Understanding the periodic table through the lens of the volatile Group I metals

Apr 27, 2019 06:30 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

The news broke that a railroad car, loaded with pure sodium, had just derailed and was spilling its contents. A television reporter called me for an explanation of why firefighters were not allowed to use water on the...

How hacking photosynthesis could fight deforestation and famine

Apr 27, 2019 06:26 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

You might not be able to stomach soybeans for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but the animals you eat do. Cultivation of the staple crop takes up an area five times the size of the UK, and 85% of that area is used for animal...

Ditch plastic dog poo bags, go compostable

Apr 27, 2019 06:23 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

We humans have a habit of avoiding our waste. We find organic waste particularly unpleasant. We bag it and dispose of it as soon as possible. Even the most environmentally conscious person would rather not handle...

Nuclear weapons might save the world from an asteroid strike – but we need to change the law first

Apr 27, 2019 06:21 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

The schlocky 1998 Bruce Willis movie Armageddon was the highest grossing film of that year. The blockbuster saw a master oil driller (Willis) and an unlikely crew of misfits place a nuclear bomb inside a giant asteroid...

What's on the far side of the Moon?

Apr 27, 2019 06:19 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

Looking up at the silvery orb of the Moon, you might recognize familiar shadows and shapes on its face from one night to the next. You see the same view of the Moon our early ancestors did as it lighted their way after...

Antibiotics: beneficial side effects are starting to come to light

Apr 27, 2019 06:16 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

The discovery of antibiotics in the 1920s has contributed to longer and healthier lives, and they are now being used more widely than ever before. The main reason that antibiotics are prescribed is to kill bacterial...

How did the moon end up where it is?

Apr 27, 2019 06:09 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

Nearly 50 years since man first walked on the moon, the human race is once more pushing forward with attempts to land on the Earths satellite. This year alone, China has landed a robotic spacecraft on the far side of the...