Chemistry

Chemistry

A new method of making diamonds doesn’t require extreme pressure 

Lab-grown diamonds can form at atmospheric pressure in a liquid of gallium, iron, nickel and silicon.

Space

How a sugar acid crucial for life could have formed in interstellar clouds

Computer calculations and lab experiments have revealed a possible mechanism for the creation of glyceric acid, which has been seen in meteorites.

Chemistry

Protein whisperer Oluwatoyin Asojo fights neglected diseases

Oluwatoyin Asojo’s work on hookworm protein structures have contributed to a vaccine being tested in people.

Humans

These are the chemicals that give teens pungent body odor

Steroids and high levels of carboxylic acids in teenagers’ body odor give off a mix of pleasant and acrid scents.

Chemistry

The smallest known molecular knot is made of just 54 atoms

Chemists are still trying to figure out why this combination of gold, phosphorus, oxygen and carbon atoms resulted in a molecular knot in the first place.

Chemistry

Here’s how tardigrades go into suspended animation

A new study offers more clues about the role of oxidation in signaling transitions between alive and mostly dead in tardigrades.

Climate

Capturing methane from the air would slow global warming. Can it be done?

Removing methane from the atmosphere requires different technology from removing carbon dioxide. Scientists are taking on the challenge.

Chemistry

‘Most Delicious Poison’ explores how toxins rule our world

In his debut book, Noah Whiteman tours through chemistry, evolution and world history to understand toxins and how we’ve come to use them.

Physics

Light, not just heat, might spur water to evaporate

In experiments, light shining on water as much as doubled the evaporation rate expected from heat alone, hinting at a never-before-seen effect.

Plants

Salty sweat helps one desert plant stay hydrated

The Athel tamarisk excretes excess salt through its leaves. The buildup of salt crystals pulls water directly from the air, a study reports.

Chemistry

The development of quantum dots wins the 2023 Nobel prize in chemistry

Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov split the prize for their work in creating nanoparticles whose properties depend on their size.

Chemistry

50 years ago, the quest for superheavy elements was just getting started

In the 1970s, scientists were on the hunt for superheavy elements. They’ve since found more than a dozen and are searching for more.