Chemistry

  1. rows of pots and other vessels used in an Egyptian embalming workshop seen in an archaeological site
    Archaeology

    Chemical residue reveals ancient Egyptians’ mummy-making mixtures

    Chemical clues in embalming vessels reveal previously unknown ingredients used to prepare bodies for mummification and their far-flung origins.

    By Bruce Bower
  2. a pile of hard disk drives on a white background
    Environment

    Recycling rare earth elements is hard. Science is trying to make it easier

    As demand grows, scientists are inventing new — and greener — ways to recycle rare earth elements.

    By Erin Wayman
  3. orange water flows from a mine drain in in Pennsylvania
    Environment

    Rare earth elements could be pulled from coal waste

    The scheme would provide valuable rare earth metals and help clean up coal mining’s dirty legacy.

    By Erin Wayman
  4. The Pantheon in Rome still stands including its soaring dome.
    Chemistry

    These chemists cracked the code to long-lasting Roman concrete

    Roman concrete has stood the test of time, so scientists searched ruins to unlock the ancient recipe that could help architecture and climate change.

    By Carolyn Gramling
  5. A photo of China's maglev train as it comes into a station with several people standing at balcony of a nearby platform.
    Chemistry

    How rare earth elements’ hidden properties make modern technology possible

    Because of their unique chemistry, the rare earth elements can fine-tune light for many different purposes and generate powerful magnetic fields.

    By Nikk Ogasa
  6. Enceladus, the moon of Saturn, shown partly illuminated against the backdrop of space
    Planetary Science

    The last vital ingredient for life has been discovered on Enceladus

    The underground ocean on Saturn’s icy moon may contain phosphorus in concentrations thousands of times greater than those found in Earth’s ocean.

    By Nikk Ogasa
  7. A photo of a variety of zinc snowflake shapes crystallized in liquid gallium.
    Chemistry

    How to make tiny metal snowflakes

    In a pool of molten gallium, researchers grew symmetrical, hexagonal zinc nanostructures that resemble natural snowflakes.

    By Nikk Ogasa
  8. A photo shows water, a possible source of PFAS exposure, pouring into a glass.
    Health & Medicine

    ‘Forever chemicals’ may pose a bigger risk to our health than scientists thought

    PFAS are linked to obesity, cancers and more. Growing evidence of the chemicals’ risks has prompted new guidance for safe drinking water and consumer testing.

    By Melba Newsome
  9. A photo of Louis Pasteur's head surrounded by illustrations of scientific equipment, leaves, and swirls
    Health & Medicine

    Louis Pasteur’s devotion to truth transformed what we know about health and disease

    Two centuries after his birth, Louis Pasteur's work on pasteurization, germ theory and vaccines is as relevant as ever.

    By Tom Siegfried
  10. a tree trunk showing many rings and cracks
    Earth

    Catastrophic solar storms may not explain shadows of radiation in trees

    Tree rings record six known Miyake events — spikes in global radiation levels in the past. The sun, as long presumed, might not be the sole culprit.

    By Nikk Ogasa
  11. Two people sample whiskey from a wood cask
    Chemistry

    Mixing gold ions into whiskey can reveal its flavor

    By changing the spirit’s color, the formation of gold nanoparticles can reveal how much flavor a whiskey has absorbed from its wood cask.

    By Nikk Ogasa
  12. Large surface proteins with chains of sugars (illustrated, yellow) are shown on the outside of a cancer cell in this illustration of bioorthogonal or click chemistry, the subject of the 2022 Nobel Prize for Chemistry
    Chemistry

    A way to snap molecules together like Lego wins 2022 chemistry Nobel

    Click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry allow scientists to build complex molecules in the lab and in living cells.

    By Meghan Rosen