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Break the mold: Who defines the 'real' chemist?

The perception of a chemist varies. Some might imagine the "mad scientist" from old cartoons—a white-haired older man working with beakers in his lab—but as that cliche fades, the reality of what constitutes a chemist's job ...

Conclave: The chemistry behind the black and white smoke

This week, 133 cardinals have gathered in the Vatican to elect a new leader of the Catholic church. During their deliberations, the only indications of their progress are the regular plumes of smoke wafting from a freshly ...

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Corpse flower's rare bloom aids forensic chemistry research
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Your fuzzy flannel pajamas could be incredibly flammable—here's what to know
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Testing used cars for drug traces to investigate third-hand contamination risk from methamphetamine use
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Video: Preventing Christmas tree fires, with science
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Video: The strange chemistry of Mexican Coke
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What's the difference between liquid and powder laundry detergent? It's not just the obvious
Materials Science
Pushing the boundaries of traditional ceramic techniques by merging art and science
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Finally, a video that really explains how color works
Analytical Chemistry
How do heat protectants for hair work? A chemistry expert explains
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Nobel chemistry winner sees engineered proteins solving tough problems
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Nobel Prize in chemistry honors 3 scientists who used AI to design proteins—life's building blocks
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What are proteins again? Nobel-winning chemistry explained
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Demis Hassabis, from chess prodigy to Nobel-winning AI pioneer
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AI-aided research, new materials eyed for Nobel Chemistry Prize
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Nobel winners hope protein work will spur 'incredible' breakthroughs
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Video: Why Canadian trash costs $30,000 per gram
Analytical Chemistry
What's the difference between MSG and table salt? A chemist explains
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Grenfell victims were 'overcome by toxic gases' after construction loophole
Analytical Chemistry
Evidence stacks up for poisonous books containing toxic dyes
Biochemistry
Researchers develop an instant version of trendy, golden turmeric milk

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Planetary Sciences
Rubin Observatory reveals its first dwarf planet candidate in our solar system
Environment
Climate health harms outpace action, prompting calls for global health emergency
Analytical Chemistry
Metal-free magnetic sensor can be safely implanted for wireless monitoring
Biochemistry
Embedded enzymes help plastics break down faster in the deep sea
Plants & Animals
Bonobo females hunt more than males, decade-long study reveals
General Physics
Decoding the loopy physics of hula hooping with high-tech earthquake sensors
Paleontology & Fossils
121-million-year-old fossils suggest Longipteryx had no tail feathers
Earth Sciences
The way Earth's 'thermostat' works may have changed during Pangea era
Plants & Animals
Scientists reveal the staggering number of bat deaths at wind turbines
Materials Science
Technician cracks 1,600-year-old mystery to replicate color-changing effect of Roman glass masterpiece
Condensed Matter
Scientists uncover new way to control magnetism and topology using light in atomically thin materials
Plasma Physics
Radio waves drive a fusion plasma current that could help reactors run continuously
Earth Sciences
Open database tracks Earth's water cycle by standardizing decades of satellite data
General Physics
Identical vesicles, different behaviors: Model reveals how spontaneous asymmetry gives rise to lifelike behavior
Biochemistry
A 'simple recipe' takes some of the guesswork out of mass spectrometry imaging
Astronomy
Double debris disk orbiting a dead star hints at our solar system's future
Optics & Photonics
New converter could bridge light wavelength gap in quantum communications
Biochemistry
Potential antimalarial compound discovered in institute's microbe collection
Analytical Chemistry
Counteranion captures reactants to boost light-driven chemistry in dilute solutions
Analytical Chemistry
Light-controlled brake makes random molecular motion 300,000 times slower

Plastics markets adapt in the age of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended life around the world, leaving industries to find creative solutions to stay open and keep up with demand. The polymer industry has been especially "plastic" during this time, adapting materials ...

Video: How tear gas affects your body

2-Chlorobenzalmalononitrile, better known as CS gas, is one of the most common tear gases used in the United States today, but did you know it's not actually a gas?

Benefits of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 are still unclear

With vaccines and therapeutic drugs for COVID-19 still under development, doctors are wondering whether antibody-rich plasma infusions from the blood of recovered patients could be a more immediate way to keep hospitalized ...

Latest findings on bitter substances in coffee

Coffee is very popular around the world despite or perhaps because of its bitter taste. Compounds contained in the coffee such as caffeine contribute to the bitterness to varying degrees. A recent study conducted by the Leibniz-Institute ...

Food technology: Insect flours

According to estimates of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), population growth will cause the worldwide demand for animal proteins to double by 2050. Even if free agricultural areas would be used, ...

New topological materials could have multiple electrical properties

This it is the story of a unique material—made of a single compound, it conducts electrons in different ways on its different surfaces and doesn't conduct at all in its middle. It is also the story of three research groups—two ...

COVID-19 antibody tests: How reliable are they?

With stay-at-home orders expiring around the world, many hope that COVID-19 antibody testing will help businesses and institutions reopen safely. Determining whether people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 is a key tool ...

What is tear gas?

In the past week, there have been reports of tear gas being used to control crowds protesting the death of George Floyd, so questions have arisen on the dangers of crowd control chemicals.