Chemistry

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We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Chemistry

    How butterflies stay dry

    Slightly bumpy surfaces reduce water drops’ contact time.

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  2. Chemistry

    Why death smells so deadly

    Pinning down animals' odor detectors gives researchers a way to study aversion or attraction to certain objects. And understanding how these behavioral responses work will help researchers clarify why humans feel disgust.

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  3. Materials Science

    Qingsongite

    This newly christened mineral has an atomic structure that’s similar to diamond and nearly as hard.

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  4. Chemistry

    Floating beads of water act as tiny test tubes

    Chemists exploit pH and ion charge in superheated water drops to create nanoparticles.

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  5. Chemistry

    Oxygen shapes growth of graphene

    The number of atoms on a copper surface changes the size and rate of the material's crystal development.

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  6. Chemistry

    Water squishes into stable shapes, no container required

    Nanoparticles lock together to hold water in place for more than a month.

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  7. Planetary Science

    Carbonation may have grounded Mars’ atmosphere

    The chemical interaction could have forced Red Planet’s atmospheric carbon dioxide into the dirt.

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  8. Chemistry

    Crystal-crystal contact makes quasicrystal

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  9. Physics

    ‘Magic number’ 34

    Guest post by Gabriel Popkin.

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  10. Chemistry

    Simulating reactions in cyberspace earns Nobel Prize in chemistry

    Computer models that meld quantum and classical calculations have earned three scientists the 2013 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

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  11. Chemistry

    Solving chemical experiments in cyberspace wins scientists Nobel Prize in chemistry

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  12. Humans

    Chemical behind corked wine quashes other aromas

    Old sock smell signals contamination but doesn't belong to TCA, study proposes.

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