

Big Tech

In a future with brain-computer interfaces like Elon Musk’s Neuralink, we may need to rethink freedom of thought

In a future with more “mind reading,” thanks to computer-brain interfaces, we may need to rethink freedom of thought.

Parker Crutchfield

Engineering

Win-win: we can make fertilizer by purifying wastewater

Stanford engineers have developed a cost-effective way to convert a toxic byproduct of a wastewater filtration process into useful chemicals.

Kristin Houser

Sustainability

MIT’s new plant-based material could replace plastics

Using cellulose from wood, MIT researchers have made a plant-based material tough as bone and hard as aluminum.

B. David Zarley

Biology

Diamond-like starfish skeleton unlike any discovered in nature

The skeleton of the knobby starfish has a structure unlike any other found in nature so far, and it could inspire new lightweight ceramics.

Sam Jarman

Biology

Take a look at the deepest known squid, just found

NOAA scientists used an ROV to spot a ghostly cephalopod, known as a bigfin squid

Teresa Carey

Neuroscience

Scientists use ultrasound to control brain cells in animals

Researchers have used ultrasound to trigger the brain cells of mice with a technique called sonogenetics.

B. David Zarley

Genetics

DNA used to make the world’s tiniest “radio”

Scientists have created the world's smallest antenna, measuring only five nanometers in length. It is designed to decipher real-time changes in proteins and records and transmits data via light signals.

Teresa Carey

Sports

Olympic skiers and snowboarders are competing on 100% fake snow – here's the science behind it

Peter Veals

Inventions

New synthetic tooth enamel is stronger than the natural kind

A synthetic tooth enamel that outperformed the natural kind in strength and durability tests could have applications beyond dentists' offices.

Kristin Houser

Genetics

New breed of pig will provide organs for human transplantation

German researchers are breeding a new type of pig that’s been genetically modified to have organs ideal for human transplantation.

Kristin Houser

Transportation

How slime molds can design efficient subway networks without human help

A new computer models shows how slime molds may design efficient subways without our help.

Scotty Hendricks

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