Chemistry
We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Life
Michelle O’Malley seeks greener chemistry through elusive fungi
Michelle O’Malley studies anaerobic gut fungi, microbes that could help make chemicals and fuels from sustainable sources.
- Archaeology
Baby bottles may go back millennia in Europe
Europe’s early farmers used spouted vessels to wean infants, an analysis of residue from animal milk left in the containers suggests.
- Science & Society
3-D printed ‘ghost guns’ pose new challenges for crime-scene investigators
Researchers are analyzing the ballistics of 3-D printed guns and the plastic they leave behind to help forensic scientists track these DIY weapons.
- Humans
The longest Dead Sea Scroll sports a salt finish that the others lack
A newly discovered salty lamination on the Temple Scroll could help explain why the ancient manuscript’s parchment is remarkably bright.
- Tech
A mini chemical lab could one day test for toxic nerve agents in the field
Portable lab equipment that detects nerve agents could help judge when it’s safe to return to previously exposed areas.
- Earth
How ancient oceans of magma may have boosted Earth’s oxygen levels
Chemical reactions involving iron could have increased the amount of oxygen-rich compounds in the early Earth’s mantle, lab experiments suggest.
- Chemistry
Plant-based fire retardants may offer a less toxic way to tame flames
Flame retardants created from plant materials could be less harmful to the environment than traditional flame-smothering chemicals.
- Chemistry
Chemists have created and imaged a new form of carbon
A new molecule takes its place among buckyballs, carbon nanotubes and other odd forms of carbon.
- Earth
Fluid in superdeep diamonds may be from some of Earth’s oldest unchanged material
Primordial rock deep in the mantle and dating to just after Earth’s formation could yield insights about the planet’s formation and evolution
- Chemistry
A fungus makes a chemical that neutralizes the stench of skunk spray
A compound produced by fungi reacts with skunk spray to form residues that aren’t offensive to the nose and can be more easily washed away.
- Tech
Tiny magnetic coils could help break down microplastic pollution
Carbon nanotubes designed to release plastic-eroding chemicals could clear the long-lasting trash from waterways.
- Chemistry
Droplets of these simple molecules may have helped kick-start life on Earth
Simple molecules called alpha hydroxy acids form cell-sized structures in conditions mimicking early Earth chemistry.
