Chemistry

A fiery science project

A new nanoparticle coating may allow the material to be erased and reused more than 80 times

Doing large studies of marijuana's potential as medicine means getting it removed from an official federal list of substances with no official medical use—which requires more proof of its potential as medicine.

Traces of the lethal chemical, smeared on Kim Jong-nam’s face at a Malaysian airport, can penetrate skin and kill fast

Properly fermented foods deliver probiotics that could help cut disease risk, said a researcher at the annual meeting of the AAAS.

Researchers have developed a heat sensor that can detect temperature changes of just ten thousandths of a degree Celsius—comparable with the sensitivity of pit vipers. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Researchers at IBM assembled the fragile molecule atom-by-atom using a specialized microscope

A cheesy science project

Trevor Mundel, president of global health at the Gates Foundation, talks to Scientific American editor-in-chief Mariette DiChristina about the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the efforts to create vaccine platforms for rapid responses to epidemics.

When LSD binds to serotonin receptors, it pulls a "lid" closed behind it, locking it in place for hours, and explaining its long-lasting effects. Christopher Intagliata reports. 

You think it's just a beverage, but it's a whole lot more

Levels in young animals elevated to 1,000 times the acceptable amount in people