Scientists have developed a revolutionary technique for creating colors that can change on command. These are structural colors that don't rely on dyes or pigments and can be used for display signage, ...

In a leap forward for materials science, a multi-institutional team of researchers has developed a pioneering method of 3D printing cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCEs), enabling complex, ...

Researchers are blurring the lines between robotics and materials, with a proof-of-concept material-like collective of robots with behaviors inspired by biology. Researchers at UC Santa Barbara and TU ...

Scientists discovered that rice behaves in a highly unusual way: it weakens under rapid compression but stays stronger when pressure is applied slowly. Using this effect, they engineered a new ...

Rice is one of the world's most important food crops, feeding billions of people every day. But scientists have now ...

Smart materials are characterized by the capability to change properties in response to environmental changes or external stimuli. They can be tailored to have controlled interactions with biological ...

Early smart materials were typically amorphous polymers, hydrogels, or liquid crystalline systems with randomly distributed responsive groups, which limited response speed, energy efficiency, and the ...

Access to safe, clean water varies across the globe. Vital to life, this is a problem scientists are trying to fix. Researchers have been turning to smart materials for a solution, engineered ...