Dec

30

Cat State

December 30, 2005 | 1 Comment

Quantum Trickery: Testing Einstein’s Strangest Theory. ‘Einstein said there would be days like this. This fall scientists announced that they had put a half dozen beryllium atoms into a "cat state". No, they were not sprawled along a sunny windowsill. To a physicist, a "cat state" is the condition of being two diametrically opposed conditions [...]

Dec

30

2005 Biggest Discoveries

December 30, 2005 | Leave a Comment

Wired News: Biggest Discoveries of 2005. ‘We live in a technological age, for sure, but 2005 will go down as a particularly abundant year for scientific discoveries.’

Dec

29

The Best Photos of the Year 2005

December 29, 2005 | 1 Comment

Time: Best Photos of the Year 2005
Reuters: Pictures of the Year 2005 & 2005 Award Winners
World Press Photo: Winners Gallery 2005
MSNBC: Pictures of the Year 2005

Dec

29

Nitrodibenzofuran (NDBF)

December 29, 2005 | Leave a Comment

Building a Better Chemical Trap. ‘You might expect that a stronger cage is always better. But the power of a new chemical cage announced this week lies in its weakness: It’s about 100 times more efficient at releasing its prisoner than its widely used counterparts. The flimsy molecular pen may help map the brain’s chemical [...]

Dec

29

Breeder Reactors: Reprocessing the Nuclear Waste

December 29, 2005 | Leave a Comment

Scientists Try to Resolve Nuclear Problem With an Old Technology Made New Again. ‘Decades ago, scientists and engineers thought it would be easy enough to deal with the radioactive waste from nuclear power plants: sort out and save the small portion that was reusable, and put the rest in a hole in the ground. It [...]

Dec

28

Rainbow Sunset

December 28, 2005 | Leave a Comment

(Found on Stock.XCHNG)

Dec

28

Acetylene, Hydrogen Cyanide and Carbon Dioxide

December 28, 2005 | Leave a Comment

Milky Way Harboring the Chemistry of Life. ‘Astronomers at W. M. Keck Observatory have found for the first time some of the basic compounds necessary to build organic molecules and proteins found in DNA within the inner regions of a planet-forming disk. The object, known as “IRS 46″ is located in the Milky Way galaxy, [...]

Dec

28

Hangover Solved

December 28, 2005 | Leave a Comment

Sweet cure for hangovers. ‘A good cure for hangovers turns out to be the staple of a childhood teatime of almost a century ago – a plate of bread and butter and honey. According to the Royal Society of Chemistry the remedy is a simple breakfast with honey or golden syrup to replenish the body’s [...]

Dec

28

Crypteins

December 28, 2005 | Leave a Comment

Crypteins: Hidden Gems. ‘When liberated, certain peptides within proteins exhibit surprising biological activities. Proteolytic cleavage reveals these concealed peptides and enables them to exert their biological effects. Nature uses this route to get the most out of a limited number of genome-encoded proteins, but Cryptome Pharmaceuticals, Melbourne, Australia, has other plans: It hopes to mine [...]

Dec

21

More Christmas Resources

December 21, 2005 | Leave a Comment

WWWTools for Education: Christmas Resources 2005. ‘Whatever individual schools and teachers have decided to do about Christmas, we hope that the following links will help them over the next few weeks.’

Dec

21

C&EN: Chemistry Highlights 2005

December 21, 2005 | Leave a Comment

Chemistry Highlights 2005. ‘Key advances have been made this year in organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, nanotechnology, and other areas.’

Dec

21

Chemicals, Chemicals, Everything is Made of Chemicals

December 21, 2005 | Leave a Comment

You’ve been warned. ‘Ingredients in Preparation H once included a mercury compound known to cause reproductive problems. Nail polish came with toluene, a toxin that can cause developmental delays in children. Kiwi brand spray shoe polish contained a cancer-causing solvent. Progresso tomatoes and Old El Paso chiles were packed in cans sealed with lead solder. [...]