Cyclist Mark Cavendish riding in the Tour de France

Why elite cyclists dance with their bikes

July 15, 2021

A new Boulder study shows that rising up out of the saddle and gently swaying the bike side-to-side, known in French as "en danseuse," can significantly boost performance.

Panorama of Coors Field during game

It’s outta here: The physics of baseball at a mile high

July 7, 2021

In 1998, the last time Major League Baseball's All-Star Game was held in Colorado, teams scored a record 21 runs. Engineer Peter Hamlington breaks down why we can expect balls to fly faster and farther at this year's All-Star Game at Coors Field.

Litter on beach

Speedy nanorobots could someday clean up soil and water, deliver drugs

June 29, 2021

Boulder researchers have discovered that minuscule, self-propelled particles called “nanoswimmers” can escape from mazes as much as 20 times faster than other passive particles, paving the way for their use in everything from industrial clean-ups to medication delivery.

Hyena cub

Cat-borne parasite Toxoplasma induces fatally bold behavior in hyena cubs

June 23, 2021

New research finds that the same parasite found in house cats (and often in their guardians) prompts hyena cubs in the wild to act dangerously bold near lions, often resulting in their death.

A close-up of a computer chip.

AI may soon predict how electronics fail

June 21, 2021

"Hotspots," or tiny defects in the components that make up your phone and many other devices, can cause electronics to break down. Engineers are using machine learning techniques to predict ahead of time where they might pop up.

3D renderings of post-natal kidneys

Research paves way for new kidney treatment, potential synthetic transplant options

June 17, 2021

A new lab at Boulder is exploring how the extracellular matrix—a network of proteins that surrounds cells and provides structural and mechanical cues in the body—specifically impacts kidney growth, development and function.

A hydrogen fuel pump

Researchers develop tool to aid in development, efficiency of hydrogen-powered cars

June 11, 2021

Widespread adoption of hydrogen-powered vehicles requires fuel cells that can convert hydrogen and oxygen safely into water—a serious implementation problem. Researchers at Boulder are addressing one aspect of that roadblock.

Ricardo Reyes takes air quality measurements from the back of a classroom filled with kids

Better air quality in some Colorado schools will last long after the pandemic

June 1, 2021

Kids around Colorado are kicking back for summer vacation. But one team of engineers is working to make sure when children come back to school in the fall, the air they breathe will be cleaner and healthier.

This scanning electron microscope image shows the distinct bow tie shape of an optical rectenna.

Scientists debut world’s most efficient 'optical rectennas,' devices that harvest power from heat

May 18, 2021

For decades, researchers have theorized that optical rectennas could sit on everything from bakery ovens to dirigibles flying high above Earth to harvest waste heat and turn it into electricity. But to date, those goals have remained elusive. Now, engineers have unveiled the most efficient optical rectennas yet.

Illustration of a double helical covalent polymer

Scientists construct first-ever synthetic DNA-like polymer

May 14, 2021

Scientists' recent discovery with double helical covalent polymers—which are spiraling collections of nature’s building blocks—represent a huge advancement in a critical and understudied field.

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