Chemistry
This weird chemical bond acts like a mash-up of hydrogen and covalent bonds
Chemistry students are taught that hydrogen bonds and covalent bonds are distinct, but a new study shows they exist on a continuum.
All Topics
Chemistry
Earth
Earth
Space station detectors found the source of weird ‘blue jet’ lightning
The origins of an enigmatic type of lightning in the upper atmosphere has been traced to a 10-microsecond flash of bright blue light.
Humans
Archaeology
The oldest known abrading tool was used around 350,000 years ago
A flat-ended rock found in an Israeli cave marks an early technological shift by human ancestors to make stone tools for grinding rather than cutting.
Life
Animals
Some bacteria are suffocating sea stars, turning the animals to goo
For years, researchers thought an infectious pathogen was behind sea star wasting disease. Instead, bacteria deplete the starfishes’ oxygen.
Math
Math
A documentary and a Bollywood film highlight two disparate paths in mathematics
An unlikely pair of films recount tales of two very different mathematical women, Maryam Mirzakhani and Shakuntala Devi.
Physics
Physics
Explore every gravitational wave event spotted so far
This interactive visualization reveals the diversity of smashups that generate gravitational waves.
Science & Society
Science & Society
Biden administration outlines its ambitious plan to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic
Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, an adviser to the Biden transition team, talks about the plans to tackle the public health crisis COVID-19 created.
Space
Astronomy
Astronomers spotted a rare galaxy shutting down star formation
A distant galaxy harbors an active black hole and active star formation at the same time – an unusual coincidence.
Tech
Chemistry
Zinc-air batteries are typically single-use. A new design could change that
Swapping out the electrolyte in zinc-air batteries helps these next-gen power sources last longer.
