Tech

“Elephant in the room”: Clean energy’s need for unsustainable minerals

Enlarge Earth Day was April 22, and its usual message—take care of our planet—has been given added urgency by the challenges highlighted in the latest IPCC report. This year, Ars is taking a look at the technologies we normally cover, from cars to chipmaking, and finding out how we can boost their sustainability and minimize […]

Tech

Nikon Small World microscopy contest 2021: A few of our favorite images

Enlarge / A small cnidarian called a hydra (green) has attached itself to the cocoon of a caddisfly. (credit: Yen Fook Chew) Microscopy is essential to many areas of science. We use it to look at everything from the small devices we fabricate to the tiny structures inside cells. And microscopy wouldn’t function without input […]