Across a 75 kilometer stretch of the Atacama Desert in Chile, huge rocks of black and green glass can be found lying around. Researchers picked up on this unusual phenomenon around a decade ago, but they were stumped by this mystery with no reasonable explanation to be found, … [Read more...] about Ancient comet solves puzzle of scattered glass in Chilean desert
Glass
This new ultra-strong glass is inspired by mollusk shells
If you’ve ever experienced the frustration of a broken phone screen, you’ve probably wished there was a more durable material available for electronics. Thanks to researchers from McGill University, that may soon be a reality. The team has developed a new type of glass, inspired … [Read more...] about This new ultra-strong glass is inspired by mollusk shells
How recycled bottles could help restore Louisiana’s degraded coastline
The southern coast of Louisiana has lost areas of coastline equivalent to the size of Delaware as beaches and marshes erode away into the sea. Some environmentalists have a novel solution in the form of New Orleans’ party culture. Tulane students Franziska Trautmann and Max … [Read more...] about How recycled bottles could help restore Louisiana’s degraded coastline
The windows of the future could feature transparent wood instead of glass
Wood may sound like the wrong choice of material to replace the glass in your windows, but a team of researchers just proved the contrary. A group of scientists at the USDA, together with several other institutions, has developed “transparent wood,” a glass-like material made … [Read more...] about The windows of the future could feature transparent wood instead of glass
Inner structure of seashells inspires scientists to make shatter-proof glass
Prized for all of its amazing properties, glass has numerous practical, technological, and decorative uses. However, for all its strengths, glass is an inherently brittle material. That’s why scientists have continuously been looking for ways to improve the material by making it … [Read more...] about Inner structure of seashells inspires scientists to make shatter-proof glass