101 High-Tech Materials

Every hour, enough sunlight hits the earth to power the entire planet for a year. But since they’re pricey—and, let’s face it, generally unattractive—solar cells are still woefully underutilized and most sunlight lays fallow.

As more and more Americans are quickly discovering, the land beneath our feet is not quite as solid as we thought. Houses slip down hillsides, trees float down rivers, and whole cities disappear under swirling water.

Silver has been used for centuries as an antimicrobial agent.

The right lighting can bring warmth and atmosphere to any room.

Product design that takes cues from nature, known as biomimicry, has produced a num-
ber of ingenious and popular products we use every day.