All Stories by Beth Mole
- Chemistry
Carbon monoxide junked for making plastic
Using a catalyst, chemists can swap in the less dangerous carbon dioxide.
- Climate
Strong winds may have waylaid global warming
Gusts over the Pacific Ocean may have stashed heat underwater since 2001.
- Materials Science
Scientists throw crystals a curve
Particles inside a sphere assemble into ordered ribbons, not lumps.
- Tech
The gene sequencing future is here
The biggest expense in sequencing a human genome now is the cost of storing it.
- Materials Science
Bone inspires strong, lightweight material
Tiny synthetic structures modeled after bone are as sturdy as metal.
- Health & Medicine
Nanopackaging biodegrades after delivering cancer drug
DNA binding creates potentially nontoxic tumor-targeting structures.
- Agriculture
Some bioenergy crops are greener than others
In the Upper Midwest, switchgrass trumps maize at boosting ecological health.
- Health & Medicine
Green tea may sabotage blood pressure medication
Antioxidants in drink may keep intestinal cells from taking up drug.
- Animals
Wrinkle arises in soggy hand studies
An experiment bucks earlier finding that ridges help fingers grasp.
- Chemistry
Battery blueprint promises green energy storage
A device that relies on organic molecules could cheaply bank power from renewable sources.
- Genetics
Top genomes of 2013
Scientists continue to decode the genetic blueprints of the planet’s myriad flora and fauna.
- Chemistry
Salt spices up chemistry
Hot, compressed sodium chloride stretches the fundamental rules of matter.
