Chemistry

Microbes produce organic acids that may help leach out valuable metals

In 12 hours Dracaena plants removed nearly all the acetone from an airtight chamber, suggesting they might be put to use as air filters in nail salons. Christopher Intagliata reports.

The synthetic membrane from ExxonMobile would also avert 45 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions 

Polymers have infiltrated almost every aspect of modern life. Now researchers are working on next-generation forms

David Epstein talks about his 2013 bestseller The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance and his recent Scientific American article "Magic Blood and Carbon-Fiber Legs at the Brave New Olympics."

Creating molecules that do not exist in nature could give drug design a boost

In neighborhoods where kids have an increased chance of exposure to toxic lead, pigeons also have higher blood lead levels—making the birds potential proxies for risk assessment.

With technology and pharmaceuticals dominating our reality, how do we define “natural” human effort in sports? The author of bestseller The Sports Gene weighs in 

A gardening project from Science Buddies

The scientist won a Nobel Prize for using ultrafast lasers to reveal chemical reactions 

Irrigation is more than just throwing water on a field—it can be a nuanced chemical conversation between humans and plants

One of the driest countries on Earth now makes more freshwater than it needs