This Deep-Sea Worm Creates a Toxic Yellow Pigment Found in Rembrandt and Cézanne Paintings
A deep-sea worm that lives in hydrothermal vents is the first known animal to create orpiment, a toxic, arsenic-containing mineral that was used by artists for centuries
This Mushroom’s Incredibly Bitter Taste Is New to Science
The first analysis of mushroom bitterness reveals ultrapotent compounds
Velvet Worm Slime Reveals Its Sticky Secrets
The velvet worm’s extraordinary goo could inspire recyclable bioplastics
AI Found a ‘Magic Potion’ That Can Bring Dead Batteries Back to Life
Electric vehicles leave behind mountains of dead lithium-ion batteries. A new “injection” brings them back to life
The Pyrotechnic Chemistry of the Vatican’s Pope Smoke Signals Explained
Pyrotechnic chemistry drives the Vatican’s recipes for the black and white smoke used to announce papal election outcomes
Marie Curie’s Mentorship Led to Networks of Support for Female Scientists
Author Dava Sobel discusses how she discovered the many forgotten female scientists who were mentored by Marie Curie in early 20th-century Paris
Is Dimethyl Sulfide Really a Sign of Alien Life?
Dimethyl sulfide is in the news after NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope may have detected relatively high levels of it in the atmosphere of an exoplanet called K2-18 b
A Nontoxic Disinfectant That Is Safe for Surfaces and Skin
Hypochlorous acid has a lot of buzz in the beauty industry, but this nontoxic disinfectant has many possible uses.
The Nontoxic Cleaner That Kills Germs Better Than Bleach—And You Can Use It on Your Skin
Hypochlorous acid is safe enough to spray in your eyes yet more effective than bleach. Why isn’t it everywhere?
How Researchers Found a Greener Way to Make Fuel for Nuclear Fusion—By Accident
Researchers have found an environmentally safer way to extract the lithium 6 needed to create fuel for nuclear fusion reactors. The new approach doesn’t require toxic mercury, as conventional methods do
What Sniffing Mummies Taught Scientists about an Ancient Society
Mummies’ aromas may provide insight into historical social classes and periods, according to a team of trained mummy sniffers
What Is Chloroprene, the Cancer-Causing Chemical at the Center of a Federal Lawsuit?
Trump could drop a federal lawsuit against a petrochemical plant that emits chloroprene. Here’s a look at the cancer-causing chemical