Explained: Carbon credits
Can carbon trading systems reduce global emissions, or are they little more than greenwashing? Clear, enforceable standards may make the difference.
Explained: The sugar coating of life
Researchers are working to advance the field of glycoscience, illuminating the essential role of carbohydrates for human health and disease.
Explained: The 1.5 C climate benchmark
After a summer of weather extremes, where does the world stand in its goal to stem rising temps?
Explained: How to tell if artificial intelligence is working the way we want it to
“Interpretability methods” seek to shed light on how machine-learning models make predictions, but researchers say to proceed with caution.
Explained: Why RNA vaccines for Covid-19 raced to the front of the pack
Many years of research have enabled scientists to quickly synthesize RNA vaccines and deliver them inside cells.
Explained: Quantum engineering
Quantum computers could usher in a golden age of computing power, solving problems intractable on today’s machines.
Explained: Cement vs. concrete — their differences, and opportunities for sustainability
Concrete is the world’s most consumed construction material. Yet there’s a lot the public doesn’t know about it or its environmental impact.
Explained: Detecting the threat of nuclear weapons
Professor of nuclear science and engineering Scott Kemp describes the science behind the search for clandestine nuclear sites.
Explained: Neural networks
Ballyhooed artificial-intelligence technique known as “deep learning” revives 70-year-old idea.
Explained: Greenhouse gases
Carbon dioxide isn’t the only one that matters, and the gases vary widely in potency and duration.
Explained: chemical vapor deposition
Technique enables production of pure, uniform coatings of metals or polymers, even on contoured surfaces.
Explained: Hydrophobic and hydrophilic
Better understanding of how surfaces attract or repel water could improve everything from power plants to ketchup bottles.
Explained: Nanowires and nanotubes
Tiny filaments and cylinders are studied for possible uses in energy, electronics, optics and other fields.
Explained: Graphs
A simple tool for representing relationships between data, devices or almost anything else has ubiquitous applications in computer science.