Whales and Wings
Modeling airplane wings after humpback whale flippers makes them more efficient.
Bedout Crater
A giant impact crater might be evidence of what caused a mass extinction 250 million years ago.
Brain Roundup
Observing dopamine levels in the brains of gamblers, and losing a job near retirement increases risk of stroke.
Watching Wheelchairs
A data logger can track the movements of wheelchairs to see how they're used.
Punching Shrimp
The mantis shrimp packs a powerful punch because of a spring and latch mechanism in its leg.
Chocolate Attack
Breeding cacao trees resistant to a lethal fungus called witches' broom
Obesity Roundup
Body shape predicts heart disease risk more than weight does, and triglycerides cause overweight people to eat even more.
Cicada Cycles
Why are cicada cycles always prime numbers? (Prevents specialist predators from developing)
Cotton and Clay
Binding tiny lay particles cotton makes it flame-retardant.
Cicada Emergence
How do cicadas know when to emerge? (Don't know -- might be sensing something in tree sap)
State of the Air
The American Lung Association's annual report on air pollution includes particulates for the first time.
Industrial Nature
A green tea extract can polish the read-write heads of hard drives, and the way spiders stick to the ceiling can be used as new adhesives.
Electricity from Sewage
A fuel cell that generates electricity from waste water
Bug-Eating Plants
Why do some plants eat bugs? (They live in nutrient-poor habitats; bugs have lots of nutrients.)
Subvocal Speech
Detecting the silent nerve signals used for speech to aid communication in noisy environments.
Bone Roundup
Oyster blood carries the raw material for making shell and bone, and covering titanium joints with DNA nanotubes helps prevent rejection.
WWII Tree Disease
A fungus brought by American troops during World War II infected Italian trees.
Soil and Global Warming
Soil can be made to retain carbon, which would help prevent global warming.
Smell Roundup
A computer that sends smells over the Internet, and a cannon that shoots odors from 12 feet away.