Chemistry

An Ohio particle accelerator will test an alternative idea of how the universe’s carbon came to be

Originally published in February 1857

Originally published in February 1907

Originally published in August 1901

Art created by Australian Aboriginal people used organic carbon-free pigments, but wasp nests above or below the art can be used for radiocarbon dating that supplies boundaries for the age of artworks.

Paints, plastics and even wood can be engineered to stay cool in direct sunlight—but their role in displacing power-hungry air conditioners remains unclear

A very fine grind can actually hamper espresso brewing, because particles may clump more than larger particles will.

Whiskeys claimed to be from the 19th century are revealed to be made with much more recently grown barley, thanks to the unique isotopic fingerprint of the nuclear-testing era.  

A common component of plastics could come from existing carbon sources

Scientists have identified mystery molecules in space and the compound thought to have started chemistry in the cosmos

Journalist and author Peter Brannen talks about his book The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans, and Our Quest to Understand Earth’s Past Mass Extinctions.

Originally published in November 2000