ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

It has long been known that Mars once had oceans due in part to a protective magnetic field similar to Earth's. However, the magnetic field disappeared, and new research may finally be able to explain why. Researchers recreated conditions expected in the core of Mars billions of years ago and found that the behavior of the molten metal thought to be present likely gave rise to a brief magnetic field that was destined to fade away.

Inspired by the always immaculate lotus leaf, researchers have developed a self-cleaning bioplastic that is sturdy, sustainable and compostable.

Using atoms only a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero, a team of researchers has detected magnetic signals undetectable by any other existing sensor technology.

A research team has found the key to controlled fabrication of cerium oxide mesocrystals, according to a recent report. The research is a step forward in tuning nanomaterials that can serve a wide range of uses --including solar cells, fuel catalysts and even medicine.

Space scientists have discovered a never-before-seen mechanism fueling huge planetary aurorae at Saturn.

Soft robots have received much attention recently due to their adaptability and safety. However, the fluidic systems used in these robots continue to use pumps that are large, heavy, and noisy. Now, researchers report a fluid pump driven by electrochemical reactions that are simple, lightweight, silent, and enable self-sensing actuation, with potential applications in wearable technology and touch display devices.

A large-scale study has found that simulation-based surgical training produced an increase of surgeons' skills for more complex surgeries.

For the first time, researchers have found a cost-effective and convenient way to apply a silver-based antimicrobial clear coating to new or existing textiles. Their method uses polyphenols, commonly found in food items notorious for staining clothes such as wine and chocolate. A range of textile types can be treated by the researchers' method, and items can be washed multiple times without losing the antimicrobial and therefore anti-odor property.

Very little of the plastic water bottles, milk jugs and yogurt cups we use gets recycled. But chemists now describe a radical method they used to transform tossed out plastic into a tougher, stronger material commonly used for food packaging. Through 'upcycling,' the method may make plastic easier -- and more profitable -- to recycle.

Several layers of nanographenes stacked on top of each other: such functional elements could one day be used in solar cells. Chemists have now paved the way for this.