You’re probably used to the sight of smartwatches on people’s wrists. But what about smart clothes? Researchers at the University of Georgia are exploring how the clothes people wear can potentially track and protect their health. Smart textiles are fabrics that can monitor the body’s vitals and movement in real time. They’re flexible and lightweight, making them more comfortable to wear while moving.

The present publication focuses on MXenes, a class of two-dimensional, microscopic materials made from metals that can be coated or printed onto fabrics...

As the U.S. plans to return to the moon with the upcoming Artemis II mission, a question endures: What will future lunar explorers eat? According to new research from The University of Texas at Austin, the answer might be chickpeas.

Scientists have successfully grown and harvested chickpeas using simulated “moon dirt,” the first instance of this crop produced in this medium. The research, which was conducted in collaboration with Texas A&M University, is described in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Sara Santos, the principal investigator of the project, said that the work is a giant leap in understanding what it will take to grow food on the lunar surface.

“The research is about understanding the viability of growing crops on the moon,” said Santos, who i...

Atrial fibrillation is a common heart condition characterized by a rapid, irregular heartbeat stemming from the heart’s upper chamber. It is a leading cause of stroke from clots that form in a small pouch of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA). While several treatment options exist, they have many drawbacks, and risks often remain. But now, researchers have developed a promising new treatment involving magnetic fluids. Their study, published in Nature, describes the new procedure and results from rat and pig studies.

Atrial fibrillation treatment options
Blood thinners are a common treatment for atrial fibrillation...

Healable spacecraft structures could soon be possible thanks to cutting-edge composite technology. Swiss companies CompPair and CSEM with Belgian company Com&Sens have partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) to modify their self-healing carbon fiber product for use in space transportation.

Project Cassandra (a loose abbreviation of Composite Autonomous SenSing AnD RepAir) includes sensors and a heating element into a composite carbon-fiber material, allowing spacecraft to autonomously repair initial stages of damage.

Cassandra is part of ESA’s Future Innovation Research in Space Transportation (FIRST!) Initiative which is finding and testing innovative technology that will benefit European space transportation.

Composite materials in space
Composite materials like carbo...