Chemistry

Dense smoke rises as fire engines arrive at the blast site after the deadly explosions in Binhai New Area in Tianjin, China.

It's Strangely Difficult to Measure Big Explosions

But is it time for a makeover?

Skimming Oil in the Gulf of Mexico

Scientists Find a Natural Way to Clean Up Oil Spills, With a Plant-Based Molecule

Researchers at the City College of New York are testing a spray made of phytol, a molecule in chlorophyll, on oil in lab wave pools

Legos Go Sustainable, and Everything (Really) is Awesome

To reduce its carbon footprint, the toy company is searching for a sustainable material for its bricks by 2030

Visitors to a hot springs resort in Japan enjoy a wine bath.

What’s the Deal With Wine Baths?

Chemists investigate the science behind the hype

What Makes Day Old Water Taste Funny?

It might be full of microbes and carbon dioxide, but a leftover glass of water is still (probably) safe to drink

Urine (Not Chlorine) Causes Red Eyes in Pools

CDC spreads the word about the peril of pee in pools

The little blue pill is nothing like flibanserin, the sexual dysfunction drug for women recently approved by an FDA advisory committee.

Stop Calling Flibanserin "Female Viagra"

As the FDA weighs the merits of a new drug to boost female libido, it's clear this is not a little blue pill for women

Does washing your laundry in warm water really make that much of a difference? Probably not.

The Case for Washing Clothes in Cold Water

Laundry: You're doing it wrong

Every latrine has it's own unique smell.

These Perfumers Are Analyzing the Stench of Toilets

Fair warning: Toilet chemistry is not for the faint of stomach

Is the Curiosity Rover Behind Weird Methane Readings on Mars?

The debate over methane is causing a stink among scientists

Murray's bagels in New York City.

How Chemistry Gives New York City Bagels an Edge

Is it really all in the water?

This is a close mimic of the coral snake, but the real version has a singular venom.

Decoding the Deadly Secret of Snake Venom

The world's animals have developed an incredible variety of venoms. But how?

One group of scientists says that they've figured out a way to make rice with fewer calories.

Why Would Cooling Rice Make it Less Caloric?

Scientists suggest a new way to prepare rice that they say could help slow the worldwide obesity epidemic

Louisville, Kentucky.

Officials Figure Out What Was Making Louisville Stink

A musty smell permeating the city can be blamed on a naturally-occurring chemical largely responsible for the smell of dirt

Peanut butter, known to the National Institute of Standards and Technology as SRM 2387.

The Weird World of Standard Reference Materials, From Peanut Butter to Whale Blubber

Get the full story behind a $761 jar of peanut butter and other exorbitantly priced everyday objects used by scientists

Fish Sperm Might Be the Secret to Recycling Rare Earth Elements

Japanese scientists have uncovered an unlikely source to aid in the extraction and recycling of rare earth metals

Snowflakes All Fall In One of 35 Different Shapes

The latest categorization of solid precipitation types inspired a cool graphic

Arachnophobia, coral reefs, artificial cells and strange amphibians starred in some of this year's science finds you might have missed.

Ten Cool Science Stories You May Have Missed in 2014

ICYMI, there's a newfound coral reef in Iraq, the smallest force has been detected and more in this year's surprising science

Puberty Is Beginning Earlier in Girls, So What Can Parents Do?

The authors of a new book about the earlier onset of female puberty explain the evidence and offer advice

There’s More to Frankincense and Myrrh Than Meets the Eye

Frankincense and myrrh have interesting medicinal properties

Page 16 of 19