Chemistry

Tiny molecular machines will chase around a gold track in a 38-hour sprint

Beetles, eaten in several parts of the world, amply supply this essential nutrient to a meat-poor diet

One substance in ocean debris smells like food, and the mistake leads to poisoning and malnutrition

A catalyzing science project

Blocking an immune system protein, interleukin-33, squelches itch signaling in mice

Plants soak up explosive chemical traces from soil, then special sensors in leaves light up

The University of Michigan's Paul Mohai, a leading researcher of issues related to environmental justice, talked about the Flint water crisis at a workshop sponsored by the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources, attended by Scientific American contributing editor Robin Lloyd.

The parachute flower smells like alarm pheromones of a honeybee, to attract tiny flies that feed on bees under attack.

An oxidizing science project

A technique called “biosparging” relies on pumping oxygen underground to help naturally occurring microorganisms multiply and consume oil spills.  

The winning science of weird materials, nanoscale cars and self-eating cells