Researchers present the first fully integrated flexible electronics made of magnetic sensors and organic circuits which opens the path towards the development of electronic skin. Human skin is a fascinating and multifunctional organ with unique properties originating from its flexible and compliant nature. It allows for interfacing with external physical environment through numerous receptors interconnected with the nervous system. Scientists have been trying to transfer these features to artificial skin for a long time, aiming at robotic applications...

New study finds surface waters on early Mars may have been habitable for microbial life. Presently, Earth is the only known location where life exists in the Universe. This year the Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to three astronomers who proved, almost 20 years ago, that planets are common around stars beyond the solar system...

Scientists uncover link between the nervous system and stem cells that regenerate pigment. Scientists have found evidence to support long-standing anecdotes that stress causes hair graying. Researchers found that in mice, the type of nerve involved in the fight-or-flight response causes permanent damage to the pigment-regenerating stem cells in the hair follicle. The findings advance knowledge of how stress impacts the body, and are a first step toward blocking its negative effects.

The study, published in Nature, advances scientists’ knowledge of how stress can impact the body...

Lab tests cells with silicon anodes, aluminum coatings that protect cathodes. Engineers build full lithium-ion batteries with silicon anodes and an alumina layer to protect cathodes from degrading. By limiting their energy density, the batteries promise excellent stability for transportation and grid storage use.

The process of developing better rechargeable batteries may be cloudy, but there’s an alumina lining.

A slim layer of the metal oxide applied to common cathodes by engineers at Rice University’s Brown School of Engineering revealed new phenomena that could lead to batteries that are better geared towa...