Accessible reporting on discoveries, research, materials, climate, space, and the evidence behind scientific change.
5 stories
Materials science sits between physics, chemistry, engineering and manufacturing. New tools are making it easier to design materials for energy, electronics, medicine and construction, but a useful material must survive real conditions and be made at a practical scale.
A small experiment can answer a narrow question with unusual clarity. Good design, fair comparisons, careful measurement and honest uncertainty often matter more than impressive scale, especially when a claim is new or a system is difficult to understand.
The oceans do more than respond to a changing climate. Their heat storage, carbon exchange, circulation and ecosystems help set the pace and pattern of climate change, while also creating limits and risks that are easy to miss on land.
Battery innovation is moving beyond a single race for more energy. Engineers are revisiting the materials, electrolytes, manufacturing methods and use cases that determine whether a battery is safe, durable, affordable and easy to recycle.
The next wave of space telescopes is being designed to study the first galaxies, the atmospheres of distant worlds and the changing universe in finer detail. Its discoveries will depend as much on careful measurement and instrument limits as on spectacular images.
Get the latest stories, useful guides and ideas delivered to your inbox. One considered email, no clutter, unsubscribe any time.
