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Introducing "reprogramming" DNA strands into an already assembled nanoparticle array triggers a transition from a "mother phase," where particles occupy the corners and center of a cube (left), to a more compact "daughter phase" (right). The change represented in the schematic diagrams is revealed by the associated small-angle x-ray scattering patterns. Such phase-changes could potentially be used to switch a material's properties on demand.

The clever arrangement of two electrical conductors around the carbon nanotube leads to an efficient signal transmission between the carbon nanotube and a much larger conductor for electromagnetic waves.

The image shows a metamaterial hyperlens. The light-colored slivers are gold and the darker ones are PMMA (a transparent thermoplastic). Light passes through the hyperlens improving the resolution of very small objects.

What you see when you do a basic Web search is only the tip of the iceberg. Most of the information is buried in the "Deep Web." JPL is collaborating on a DARPA initiative called Memex, which explores the connections between bits of information hidden in this vast ocean of content.

The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft was released from the International Space Station's robotic arm at 7:04 a.m. EDT Thursday. The capsule then performed a series of departure burns and maneuvers to move beyond the 656-foot (200-meter) "keep out sphere" around the station and begin its return trip to Earth.

High-energy gold ions impact the crystal surface from above at the sites indicated schematically by dashed circles. Measurement of the strength of superconductivity in this same field of view, as shown on the lower panel, reveals how the impact sites are the regions where the superconductivity is also annihilated. In additional studies, the scientists discovered that it is in these same regions that the strongest pinning of quantized vortices occurs, followed at higher magnetic fields by pinning at the single atom crystal damage sites. Pinning the vortices allows high current superconductivity to flow unimpeded through the rest of the sample.

This May 15, 2015, image from the Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows detailed texture of a rock target called "Yellowjacket" on Mars' Mount Sharp. This was the first rock target for ChemCam after checkout of restored capability for autonomous focusing.

The U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center’s anthropology team has played a role in the development of the female body armor shown here. The team’s ANSUR II 3D Shape Database uses three-dimensional shapes and contour data to improve the fit of clothing and equipment for the warfighter. Accurate fit is a key component in providing optimum protection.