Living in a Material World
Power Player / by / February 4, 2010
Scientists and designers join forces at an unusual consultancy, bringing technical savvy to assist anyone in search of the right material—from faux fur to green concrete.
Now In Innovation
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The Mom-and-Pop Water Shop
Microbiologist Ranjiv Khush and hydrologist Jeff Alberts are bringing an entrepreneurial approach to an age-old dilemma: how to bring clean, safe water to the developing world.
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Taming Carbon’s Wild Side
Highly reactive molecules known as carbenes have gone from unstable intermediates with nanosecond lifetimes to powerful tools in synthetic chemistry.
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Our Adapting Future
Current developments in autonomous, biological, and evolutionary robotics will have a profound impact on the future of interactive and dynamic architectural space.
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Let There Be Light
Astronomers will soon find scores of Earth-sized exoplanets, but imaging them may be decades away. That is, unless NASA decides to build a starshade.
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Bioplastics Man
Biochemist Oliver Peoples explains how his polymer-producing microbes could transform the plastics industry and why both oceans and landfills will benefit.
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Lo and Behold: the Internet
On the 40th anniversary of the first internet connection, a look back on how a flash of insight and a 20-minute meeting got it all started.
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A Rocket for the 21st Century
Former astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz explains how his plasma rocket engine could revolutionize space travel and why we need nuclear power in space.
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The Evolution of Evolution
Ben Fry has created a tool that allows you to watch the theory of evolution evolve. Here, he introduces us to his amazing exploration of scientific thought.
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Why In-Vitro Meat Is Good for You
Jason Matheny on the world’s addiction to meat and how to grow ground beef in a test tube.
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Designing Responsible Behavior
We visit the somewhat chaotic desk of an industrial designer who is leveraging the power of design to convince people to live greener lives.
Slideshow
The Science of Stuff
A visual tour of the colorful, the strange, and the super-strong in the Material ConneXion library, where new forms of cloth, concrete, metal, and more line the walls.
Power Player
Current TV’s Network Science
The host’s of Current TV’s Max and Jason: Still Up are on a mission to inspire the planet by connecting science and culture, and having a good time while doing it. How social networks are driving the exponential growth of ideas.
From the Studio
Portfolio: Red Sky at Night
The galactic center is brought to life by telescopes scanning across the electromagnetic spectrum, exposing star nurseries unseen via visible or UV light.
Research Blogging
Dave Munger
Creating Citizen Scientists
Researchers in fields ranging from biochemistry to cosmology are recruiting armies of volunteers to help solve some of science’s thorniest problems.
Now on SEEDMAGAZINE.COM
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World
Press Gang
With New York City about to let bloggers qualify for press passes, a look at what breaking down the walls between old and new media means for science reporting.
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Culture
The Ancient, Distant, and Dead
Inspired by scientific research, Katie Paterson creates art based on data from faraway melting glaciers, long-dead stars, and the initial moments of the universe.
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Ideas
A Sober Assessment
Alcohol is an important part of life in many cultures throughout the world, but there are many misperceptions about this common social lubricant.
