In a summer of record-breaking temperatures in the UK and many parts of the world, millions are flocking to beaches, parks and other open space. If they are following public health advice, they will be wearing sunscreen. But how can sunlight – without which life on Earth would not be possible – be dangerous, and […]

Targeting one of more than 3000 sites within the human genome with Crispr-Cas9 gene editing could lead to unwanted effects like cell death and genomic instability. Crispr gene editing won the chemistry Nobel prize in 2020. Adapted from bacteria, it can introduce, modify or inactivate DNA sequences. Since its discovery, Crispr has become a popular […]

Scientists in China have isolated a double heptagon-containing C70H6 fullerene from the soot of a benzene and acetylene mixture that has combusted in low-pressure conditions.1  Surprisingly, the fullerene’s carbon core (C70) is identical to the carbon core of a C70Cl6 fullerene the Xiamen University team had synthesised with an arc discharge technique.2 This is the […]

A magnesium-based cement produced using seawater could soak up carbon rather than emitting it like conventional cement. Although its properties make it unsuitable for reinforced concrete, the ‘carbon-negative’ cement could be used in non-reinforced materials, including concrete blocks, which comprise around 15% of all concrete applications. Billions of tonnes of Portland cement are made each […]

Recently on Twitter, Vintage Maps posted a fifteenth century map of England, Scotland, and  Wales that was somewhat unusual in that South was at the top, so Scotland was at the bottom. Numerous people found it bizarre or irritating and it was obvious that many people are somehow convinced that North must be at the top of […]

The White House has announced a major policy change whereby all publications resulting from federally-funded research, and their supporting data, must be made immediately and freely accessible to all. There has been a backlash from many scientific publishers, who will need to implement the controversial new directive by the end of 2025. Under the Biden […]

Show Fullscreen Calculating the energy of hundreds of hydrocarbons has led to the identification of ‘magic’ molecules with special stability. ‘It’s like the periodic table of hydrocarbons,’ says lead author Artem Oganov from the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Moscow. ‘This new map lets you draw important conclusions at a glance.’ To create […]

An electronic nose has been developed that uses colourful carbon dot films to detect and quantify nanoplastics in the air. The work, led by chemist and nanotechnology researcher Raz Jelinek from Ben-Gurion University, Israel, was presented at the autumn meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The new research builds on earlier work that Jelinek […]

Nasa’s Perseverance rover has uncovered new details of the geochemistry of the Jezero crater on Mars. A series of articles published in Science and Science Advances explain how data collected by the rover’s on-board instruments offer insights into the volcanic history of the red planet. Perseverance landed on Mars in February last year and has […]

A lightweight ‘leaf-like’ device has combined light harvesting and catalytic capabilities, making it the first floating device of its kind.1 Tested on the river Cam in Cambridge, this artificial leaf can synthesise sustainable fuels, such as hydrogen and syngas, from just sunlight and water. Scaled-up versions could work on open waters, offering the possibility of […]