Category: Chemistry
Can you judge a book by its odour?
Cocoa, wood, rusks every book has a distinctive smell. And each smell says something about how and when it was made, and where it has been. What does it mean to experience a book? To a bibliophile such as Alberto Manguel, smell plays an important part. In a talk at the British Library this week, […]
The most delightfully geeky signs from the ‘Stand up for Science’ rally
From Sunday’s “Stand Up For Science” rally at Copley Square in Boston. Image: Tomas Green/Twitter At a rally full of scientists, things were bound to get a bit geeky. On Sunday, thousands scientists and supporters gathered in Boston’s Copley Square to “stand up for science” under the Trump administration. Their signs were, predictably, quite clever. […]
Faster and stronger lithium-ion batteries might be in our future
This, clearly, isn’t the battery the MIT team is working on. Image: Shutterstock / sdecoret The lithium-ion battery in your phone might look like a solid chunk of energy-producing plastic at first glance, but if you were to bust it open and take a closer look, you’d see there’s also some liquid inside. That’s because […]
Scientists create 3D-printed objects that can change shape after they’re printed
3D printed plastics tend to remain pretty stable over time. For example, your 3D-printed Yoda wont turn into a Chewbacca head without some severe plastic trauma until now. Scientists at MIT have created a 3D printing technique that allows you to change the polymers in an object after printing. This means you can grow or […]
Thomas Adams School criticised for blowing up chemicals – BBC News
A school that blew up old chemicals on its playing field has been criticised for not providing a public warning of the blast. Residents in Wem, Shropshire, were alarmed when The Thomas Adams School carried out the explosion on Monday while children were trick or treating. The 19:30 GMT blast was supervised by police and […]