What do the demise of the Roman Empire and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster have in common? More than you might think.

“It’s the end of the world as we know it — and I feel fine,” declared the rock band R.E.M. in their 1980s hit. With the Mayan calendar pointing to doomsday at the end of this year, USU’s College of Science joins the chorus with the new Science Unwrapped series "End of the World as We Know It."

Imagine a material that’s stronger than steel yet light as a feather. Imagine bullet-stopping body armor so comfortable it feels like a second skin. Science fiction? In the not-so-distant future, maybe not.

Watch next week’s Utah State Today postings and e-mail for the details on the Friday, Nov. 4, Science Unwrapped presentation “Spider Silk: An Ancient Biomaterial for the Future.”

n his 1916 Theory of General Relativity, famed physicist Albert Einstein described gravitational waves that emanate from space as “ripples in space-time.” He predicted that mass moves through space creating these mysterious currents much as a boat creates waves as it moves through water.

What does it take to get a good start in life? Loving parents and caregivers? Good nutrition? A safe and comfortable home?

Utah State University scientist Randy Lewis is getting a workout on the media circuit as news of his innovative spider silk research reaches all corners of the globe.

Utah State University’s College of Science announces the new Science Unwrapped series “Modern Scientific Marvels” for fall 2011.

Utah State University’s College of Science announces the new Science Unwrapped series “Modern Scientific Marvels” for fall 2011.