The technological development of humanity was supported in its early stages by natural materials such as bone, wood and shells. As history advanced, these materials were slowly replaced by synthetic ...

Tree forks are naturally engineered structural connections that work as cantilevers in trees, which means that they have the potential to transfer force very efficiently thanks to their internal fiber ...

The use of ceramics dates back some 25,000 years, to the oldest human settlements’ use of clay vessels and sculptures. These ceramics, as well as infrastructure components such as bricks, tiles, and ...

Viruses are typically described as tiny, perfectly geometric shells that pack genetic material with mathematical precision, but new research led by scientists at Penn State reveals a deliberate ...

Lightweight and versatile, molded polystyrene foam is a commercial building material that despite being commonly used remains somewhat misunderstood. Frequently identified by the misnomer Styrofoam, ...

Time and spatially-resolved ion beam irradiation techniques play an important role in modifying the properties and patterning of several classes of materials. Over the past decade there has been a ...