Chemistry
- Chemistry
Rocks hold clues to ancient die-offs
Rocks that formed during ancient mass-extinction show that the oceans back then had become very warm. That was the last time Earth spewed carbon dioxide into its atmosphere at a rate similar to what is happening today.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Keratin
Keratin is a fibrous protein that gives our nails and hair their strength.
- Agriculture
Building better, safer soils
Engineering safer soils for urban growers can reduce the risk of lead exposure and let low-income families enjoy more fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Joule
A joule is the amount of work done when a force of one newton moves an object one meter. It’s also the energy required to produce one watt for one second.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Radioactive
Some atoms have unstable centers. They periodically give off energy. This activity has a special description.
- Chemistry
Some 3-D printing can leave toxic taint
The ”ink” inside some 3-D printers can leave toxic traces. In tests, these chemicals harmed baby fish. But lighting could render the parts safer.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Osmosis
When two solutions are separated by a membrane where only the liquid can cross, the liquid will move from the side with a low concentration of dissolved materials to the side with a higher concentration. This movement has a special name.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Dioxide
Carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and zirconium dioxide all have something in common. They are all molecules with two oxygens bound to some other element.
- Chemistry
Explainer: Temperature and electrical resistance
Higher temperatures mean more energy and more motion. In contrast, cold means slow moving molecules.
- Health & Medicine
Some air pollutants seep through skin
The skin is the body’s largest organ. And it can let in as much or more of certain air pollutants than enter through the lungs, a new study finds.
- Chemistry
Slime cities
Biofilms are like tiny cities of bacteria — some harmless, others destructive. Scientists are learning how to keep these microscopic metropolises under control.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Organic
These days you might think organic refers just to food. But it has a completely different meaning in chemistry.
