Since graphite—the dark material used in regular old pencils—and diamonds are both made from carbon, it's technically feasible to turn the former into the latter. You just need to apply a little pressure—about 150,000 times what the atmosphere on Earth's surface is like. But researchers at Stanford University claim to have found a shortcut. Read More >>

In the summer of 1971, on the campus of one of the top universities in the US, and under the supervision of a faculty member, 11 students tortured 10 others over a six-day period, all in the interest of "science." Read More >>

The problem with lithium ion batteries is that the more discharge cycles you put them through, the less efficient the negative electrode becomes at holding electrons. This just won't do in our mobile future, so researchers at Stanford University have developed a battery that actually heals itself. It's nearly alive. Read More >>

The modern-day jet engine may be powerful enough to shuttle travellers across a continent in just six hours but it's also unbearably loud—for both the ground crews that work around them and residents within earshot of airports. And while aircraft engineers are developing quieter designs, building and testing these hushed prototypes can run into the six figures. But with the help of the US Livermore National Labs' supercomputer and some open-source modelling software, commercial airliners may soon be whisper quiet. Read More >>

The Concorde became the premiere transport across the Atlantic in part because it was precluded from flying over populated areas due to the sonic boom it created on takeoff. A new two-wing design, however, may hold the secret to silently breaking the sound barrier. Guile does not approve. Read More >>

Stanford scientists have created designer electrons that behave as if they were exposed to a magnetic field of 60 Tesla—a force 30 percent stronger than anything ever sustained on Earth. The work could lead to a revolution in the materials that make everything from video displays to airplanes to mobile phones. Read More >>

No, this isn't a closeup of a Cosby Sweater. Nor is it the result of those shrooms you ingested twenty minutes ago. It's actually science's newest means of mapping one of the Earth's wildest and most remote regions. Read More >>

Man and machine might not be that different in the future — especially if they share the same synthetic skin being developed at Stanford University. Read More >>

The Braille system has allowed blind people to read the written word since 1825. Unfortunately, Braille doesn't translate well to the glossy smooth surfaces of modern touch screen tablets and phones. A new app thinks it can change that. Read More >>