An investigation into posts on social media by two members of the Research England Expert Advisory Group on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) has found no evidence of failure to adhere to the Nolan principles that guide conduct in public life. This comes in response to an open letter published by the secretary of state […]

As I explained in episode XII of this series where I introduced the work of the ancient Greek engineers and their machines, the discipline mechanics derives its name from the study of machines. Greek μηχανική mēkhanikḗ, lit. “of machines” and in antiquity it is literally the discipline of the so-called simple machines: lever, wheel and axel, pulley, balance, inclined plane, wedge, […]

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued final amendments to its risk management program (RMP) that aim to better safeguard communities from accidents at chemical facilities. However, industry bodies have responded with heavy criticism, arguing that the rules could actually undermine security at chemical plants. The EPA’s new rules apply to nearly 12,000 chemical […]

At the Port of Los Angeles in California, two barges filled with tanks and pipework provide an unlikely setting to open up a new frontier to tackle the climate crisis. The start-ups running them are part of a growing effort to harness the power of the ocean to capture carbon dioxide from the air. The […]

Researchers in China have reported new evidence that they believe finally resolves a long-standing debate over the structure of amorphous selenium. Their structural analysis suggests that vapour-deposited samples form eight-membered rings rather than chains of atoms, but other researchers remain unconvinced by these latest results. Selenium, belonging to the chalcogen family, was first discovered over […]

In the past 20 years, the importance of sustainability in the chemical industry has risen dramatically. Back in 2004, there was far less recognition of where raw materials come from, the resources consumed and discharged as products are made and used, and what happens to products at end-of-life. But nowadays, a significant focus on sustainability […]

The Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement (STA) between the US and China that has been in place since 1979 expired on 27 February. The STA, which is renewed every five years, provides opportunities for the two countries to collaborate on science and technology. It was set to lapse in late August 2023, but the Biden […]

Nine United Nations human rights advisors, including special rapporteur on toxics and human rights Marcos Orellana, have issued a statement accusing DuPont and Chemours of discharging dangerous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the local environment along the lower Cape Fear river in North Carolina, US. Community members have reportedly been denied their right of […]