Physics
Scientists made clocks from an atomic nucleus
These super high-tech timepieces use the chemical element thorium to keep time. And as the clocks improve, they could help solve some mysteries in physics.
MS-PS1-1
Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.
More Stories in MS-PS1-1
- Health & Medicine
Meet CLA, a naturally ‘healthy’ fat in burgers, ice cream and more
Solid at room temp, the natural trans fat conjugated linoleic acid resembles saturated fats — except that it appears good for the body in many ways.
- Health & Medicine
Explainer: What are ultraprocessed foods?
Packed with chemical additives, these foods have become a major part of our diets. Scientists have begun to worry about how ultraprocessed foods may impact health.
- Chemistry
Explainer: What is chirality?
Chiral molecules are mirror images of each other. They might not seem all that different — but can have drastically different effects in medicine, materials and more.
- Physics
Could we ever build the tech to shrink ourselves?
The atoms that make us up couldn’t be shrunk or smashed closer together — at least, not without catastrophic consequences.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Element
The number of neutrons and electrons can vary in atoms of the same element. The number of protons alone sets each of these substances apart.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Tauonium
No protons, neutrons or electrons. And yet, based on what scientists know about fundamental particles, this variety of atom just might exist.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Chiral
Many biological molecules come in a left- and right-handed form — and biology plays favorites.
- Chemistry
Experiment: Blow the best homemade bubbles
What’s the best recipe for blowing the most impressive bubbles? Let’s find out.
- Chemistry
A new map of Africa sheds light on the origins of enslaved people
Mapping the element strontium across the continent is helping track down the birthplaces of enslaved Africans brought to the Americas.
