materials

Latest in materials

a zookeper places a piece of apple inside of an elephant's trunk

Elephants are smart. So are their whiskers.

By Laura Baisas

Concept art showing augmented reality smart glass window in airplane cabin

Smart glass windows would beam in-flight info over scenic views

Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America in Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD.

Could we really make Captain America’s shield? A materials scientist weighs in.

By Laura Baisas

Carhartt Detroit Re-Engineered jacket laying on some grass

How Carhartt re-engineered a 1950s work jacket that became an unlikely fashion icon

By Stan Horaczek

Closeup of carbon nitride material

This new synthetic material is nearly as durable as diamonds

F-150 Lightning Platinum Black edition

Electric Vehicles

Ford’s matte-black, $100K Lightning pickup will be hot hot hot (literally)

netflix red envelope dvd

Netflix will let users keep their final DVDs for free

By Harry Guinness

the burj khalifa, the tallest building in the world in dubai

The tallest building in the world remains unchallenged—for now

The US is seeking a firefighter helmet that protects against flames and bullets

The US is seeking a firefighter helmet that protects against flames and bullets

By Kelsey D. Atherton

Berkeley Lab researcher Yan Zeng looks over the starting point at A-Lab.

Tony Stark would love this new experimental materials lab

By Jamie Helmick

Ancient Maya idol in Copán, Guatemala

Ancient Maya masons had a smart way to make plaster stronger

A new kind of Kevlar aims to stop bullets with less material

A new kind of Kevlar aims to stop bullets with less material

Mustang Dark Horse with Carbon Fiber Wheels.

Ford’s new Mustang Dark Horse has supercar-worthy wheels

By Kristin Shaw

ancient-style illustration of poseidon and workers building seawall

Inside the project to bring ‘self-healing’ Roman concrete to American shorelines

A new silicone tire sealant stops nails in their tracks

Electric Vehicles

A new silicone tire sealant stops nails in their tracks

By Kristin Shaw

Platinum atoms and liquid graphene seen in red and purple under a microscope next to a graphic of material particle locations

See the first video of solitary solid atoms playing with liquid

By Purbita Saha

Rare platinum ore nugget on a black background

Manipulating atomic motion could make metals stronger and bendier

A polymer sheet is suspended on a holey grid. The super strong material can be used in buildings, cars, and cell phone devices.

This new material is as strong as steel—but lighter

Pile of model white molar teeth

This new synthetic tooth enamel is even harder than the real thing

By Lauren J. Young

This material uses a physics trick to keep roofs cool in summer and warm in winter

This material uses a physics trick to keep roofs cool in summer and warm in winter