Chemistry
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PlantsGold can grow on trees
Australian researchers found leafy nano-evidence pointing to rich deposits of the precious metal deep below ground.
By Beth Geiger -
PhysicsX-ray ‘eyes’
Movie directors often make “short” subjects, flicks running sometimes just a few minutes or so. But scientists have begun making much quicker “shorts,” essentially nanofilms. Their goal: catching science in action.
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ChemistrySelf-forming envelope holds fluids
These plastic-laced water molecules can create their own protective shell. That can make capsules for holding drugs or for hosting chemical reactions.
By Beth Mole -
ChemistryGrape scents repel mosquitoes
Safer than DEET, the new compounds could lead to insect repellents that would be affordable even in poor regions where mosquitoes carry malaria.
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ChemistryCyberspace chemistry earns a Nobel
The achievements behind the 2013 Nobel Prize in chemistry relied on a lot of complex physics. But the computer techniques pioneered by these three men are now saving chemists a lot of work.
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ChemistryVitamin can keep electronics ‘healthy’
Vitamin E is among cheap materials that can avoid the zap of static electricity — a discharge that risks destroying sensitive electronic circuitry.
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ChemistryCool Jobs: Repellent chemistry
Chemistry is just one way to repel water in nature. Structure, or the shape of things, is another. To excel at water repellency, the lotus leaf relies on both.
By Sid Perkins -
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ChemistryA penny for your health?
Copper is best known as the reddish metal used to make pennies, electrical wiring and weather vanes. But two teen scientists think copper should find its way into medical settings as well. Their data suggest the metal — in bandages or on surfaces — could play a major role in killing some types of bacteria responsible for serious infections.
By Sid Perkins -
ChemistryNew bag keeps food fresh longer
Invention harnesses oxygen-trapping power of iron.
By Sid Perkins -
ChemistryA warming life jacket
New liner contains a substance that helps fight heat loss in chilly water.
By Sid Perkins -
ChemistryBuilding a better battery
Researchers develop a way to make batteries that hold more charge and don’t weaken with age.
By Sid Perkins