Chemistry
The Commando Who Foiled Hitler's Atomic Ambitions Has Died
Norwegian resistance fighter Joachim Ronneberg led the raid that destroyed stock of "heavy water" Hitler needed to produce weapons-grade plutonium
Remote South Atlantic Islands Are Flooded With Plastic
In less than ten years, plastic pollution around St. Helena, East Falkland and Ascension Islands has increased tenfold, and 100 times in the last 30 years
Residue of Opium Poppy Found in Bronze Age Juglet
Whether the opium was consumed or used as oil for perfume or for anointing remains unclear
Three Evolutionary Scientists Share This Year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Frances Arnold, George Smith and Gregory Winter employed principles seen in evolution to develop proteins that tackle global chemical problems
This New Coating Could Help Keep Buildings Cool
The porous polymer uses tiny air holes to reflect all wavelengths of sunlight, cooling buildings far better than white paint
The Mathematical Madness of Möbius Strips and Other One-Sided Objects
The discovery of the Möbius strip in the mid-19th century launched a brand new field of mathematics: topology
Should the Nobel Prizes Take a Year Off?
An award designed to go to those who benefit all humanity has a history of prejudice and controversy
Why Plant-Based Mosquito Repellents Are So Hard to Make
Bug sprays with DEET feel oily and smell gross. But turning natural plant oils into commercial products isn't easy
Genome Reveals When Opium Poppy Became a Painkiller
A combination of two genes over 7.8 million years ago was the first step to producing morphine and other narcotic compounds
Here's What We Know (and Don't Know) About Flushing Contact Lenses Down the Drain
Though they are tiny, the lenses add up--and might be infiltrating the environment
Climate Change Could Lead to Nutrient Deficiency for Hundreds of Millions
Carbon dioxide decreases zinc, iron and protein in food crops, which could add millions of people to the billions who don't get enough nutrition
Sewage May Hold the Key to Tracking Opioid Abuse
Public health managers are hoping to pinpoint how and when people abuse drugs in order to prevent deaths
Ancient Mayan Clearcutting Still Impacts Carbon in Soil Today
Even 1,000 years after a forest regrows, the soil beneath still won't hold as much carbon as it once could, a new study suggests
Turning Fatbergs Into Biofuel
Researchers have developed a new method for recycling greasy sewer blockages into green fuel
Animal Fat Found in Clay Pottery Reveals How Ancient People Adapted to Drought
Neolithic farmers switched from cattle to goat herding, abandoned communal dwellings for smaller households to adjust to new climate
Ocean Acidification Is Frying Fish's Sense of Smell
By the end of the century, the ocean is predicted to become two-and-a-half times more acidic, which is bad news for sea life.
How the Scent of Angry Bees Could Protect Elephants
A new study shows elephants fear bee pheromones, and this fact could keep the pachyderms out of crops
Climate Change Is Responsible for These Rare High-Latitude Clouds
A study shows that methane emissions are responsible for the increase of noctilucent clouds, which glow eerily at night
Will a New Discovery About Body Odor Lead to Better Deodorants?
Biologists now understand a key part of the molecular process that results in body odor—and deodorants might just be able to disrupt it
Pink Was the First Color of Life on Earth
Researchers have found bright pink pigments in 1.1 billion year old fossils of cyanobacteria drilled in West Africa
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