From glass and steel to rare earth metals, new materials have changed society throughout history

Materials science might seem very technical, but as a scientific discipline, it has led to many shifts in society over the past few centuries.

Peter Mullner, Distinguished Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University • conversation
July 3, 2025 ~10 min

Will Meta’s Orion smart glasses be the next ‘iPhone moment’? Expert Q&A

Meta leader Mark Zuckerberg has given the world a sneak preview of the Orion glasses – but will they change the world?

Peter Butcher, Lecturer in Human Computer Interaction, Bangor University • conversation
Sept. 27, 2024 ~8 min


MIT announces 2023 Bose Grants for daring new research

Grants fund studies of honeybee tracking, glass building materials, and defining excellence in human movement.

Becky Ham | Office of the Provost • mit
Sept. 29, 2023 ~6 min

Sea glass, a treasure formed from trash, is on the decline as single-use plastic takes over

Sea glass, while an eye-catching treasure and a multimillion-dollar industry, exists because of decades of improper waste management.

Lori Weeden, Teaching Professor of Environmental Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, UMass Lowell • conversation
Sept. 28, 2023 ~7 min

Glass: Neither a solid nor a liquid, this common yet complicated material is still surprising scientists

Two glass researchers explain how glass is made, the unique properties of glass and how those properties have allowed it to be a useful material to humans for thousands of years.

Katelyn Kirchner, PhD Candidate in Materials Science, Penn State • conversation
June 13, 2023 ~7 min

Scottish bottle deposit scheme to be blocked – but evidence from Europe suggests it's the way forward

Evidence suggests that Scotland’s bottle deposit scheme would prevent huge amounts of litter from entering the environment.

Sharon George, Research Chair, Indigenous Approaches to Environmental Management, Keele University • conversation
March 16, 2023 ~6 min

Five emerging trends that could change our lives online

Here are the trends on the cusp of transforming the online world.

Theo Tzanidis, Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing, University of the West of Scotland • conversation
Feb. 21, 2023 ~8 min

Gold coating could mean end to foggy glasses

A gold-based coating that converts sunlight to heat may mean the end of foggy glasses and windshields, researchers say.

Fabio Bergamin-ETH Zurich • futurity
Dec. 14, 2022 ~6 min


New eye drops can help aging people see better – an optometrist explains how Vuity treats presbyopia

As people age, their eyes lose the ability to focus on close objects. A new eye drop treatment called Vuity can improve vision without the need for glasses, contacts or surgery.

Robert Bittner, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences • conversation
May 5, 2022 ~8 min

Comet’s intense heat turned sand to glass 12,000 years ago

Heat from a comet exploding just above the ground in what is now the Atacama Desert in Chile fused sandy soil into patches of glass around 12,000 yeas ago.

Kevin Stacey-Brown • futurity
Nov. 5, 2021 ~7 min

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