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One of the most intriguing areas of innovation in materials science concerns the development of high-performance coatings. A new coating from the University of Michigan can repel water and harmful chemicals, Blaine Brownell reports.
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One of the most intriguing dimensions of nanoscale research concerns the blurring between matter and energy, says Blaine Brownell. A new super light absorber could be applied to energy-harvesting and sensing techniques.
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A UK university and architecture firm research the effects of classroom design on academic performance to help demonstrate the correlation between good design and human performance.
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The Structural Technology Group at the Universitat Politèctica de Catalunya (UPC) in Barcelona is developing a multilayered concrete panel system designed to support the growth of mosses, fungi, and lichens.
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An article in The New York Times reported the discovery that older structures typically outperform new ones in conserving energy, to the shock of many in New York, Blaine Brownell writes.
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In the last 10 years, light-emitting diode lighting has dramatically transformed the field of lighting design. What's next? Field-induced polymer electroluminescence, says Blaine Brownell.
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The tools used for architecture and construction, from CAD to 3D printing, are now also being used to design disease-fighting DNA.
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A new composite made by Princeton University researchers may increase solar cell efficiency.
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Asif Khan's pavilion for Art Basel, commissioned by Swarovski and using 1.5 million crystals, captures the light phenomenon parhelia, but disappoints architecturally.
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If you've ever dinged your smartphone or laptop, then you might be interested in self-repairing plastic that behaves more like human skin, developed by scientists at Stanford University.