New observations suggest that the unexpected dimming of the supergiant star was most likely caused by a dust cloud that blocked starlight coming from the star’s surface.
The bricks and mortar of energy storage
Researchers store energy in red bricks, providing a low-cost battery alternative to power a home.
Ion-Pump Photovoltaics
Inspired by nature, researchers create a new kind of photoelectric generator based on a bacterial ion pump.
Schottky emerging from the shadows
A shadow-effect energy generator produces electricity from illumination contrast that arises when the device is partly placed in shadow.
Machine learning methods provide new insights into organic-inorganic interfaces
Simulations at Graz University of Technology refute earlier theories on long-range charge transfer between organic and inorganic materials.
Early Mars was covered in ice sheets, not flowing rivers
Researchers have concluded that early Martian landscape probably looked similar to this image of the Devon ice cap.
Surprising number of exoplanets could host life
What is the maximum number of habitable planets for a star, and what does this mean in our search for extraterrestrial life?
First images of a multi-planet system with a Sun-like star
In a rare occurrence, astronomers have directly observed more than one planet orbiting a star similar to the Sun.
Pioneers in Science: John B. Goodenough
We take a look at John B. Goodenough’s life and career, which were shaped by some of the defining events of the last century.
Humans, machines, and reproducibility in materials chemistry
There is more to materials discovery than just discovery! Will robots outperform humans in reproducibility too?