All Stories by Corinna Wu
- Tech
Disappearing Ink
Coming to your tattoo parlor soon: New inks that allow clients to have their designs cleanly erased if embarrassment or regret sets in.
- Earth
Cellulose Dreams
Turning cellulose from plants into ethanol for fuel could help lower greenhouse-gas emissions—but the conversion is far from straightforward.
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- Materials Science
The Buck Starts Here
The U.S. Mint performed some neat tricks to make a golden dollar.
- Chemistry
Toxin in absinthe makes neurons run wild
The alpha-thujone in absinthe—Vincent Van Gogh's favorite drink—blocks brain receptors for a natural inhibitor of nerve impulses, causing brain cells to fire uncontrollably.
- Chemistry
Sensor sniffs out spoiled fish
A new electronic nose detects amine compounds produced when fish decay.
- Chemistry
Air knocks the wind out of nanotubes
Carbon nanotubes are very sensitive to oxygen, an effect that could limit their use in open-air applications.
- Chemistry
Heat spurs growth of tiny carbon trees
Microscopic carbon forests can grow on a graphite surface without the help of catalysts.
- Chemistry
Buckyballs Can Come from Outer Space
A new analysis settles the question of whether carbon molecules found in meteorites have an extraterrestrial origin.
- Chemistry
Molecules Leave Their Mark
A material etched with tiny, carefully shaped pores can act like an artificial enzyme, cell membrane, or receptor.
- Chemistry
Power cells find uses for fossil fuel
A new fuel cell that runs on hydrocarbons such as natural gas, butane, and diesel instead of hydrogen could be an efficient, practical way to generate power without pollution.
- Chemistry
Where the Gems Are
By using a novel tool to figure out an emerald’s oxygen-isotope ratio, gemologists can now determine which mine the precious stone came from and, possibly, gain insights into the formation and history of these coveted gems.
