Elastic polymer that is both stiff and tough, resolves long-standing quandary: More sustainable, long-lasting polymer materials could decrease consumption of plastics
Polymer science has made possible rubber tires, Teflon and Kevlar, plastic water bottles, nylon jackets among many other ubiquitous features of daily life. Elastic polymers, known as elastomers, can be stretched and released repeatedly and are used in applications such as gloves and heart valves, where they need to last a long time without tearing. […]
Hong Kong’s marine ecosystem over the last 100 years
The skyscrapers and urban development that have made Hong Kong the “Pearl” have also generated pollutants that affect the marine species that live in Hong Kong’s coastal waters. On-going climate change and dams along the Pearl River have also altered these coastal ecosystems. However, it is largely unknown in what ways they are altered, because […]
Microbially produced fibers: Stronger than steel, tougher than Kevlar
A new fiber, made by genetically engineered bacteria is stronger than steel and tougher than Kevlar. Spider silk is said to be one of the strongest, toughest materials on the Earth. Now engineers at Washington University in St. Louis have designed amyloid silk hybrid proteins and produced them in engineered bacteria. The resulting fibers are […]
I Was On A Perfect Date Until His Comment About My Face Caused Everything To Unravel
My first date with Jordan was moving along seamlessly when out of nowhere he made a strange joke about my appearance. “Wow, good thing you don’t have anything in your teeth,” he said while I was busy laughing, “because your teeth stick out so much it’s like, ‘Whoa.’” He imitated what I apparently looked like […]
HHS Secretary Supports Telehealth Expansion, Emphasizes Need for Equity
Should telehealth expansions be made permanent after the COVID-19 pandemic? And if they do become law, how can equity be ensured? HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and Jack Resneck Jr., MD, president-elect of the American Medical Association (AMA), weighed in on these and other questions during an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday. Over 43 […]