Chemistry
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Oceans
Tiny bits of iron may explain why some icebergs are green
Scientists originally thought the green hue of some icebergs came from carbon particles. Instead, iron oxides may color the ice.
- Chemistry
Here’s how long the periodic table’s unstable elements last
Most elements on the periodic table have at least one stable form. But some don’t. Here’s how long those unstable members endure.
- Chemistry
Extreme elements push the boundaries of the periodic table
The hunt for the next elements on the periodic table might turn up superheavy atoms that flaunt the rules of chemistry.
- Science & Society
Scientists set sail for the elusive island of stability
Editor in Chief Nancy Shute discusses the search for the island of stability and the future of the periodic table.
- Chemistry
Why kids may be at risk from vinyl floors and fire-resistant couches
Children from homes with all vinyl floors and flame-retardant sofas show higher levels of some synthetic chemicals in their bodies than other kids.
- Chemistry
Why some Georgia O’Keeffe paintings have ‘art acne’
Tiny protrusions are from chemical reactions in the paint, say scientists who developed an imaging method that could help curators track the knobs.
- Health & Medicine
A new 3-D printed ‘sponge’ sops up excess chemo drugs
Researchers have created “sponges” that would absorb excess cancer drugs before they spread through the body and cause negative side effects.
- Chemistry
Your phone could reveal your radiation exposure after a nuclear disaster
Examining personal electronics may help gauge people’s radiation exposure in the event of a nuclear accident or attack.
- Chemistry
150 years on, the periodic table has more stories than it has elements
The organized rows and columns of the Periodic Table hide a rich and twisting history.
- Chemistry
How the periodic table went from a sketch to an enduring masterpiece
150 years ago, Russian chemist Dmitrii Mendeleev created the periodic table of the elements, revolutionizing chemistry.
- Science & Society
The periodic table remains essential after 150 years
Editor in Chief Nancy Shute reflects on the 150th anniversary of the invention of the periodic table by Dmitrii Mendeleev.
- Animals
Green darner dragonflies migrate a bit like monarch butterflies
Some dragonflies do a north-south annual migration that takes at least three generations.
