(Natural News) Despite their delicate appearance, seashells are surprisingly durable. This unexpected durability comes from the tough, impact-resistant substance known as nacre, also known as mother of pearl. Nacre is an organic-inorganic composite material that also gives seashells their signature iridescence. It is made up of microscopic calcium carbonate tablets mortared together by proteins. Arranged […]

(Natural News) Metallic hydrogen is a state of hydrogen wherein the element is able to conduct electricity. Scientists have spent close to a century attempting to create this material. A team of French researchers now claim that they’ve done it. Normally, hydrogen isn’t a great conductor. However, physicists since the 1930s have suspected that if hydrogen were […]

(Natural News) You’ve heard of robots that can run, lift, jump and crawl. Now, prepare to see one that can bleed. In a paper published in the scientific journal Nature, a joint team of researchers from Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania detailed how they built a soft robotic lionfish, complete with a multi-functional […]

(Natural News) Looks like T.S. Eliot and Andrew Lloyd Webber got it right. If you’ve ever seen the stage musical CATS, an integral scene at the beginning of the show lays out an important fact: Cats can recognize their names. As it turns out, there is truth to that. In a recent study, researchers from […]

(Natural News) Cycling on water has been made a reality thanks to a bike firm’s pedal-powered trimaran. The company, Red Shark Bikes, launched four versions of a trimaran, or a tri-hulled boat. But, unlike other boats, instead of a sail or a paddle, these have pedals for you to cycle across the water with. The four […]

(Natural News) It’s a well-known fact that living organisms have evolved well-adapted structures and materials over geological time through a process called natural selection. These include unique properties such as hydrophobicity or natural waterproofing, heat retention, bioluminescence and coloration as well as unique methods of flight and locomotion. Throughout history, scientists and engineers have made […]

(Natural News) One of the most common tropes in science fiction involves the use of black holes as portals to other dimensions or points in time. A recent study suggests that such a scenario may be closer to reality than it is to fantasy. While scientists have predominantly believed that using black holes – a region of […]

(Natural News) Flat tires may soon be a thing of the past. Michelin and General Motors (GM) have announced the development of a prototype for production-ready airless tires, which could roll out and replace old pneumatic rubber tires by 2025. Both companies say they have been developing the airless tires for the better part of two decades. Michelin […]

(Natural News) Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have been working alongside auto manufacturing company BMW to develop an algorithm that tells robots how to predict human movement and how to respond accordingly. Factory workers are beginning to work in close proximity to robots. Researchers are trying to enhance the efficiency of robots […]

(Natural News) A new enzyme has been discovered in a soil fungus previously linked to fruit rot, according to Japanese researchers. The enzyme, identified as a type of glucanase by a group of researchers from Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology and other organizations, may play an important role in soil ecosystems. According to the study, which was […]