Category Archives: Chemistry
New reactor could more than triple the yield of one of the world’s most valuable chemicals
A new reactor creates ammonia from polluted wastewater using electricity, and it’s way more efficient [...]
What happens to meat as it’s cooked?
Heat triggers a series of complex chemical reactions that change the color, flavor and texture [...]
Why doesn’t stainless steel rust?
The special chemistry of this shiny iron alloy creates a protective layer on its surface [...]
Why does metal squeak?
Squeaking metal can be grating on the nerves, but it serves an important purpose. The [...]
What is the world’s most dangerous chemical?
There are plenty of harmful chemicals, but the devil is in the details when determining [...]
Does honey ever go bad?
Honey owes its long shelf-life to its makers, but it doesn’t always last forever. Honey [...]
Why does cotton shrink?
The science of ruining your favorite shirt is more complicated than you might think. It’s [...]
Secrets of radioactive ‘promethium’ — a rare earth element with mysterious applications — uncovered after 80-year search
Scientists have revealed key properties of radioactive promethium, a rare earth element with poorly understood [...]
Scientists grow diamonds from scratch in 15 minutes thanks to groundbreaking new process
Scientists have used a new technique to synthesize diamonds at normal, atmospheric pressure and without [...]
Chinese scientists have found a way to make batteries more efficient — by using water
Chinese researchers have found a way to make aqueous batteries more energy-dense, by adding bromide [...]
Why does striking flint against steel start a fire?
What’s the science behind starting a fire with flint and steel? Any outdoor survivalist worth [...]
World’s thinnest gold leaf, dubbed ‘goldene,’ is just 1 atom thick
Goldene is the latest 2D material to be made since graphene was first created in [...]
Roman glass keeps turning into photonic crystals. Scientists finally know why
Analysis of the microscopic structure of an ancient shard of Roman glass has revealed how [...]
Is glass a liquid or a solid?
Glass has unique properties, but is it a solid or a liquid, or does it [...]
What’s the highest temperature water can freeze, and the lowest it can boil on Earth?
Ice can form on Earth at temperatures above 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius), and [...]