Chemistry
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- 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.
- Chemistry
Opioids’ molecular magic unmasked
New 3-D structures of opiumlike drugs bound to the body’s proteins will aid the development of better painkillers and the battle against drug abuse.
- Chemistry
Better hydrogen storage process unveiled
Scientists create a chemical switch that can catch and release the useful gas.
- Chemistry
Polymer power drives tiny reactions
Applying pressure to a building block of plastic in water, researchers generate enough energy to make your Nikes glow and do other chemical work.
- Chemistry
Taste of fructose revs up metabolism
The pancreas pumps more insulin in response to the sugar, potentially throwing the body’s energy-storage machinery out of whack.
