Category: 9. Sci/Tech

Concrete is everywhere—from skyscrapers to sidewalks. But it comes at a steep environmental cost. Cement, the key ingredient in concrete, is responsible for about eight percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, and finding a greener…

In a groundbreaking step toward sustainable technology, scientists in Switzerland have developed a fungus battery. It’s a fully biodegradable, living power source made almost entirely of natural materials. Instead of recharging it…

No one knows for sure, but when you experience that ‘stomach drop’ feeling on a rollercoaster, or abruptly descending in a lift, or even going over a big bump in the car, it’s likely to do with how your body and internal systems respond to…

Cats became human companions for the first time likely following mass cult ritual sacrifices…

For centuries, the question of what consciousness is—where it comes from, and what it does—was left to philosophers and mystics. But now, scientists across biology, neuroscience, and physics are seriously looking at something once…

Devastating tornadoes cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and dozens of deaths…

Engineers in Singapore have developed a sustainable cooling tile made from mushrooms and bamboo. It’s a new biodegradable building material that mimics elephant skin and can keep buildings cool without relying on air conditioning or…

Social media influencers encouraging travellers to “stroke” sharks are behind a rise…

British scientists could experiment with techniques to block sunlight as part…

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine.

For computer scientists, solving problems is a bit like mountaineering. First they must choose a problem to solve—akin to identifying a peak to climb—and then they must develop a…