Chemistry
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Humans
Putting BPA-based dental fillings in perspective
A new study finds that children who have their cavities filled with a white composite resin known as bis-GMA appear to develop small but quantifiable drops in psychosocial function. To put it simply: Treated kids can become more moody, aggressive and generally less well adjusted.
- Physics
Old battery gets a high-tech makeover
Redesigned nickel-iron battery gives modern lithium-ion devices a run for their money.
- Humans
What’s in your wallet? Another ‘estrogen’
A chemical cousin of bisphenol A, a hormone mimic, has turned up on banknotes from around the world in addition to tainting 14 other types of papery products. Owing to the near ubiquity of BPS in paper, human exposure is likely also “ubiquitous,” conclude the study's authors. Oh, and a second new study shows that BPS behaves like an estrogen.
- Chemistry
Flerovium and livermorium debut on periodic table
New element names honor the contributions of Russian and American laboratories.
- Chemistry
Youngsters can sniff out old people’s scent
Body odor changes detectably with age, becoming mellower in men and not at all offensive in either sex — even to young people.
- Chemistry
Dancing droplets reveal physics at work
Magnetic fields can deflect liquid oxygen subject to the unusual “Leidenfrost effect.”
- Chemistry
Synthetic heredity molecules emulate DNA
Scientists have created six XNAs that, like the genetic building blocks they mimic, can store and pass on hereditary information.
- Chemistry
Scientist fiddles with spider silk
Bundled and processed, the sturdy filaments yield a soft, rich sound on the violin.
- Humans
Chemists distinguish between gunshot residue from various firearms
Analytical technique could lead to better crime scene investigation.
- Chemistry
For truffle aroma, it’s not all about location
Genes, not environment, play a key role in the prized fungus’s scent.
- Chemistry
Life’s building blocks grow close to home
Chemical reactions in the early solar system create complex organic molecules.
- Chemistry
Protons on the move find novel molecular route
Hydrogen bonds aren’t the only means of proton travel to another molecule, a study finds.
