chemistry
A new study reveals what caused most life on Earth to die out during the end-Permian extinction, also known as the Great Dying.
Laughing gas may be far more effective for some than antidepressants.
Israeli food-tech company DouxMatok (Hebrew for “double sweet”) has created a sugary product that uses 40 percent less actual sugar yet still tastes sweet.
Participants were asked to complete a simple attention task as well as a more challenging “placekeeping” task.
A lithium imbalance appears linked to suicide.
Want to live 100+ years? You may need unusually good DNA repair.
A team of scientists managed to install onto a smartphone a spectrometer that’s capable of identifying specific molecules — with cheap parts you can buy online.
Oxygen is thought to be a biomarker for extraterrestrial life, but there are at least three different ways that a lifeless planet can produce it.
A new study provides a possible scientific explanation for the existence of stories about ancient saints performing miracles with water.
The retraction crisis has morphed into a citation crisis.
A new study makes a compelling case for the origin of unexplained masses of underground rock causing changes to the Earth’s magnetic field.
How do you get usable phosphorus into a system? A new study suggests lightning can do the trick.
Scientists use high resolution microscopy and computer simulations to create first ever video of DNA movements.
A study says nature’s candy can be a valuable supplement to sunblock.
A study of europium crystals shows the planet was mostly flat during its middle ages.
How do these little beasties detect light anyway?
Meet a spectacular new blue—the first inorganic new blue in some time.
The main bioactive compound in catnip seems to protect cats from mosquitoes. It might protect humans, too.
Scientists use new methods to discover what’s inside drug containers used by ancient Mayan people.
Archaeologists discover a cave painting of a wild pig that is now the world’s oldest dated work of representational art.
A fairly old idea, but a really good one, is about to hit the store shelves.
Traces of heroin and cocaine have been found in the tartar of 19th-century Dutch farmers.
Scientists find that an RNA-DNA mix may have created the first life on our planet.
The search for alien life is far too human-centric. Our flawed understanding of what life really is may be holding us back from important discoveries about the universe and ourselves.
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An important step toward figuring out our space station future.
The Chumash people poked bits of psychoactive plants into cave ceilings next to their paintings.
Scientists discover that under certain conditions two kinds of water exist.
A mineral made in a Kamchatka volcano may hold the answer to cheaper batteries, find scientists.
Using a laboratory model, scientists get a nice Jovian surprise.