Scientists show that cheap chemical dyes may one day help with the efficient capture of the sun's energy

Fossilized feathers of an early bird or dinosaur may retain evidence of pigment, offering a chance to animal colors of the Cretaceous.

A limited supply of vaccine shots, if targeted well, could stop the spread of disease.

An experiment may explain the origin of underwater waves that shape the sediment of continental slopes.

An optical trap lets atoms in but not out, and it can be used to study matter at ultracold temperatures.

Scientists reveal new details on how extendable jaws help fish capture prey.

Gold comes in many colors. Since ancient times, glass artists and alchemists alike have known how to grind the metal into fine particles that would take on hues such as red or mauve. At scales even smaller, clusters of just a few dozen atoms display even more outlandish behavior. Gold and certain other atoms often tend to aggregate in specific numbers and highly symmetrical geometries, and sometimes these clusters can mimic the chemistry of single atoms of a completely different element. They become, as some researchers say, superatoms. Recently researchers have reported successes i...