A new synthetic strategy uses a simple salt – iron chloride – to catalyse the creation of carbenes from commercial aldehydes. The carbenes quickly react with different alkenes to yield a selection of cyclopropanes ‘with a remarkable structural diversity’, according to Marc Montesinos Magraner, an expert in synthetic chemistry at the University of Valencia, Spain, […]

Four-atom molecules linked together by microwaves have been cooled to a record-breaking hundred-billionth of a degree above absolute zero. Cooling matter to such frigid temperatures is exceptionally difficult as molecules consist of multiple moving atoms, so have more kinetic energy which in turn warms them up. Scientists are interested in cooling molecules to these ultracold […]

Reconfigurable functional liquid devices have been created by assembling and disassembling different types of liquid droplets. Liquid droplets such as silicone oil were printed into a range of structures and then liquids could be pumped through them, allowing bespoke fluidic devices to be made. Inspired by toy building blocks, the researchers from Southeast University in […]

As astrology was one of the very first scientific disciplines to be adopted by the ‘Abbāsid in their assimilation of Persian cultural it followed automatically that that they also adopted astronomy; you need astronomy in order to do astrology. Also, the practice of Islam itself required both the determination of the times for the five daily prayers […]

US chemists say that their new results ‘refute and replace the dominant idea’ of how individual molecules come together to form crystals. Peter Vekilov from the University of Houston and colleagues provide fundamental insights into how dissolved molecules add to growth sites, called kinks, once they get there. They provide new evidence that temporary bonds […]

A novel synthetic antibiotic with a structure preorganised for optimal ribosomal binding has been shown to be effective against several multi-drug resistant strains of bacteria. The researchers hope their findings will support the future discovery of antibacterial agents broadly effective against antimicrobial resistance. Lincosamide antibiotics, such as clindamycin, work by binding to the bacterial ribosome, […]

A remarkable fossil reptile from the Alps in Italy has turned out to be a fake. What was thought to be soft tissue in the fossil is mostly just black paint daubed onto 280-million-year-old sandstone, an analysis has revealed. The ‘fossil’ of an intriguing lizard-like creature with a slender body and long neck was discovered […]

It’s taken 18 months for the government to respond to University of Birmingham vice-chancellor Adam Tickell’s review of bureaucracy in the UK’s research landscape, which found that unnecessary red tape – particularly within research institutions and funders – was impeding efficiency and productivity. The government’s response sets out ‘rapid action’ to alleviate some of the […]

The Chinese government has launched a nationwide review of research misconduct in response to Hindawi retracting thousands of papers by Chinese authors. China has the highest retraction rate globally, including conference papers, exceeding 20 per 10,000 articles. Hindawi, a subsidiary of Wiley, retracted over 8000 articles involving a Chinese co-author in 2023, a record-breaking year […]

Despite their name and appearance, blueberries do not contain any blue pigments. New research attributes their blue hue to interactions between light and the nanostructures found in their natural waxy coating. Further investigation of this wax in the laboratory may help inspire new sustainable, self-cleaning and -repairing optical biomaterials. Several types of fruit, including varieties […]