Ames Laboratory

Copper is known for its ability to kill microbes on contact, which is why it's often professionally coated onto commonly touched items. A copper nanowire spray may allow everyday folks to give existing surfaces the same treatment, using a spray can.

Under the guise of World Cup fever, scientists across the globe are seizing the opportunity to examine the aerodynamic properties of what will in all likelihood be the most talked-about object on a global scale over the coming weeks, the 2014 World Cup match ball.

Researchers have developed a process of producing a thin and uniform light-absorbing layer on textured substrates that improves the efficiency of polymer solar cells by 20 percent.