Tech

Take a peek inside a flickering candle flame with these 3D-printed shapes

New research from MIT explores fire from a whole series of new perspectives. The research uses deep-learning approaches that extract the vibrational features of flames as flickering objects and, in turn, renders them into sounds and materials. The 19th-century physicist Michael Faraday was known not only for his seminal experimental contributions to electromagnetism but also […]

Tech

Myth, busted: Spider silk might not have antibiotic properties after all

Enlarge / A new study found that ethyl acetate and other solvents typically used to study the antimicrobial properties of spider silk can inhibit bacterial growth. So prior studies finding such evidence may be methodologically flawed. (credit: Simon Fruergaard/CC BY-SA) Ancient Greeks and Romans are said to have treated wounds suffered in battle with poultices […]

Tech

Kombucha tea is trendy, but it has also inspired new “living materials”

Enlarge / Brewing kombucha tea. Note the trademark gel-like layer of SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). (credit: Olga Pankova/Getty Images) Kombucha tea is all the rage these days as a handy substitute for alcoholic beverages and for its supposed health benefits. The chemistry behind this popular fermented beverage is also inspiring scientists at […]