At least 2500 scientists have severed ties with Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to an analysis carried out by the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta. The data was sourced from Orcid, an international database bringing together information on more than 20 million scientists from around the world. According to Novaya […]

An investigation carried out by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has concluded that there are ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe that Islamic State (IS) deployed sulfur mustard in attacks that took place on 1 September 2015 in Syria. According to the findings of the investigation, which was carried out by the OPCW’s […]

For the first time, researchers have observed communication between the rotors in a molecular motor. Although the exact mechanism is still a mystery, communicating components could convey complex and controlled movements to molecular machines, better mimicking biological systems. In molecular motors, external stimuli such as light or heat activate movement. In structures with different rotors, […]

Roland Jackson is a historian of nineteenth-century science in Great Britain, who is the author of a highly praised biography of John Tyndall, The Ascent of John Tyndall: Victorian Scientist, Mountaineer, and Public Intellectual (OUP, 2018), which given the nature of some of Tyndall’s research work established Jackson as an expert on the early history of the very […]

Two billion-dollar acquisitions in late December 2023 confirmed renewed interest in radiopharmaceuticals from big pharma companies. The deals highlight the potential for growth in this class of targeted cancer therapeutics. On 26 December, Bristol Myers Squibb agreed to buy RayzeBio for $4.1 billion (£3.2 billion), and a day later Eli Lilly completed its $1.4 billion […]

Scientists have isolated a new class of osmaborane clusters that defy the Wade–Mingos electron counting rules. Kenneth Wade first proposed what are now known as the Wade–Mingos electron counting rules in 1971 before Michael Mingos went on to develop them further. The rules predict and order metallaborane clusters by correlating the number of framework electrons […]

A new study on the transport of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the River Mersey, in the north west of England, out to sea reveals that yields of certain PFAS chemicals in the Mersey basin are among the highest recorded globally. The researchers say their study is the first to consider temporal variability in […]

A new study on the transport of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the River Mersey, in the north west of England, out to sea reveals that levels of certain PFAS in the Mersey basin are among the highest recorded globally. The researchers say their study is the first to consider temporal variability in flows […]

Machine learning models have given a never-before-seen glimpse into the intricate and mysterious mechanics of reactions driven by light–matter hybrid interactions. The techniques are a powerful new tool for scientists working in the field of polaritonic chemistry, which explores the interactions between light and matter on a quantum level. ‘Controlling a chemical reaction is quintessential […]

As the impacts of global crises such as war and natural disasters are felt around the world, a new report from the International Science Council (ISC) says that the scientific community should be better prepared to safeguard science and scientists in such challenging situations. ‘Critically, the report comes at a time when schools, universities, research […]