In popular histories of science in Europe the history of physics is all too often presented roughly as follows, in antiquity there was Aristotle, whose writings also dominated the Middle Ages, until Galileo came along and dethroned him, following which Newton created modern physics. Occasionally Descarte and or Christiaan Huygens gets thrown into the mix […]

For the first time, researchers have convincingly recreated in the lab the conditions that preserved the enigmatic fossils of the Ediacaran biota – which represent the earliest-known examples of complex multicellular life. Dating back to between 635–538.8 million years ago, the Ediacaran is often described as a period of evolutionary experimentation, one that occurred before […]

Self-proclaimed experimentalist Gert Meyers received a 24-month suspended sentence on 28 June for a number of offences concerning the possession of dangerous chemicals without a licence. The 61-year-old chemical engineer pleaded guilty to possessing 700mg of explosives precursor sodium nitrate and breaching an existing criminal behaviour order banning him from buying or attempting to buy […]

The UK’s first commercial lithium mine is to open in Cornwall, following a new partnership between Imerys, the world leader in mineral-based solutions, and British Lithium. It has been estimated that the site contains enough lithium to sustain mining there for 30 years, producing around 20,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent annually. By the end […]

A new class of molecules based on just main group elements can store and release energy efficiently in flow batteries, with minimal degradation. Although the work is purely a proof-of-concept, researchers in the field are excited by the possibilities for energy storage. ‘It’s great… extreme potentials and high stability,’ says Gloria De La Garza, a […]

An independent review has recommended that Irish PhD researchers are paid €25,000 (£21,500) per year. This represents a 30% increase for recipients of Science Foundation Ireland and Irish Research Council Awards. The review’s authors set out to investigate the circumstances of the 10,000 PhD researchers in Ireland. But its recommendations have disappointed the Postgraduate Workers […]

Mars’ mysterious gullies could have been carved by liquid water produced when the planet was more heavily tilted on its axis, researchers in the US believe. During these periods, increased solar radiation at the planet’s poles would vaporise carbon dioxide, raising atmospheric pressure and allowing liquid water to form.1 Mars has ice at each pole […]

The EU has announced Bulgarian economist Iliana Ivanova as its new commissioner for research, innovation, culture, education and youth, following the resignation of Mariya Gabriel in May to help Bulgaria form a new coalition government. Currently, Gabriel is Bulgaria’s deputy prime minister under prime minister Nikolai Denkov, a chemist. Ivanova has been a member of […]