Chemistry

  1. Chemistry

    News Brief: Wash removes nano germ-killers

    Manufacturers coat many fabrics with silver nanoparticles to kill bacteria. But when those items get laundered it can be bye-bye germ killers.

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  2. Chemistry

    Cooking up life for the first time

    The basic components for life could have emerged together nearly 4 billion years ago on the surface of Earth, chemists report.

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  3. Chemistry

    Goopy tech leaves older 3-D printing in its wake

    A new way of 3-D printing combines light and oxygen to create solid objects from liquid resin. The method quickly creates detailed objects.

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  4. Genetics

    Silencing genes — to understand them

    Hijacking a cell process called RNA interference can let scientists turn off a selected gene. Its silencing can point to what genes do when they’re on — and may lead to new treatments for disease.

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  5. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: Fulgurite

    When lightning strikes in the right place, it can fuse minerals together in a glassy structure.

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  6. Tech

    Sunglasses on demand

    Plastics that conduct electricity let new color-changing sunglasses go from dark to light and back again at the tap of a switch. The shades could come in a range of colors too.

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  7. Chemistry

    Why metals have a blast in water

    Alkali metals explode in water. Using high-speed cameras, scientists have finally figured out why.

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  8. Brain

    Blowing up the brain

    When added to brain tissue, a chemical like one found in baby diapers expands. And it expands that brain tissue too, giving scientists a better view of how its cells connect.

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  9. Environment

    Air pollution can mess with our DNA

    New research suggests a type of air pollution — diesel fumes — can affect your health. It inappropriately switches some genes on, while turning off others.

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  10. Tech

    Rewritable paper: Prints with light, not ink

    Rewritable paper could save money, preserve forests and cut down on waste — and all without using any ink.

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  11. Planets

    Asteroid impacts may have sparked life on Earth

    The energy produced by comets and asteroids that collide with Earth may have been strong enough to start life.

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  12. Environment

    Thirdhand smoke poses lingering danger

    The pollutants in cigarette smoke can linger indoors for hours. Indeed, they may pose risks long after any visible smoke is gone.

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