Engineering from Nature
Iron makes mussel glue strong, patenting a cancer-fighting chemical in broccoli, and eight ways viruses attack bacteria.
Hot Cocoa
Hot cocoa has more antioxidants than green tea, black tea, and red wine.
Tagging Explosives
Adding glass microbeads to explosives to make them easier to trace
Skunk Removal
How do you get rid of skunk smell? (Wash in hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.)
Water-Powered Battery
A battery that generates electricity from water
Road Rubber
Where does tire rubber go when the tire wears out? (Pieces get airborne or washed into streams.)
Old Beer
Does beer go bad, or does it age like a fine wine? (most beers don't go bad, but the taste suffers... some high alcohol beers age well)
Red Seafood
Why do shellfish turn red when you cook them? (Releases a red pigment that's usually bound to a protein)
Pizza Cheese
Why does the cheese taste funny in reheated pizza? (Moisture loss changes its texture.)
Bacterial Batteries
A fuel cell that uses bacteria to convert sugars into electricity
Basil Wrap
Impregnating a plastic wrap with essence of basil keeps food safe from microbes
Bacterial Fertilizer
Some bacteria make airborne chemicals that help plans grow, resist herbivores
Popsicle Flavors
Why is it when you purchase popsicles at the grocery store, the flavor goes all the way through, but when you make them at home, the flavor is only on the outside? (Forming ice crystals push flavor particles out, store varieties are quick-frozen to prevent that)
Antibacterial Pollution
The antibacterial compound Triclosan converts into a dioxin, which is toxic to plants and animals.
Peptide Painkillers
Attaching a sugar to a peptide forms a painkiller twice as powerful as morphine.
Natural Light Bulbs
What is the make-up of a natural light bulb rather than a normal one? (the mix of colors it gives off)
Yeast Wires
Prions from yeast form tough fibers that can be used to make microchips and nanotechnology.
Scorpion Venom
Scorpion have a choice of two different venoms to use on prey.
Drying Dishes
Why does plastic dry faster than glass? (Because water beads on plastic, lowering the surface area for evaporation.)
Beady Water
Why does water bead up? (Tries to minimize surface area because of forces between molecules)
Frog Pharmacy
Alkaloid compounds on the skin of South American frogs can be tapped as medicines.