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Chemistry

This satellite image from January 16, 2022, reveals formaldehyde in blue. The volcanic plume from the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano traveled over the South Pacific.

Tonga’s Enormous Volcanic Eruption Cleaned Up Part of Its Own Methane Emissions in 2022, Hinting at a Way to Fight Climate Change

Researchers analyzed satellite imagery of the volcanic plume and found evidence that the potent greenhouse gas had broken down. The work could inform artificial interventions aiming to mitigate global warming, scientists say

Unlike metals such as iron and copper, gold doesn't easily tarnish. 

Glittering Gold Can Stay Shiny for Centuries. Scientists Say They’ve Figured Out Why the Precious Metal Is So Resistant to Tarnishing

When the metal is split, the atoms on its surface rearrange themselves into a very stable pattern that doesn’t easily react with oxygen in the air, a study suggests

The true story of the gin and tonic is less about a singular invention and more about the convergence of science, medicine, commerce and empire over several centuries.

The Gin and Tonic Is a Cocktail With a Storied History. Don’t Overlook Scotland’s Connection to the Classic

The country’s scientists, doctors, merchants and distillers all played significant roles in transforming the simple combination that packs a complicated mythology

Researchers collected groundwater in boreholes up to 1.8 miles underground. The water contains dissolved natural hydrogen.

This Canadian Mine Might Release Enough Natural Hydrogen Each Year to Power 400 Homes, Hinting at an Untapped Source of Clean Energy

Many of the country’s metal mines are embedded in an ancient rock formation that probably also houses a lot of the resource, referred to as “white hydrogen”

Scientists used acidic and basic solutions to trigger chemical reactions in algae.

These Marine Algae Glow When Waves Disturb Them. Their Bioluminescence Could Power Electricity-Free Lamps of the Future

The single-celled organisms usually shimmer for mere milliseconds, but researchers figured out how to sustain their illumination. The technology could one day be used to light robots’ ways in the deep sea or space

Lava, seen as darker brown rocks, from Methana's most recent eruption flows through ancient limestone into the sea.

This Greek Volcano Seemed Quiet for 100,000 Years. Then It Erupted Again. Should Scientists Take a Second Look at ‘Extinct’ Volcanoes?

By reconstructing a 700,000-year history of Methana volcano, geologists found a prehistoric phase when it appeared inactive on the surface, despite magma building up below ground

Comet 3I/ATLAS has much more "heavy" water than comets that formed in the solar system, according to a new study.

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Came From an Extremely Cold, Lonely Region of the Milky Way Galaxy, New Research Suggests

Astronomers analyzed the vapors coming off the comet when it neared the sun and found it had a lot of “heavy” water. That hints it grew up in a frigid planetary system, possibly before its home star formed

After drilling a rock sample from a spot on Mars nicknamed “Mary Anning,” NASA’s Curiosity rover took this selfie on October 25, 2020. Now, that sample has revealed organic molecules that have never been seen on the red planet before.

A Mars Rover Found Building Blocks of Life Never Seen on the Red Planet Before, Boosting the Case for Ancient Habitability

The organic molecules discovered by NASA’s Curiosity rover could have been formed by life, but they could have also come from geologic processes or meteorites

A gold lion ornament created by an Akan artist

New Research

Pirate Shipwreck Off the Coast of Cape Cod Sets the Historical Record Straight on West African Gold

Europeans spread rumors about degraded gold from their Akan trade partners. A new analysis of artifacts from the “Whydah Gally” shipwreck tells a different story

The League for Spiritual Discovery, an LSD-based meditation center in New York City, in 1967

The First LSD Trip Was a Literal Bicycle Ride 83 Years Ago. Fans of the Psychedelic Celebrate the Occasion Every April 19

In 1943, a chemist in Switzerland synthesized a drug that alters consciousness. His discovery changed the study of medicine, psychiatry and biology—and became a central component of the counterculture movement

A red aurora over Engaru, Hokkaido, Japan, similar to those documented throughout history, which helped the researchers reconstruct past solar activity

Medieval Writings and Tree Rings Helped Researchers Track a Solar Storm From 800 Years Ago and Reconstruct Past Solar Cycles

Diary entries by the Japanese poet Fujiwara no Teika, along with other historical sources from across Asia and Europe, played pivotal roles in a new study

Tobacco plants make a lot of the amino acid tryptophan, the basis of many psychoactive compounds.

Scientists Engineered Tobacco Plants to Produce Five Mind-Altering Psychedelic Compounds

The substances have been used by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years, but they’ve recently become popular as possible therapeutics for mental health conditions

Stars in the ancient dwarf galaxy Pictor II

Astronomers Discover a Rare Primitive Star That Provides a Chemical Snapshot of the Early Universe

PicII-503 is likely a second-generation star, born from the remnants of the very first stars, according to a new study

Touch screens can be a challenge for users with long fingernails.

A New Nail Polish Might Someday Solve Touch Screen Struggles for Users With Long Fingernails

The experimental coating could effectively transform fingernails into touch screen-compatible styluses

The researchers used sound waves to levitate tiny glass spheres as part of their study. 

Scientists Make a Major Breakthrough in Solving a Hair-Raising Mystery About Static Electricity

The findings can help explain the physics behind phenomena like volcanic lightning

An artist’s illustration of the exoplanet HD 219134 b, a rocky world about 21 light-years from Earth. This scorching planet, which orbits extremely close to its host star, might have a partially molten surface and volcanoes.

Alien Life Could Look Nothing Like What We Expect. Here’s How Microbes Beyond Earth Might Live Without Liquid Water

Like the lead character of “Project Hail Mary,” some scientists are proposing ways that life might exist beyond a star’s “habitable zone,” often considered the gold standard of potential livability

The fire-loving fungus Geopyxis, seen here in 2022, after California’s Caldor Fire, has distinctive brown cups with white rims.

These Charcoal-Eating Fungi Flourish After Fires. Uncovering Their Genetic Secrets Could Help Rebuild Burned Ecosystems

Mycologists cultivated fungi they found in post-wildfire landscapes to understand the evolutionary traits behind their ability to thrive in the wake of flames

Lead author Matt von Konrat studying moss found with reburied human remains.

How a Tiny Clump of Moss Helped the FBI Solve a Grave-Robbing Case

Cemetery workers argued that the crimes happened before their employment. But a buried bit of moss told a different story

Researchers developed a tiny fart-measuring device that snaps into underwear. 

How Often Do You Fart? This ‘Smart Underwear’ Can Keep Track, Because Figuring Out a Baseline Is Important for Science

Researchers have launched a study to find a typical range for flatulence, which has been harder to measure than you might expect

Earth's core is mostly made of the metals iron and nickel, but it also contains lighter elements like hydrogen, oxygen and silicon. 

Earth’s Core Might Hold Dozens of Oceans Worth of Hydrogen, Hinting at the Origins of the Planet’s Vast Water Supply

Scientists have long debated whether most of Earth’s vital liquid was delivered via icy comets or was homemade

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