Biotech
Virtual Reality System Lets You Stop and Smell the Roses
A wireless device worn on the face or lip can produce fragrances such as lavender and green tea in a virtual world
Electronics1800 articles archived since 1845
Electronics
Could Grinding Up Lithium Batteries Help Recycle Them?
Researchers recovered lithium from batteries on a small scale by using mechanical force
Computing
New Exascale Supercomputer Can Do a Quintillion Calculations a Second
New “exascale” supercomputers will bring breakthroughs in science. But the technology also exists to study nuclear weapons
Engineering
This Sticker Looks Inside the Body
A new stick-on ultrasound patch can record the activity of hearts, lungs and other organs for 48 hours at a time
Electronics
Should Machines Replace Mathematicians?
A “replication crisis” in mathematics raises questions about the purpose of knowledge
Biotech
Electronic Skin Lets Humans Feel What Robots Do—And Vice Versa
An integration of soft materials, sensors and flexible electronics is bringing robotic “skin” closer than ever to reality
Materials Science
New ‘Ionogels’ Are Tough, Stretchable and Easy to Make
They could find use as protective material, 3-D printer “ink” or longer-lasting batteries
Electronics
Holographic Camera Instantly Peeks around Obstacles
New imaging tech could probe beyond corners, inside the body, and more
Electronics
New Charging Technique Puts Crumbling Batteries Back Together
The method could extend the lifetime of lithium-metal batteries by 30 percent, a new study suggests
Policy
The Right to Repair Should be Protected by Law
The U.S. Congress needs to uphold the freedom to repair electronic devices
Electronics
5G Devices Are about to Change Your Life
It will make 4G phones seem positively quaint
Public Health
New Sensor Tells You How Well Your Mask Is Working
FaceBit tracks a face covering’s fit and wear time, as well as its wearer’s vital signs
Biotech
Gel-Based Sensor Continuously Monitors Wounds for Infection
The device can sit beneath a bandage and send infection alerts directly to a smartphone
Pollution
Assessing COVID Risk and More with Air Quality Monitors
The consumer devices track pollutants as well as CO2—a proxy for potentially virus-laden human breath
Electronics
All Small Electronics Should Have the Same Charging Port, New E.U. Rule Says
In a bid to reduce waste, a proposed regulation would require phones and other small electronics to switch to USB-C
Energy
This Room Could Wirelessly Charge All Your Devices
New technology delivers power to electronic devices in a test space
Agriculture
In-Hive Sensors Could Help Ailing Bee Colonies
The technology could help beekeepers reduce short-term losses, but it doesn’t address long-term problems facing honeybees
Electronics
Flexible Microprocessor Could Enable an ‘Internet of Everything’
Researchers have developed a microprocessor built on high-performance plastic rather than silicon—and they say it could enable smarter food labels and supply chain management...
Electronics
Smartphones Can Hear the Shape of Your Door Keys
Can you pick a lock with just a smartphone? New research shows that doing so is possible.
Engineering
2020’s Top 10 Tech Innovations
Scientific American and the World Economic Forum sifted through more than 75 nominations for the most innovative and potentially game-changing technologies in 2020. The final top 10 span the fields of medicine, engineering, environmental sciences and chemistry. And to win the nod, the technologies must have the potential to spur progress in societies and economies by outperforming established ways of doing things...
