Why does laundry that dries outdoors in the sunshine smell so nice? Researchers conducted an experiment to find out.

Robotic scientists could speed up scientific discovery, while human scientists work from home, developers say.

Technology seems to have been a routine part of Neanderthal life.

Future astronauts could make lunar buildings out of moon dust and pee. That’s the suggestion of chemist Anna-Lena Kjøniksen and her colleagues, who made a cement from urea — a major component of urine — and faux lunar soil. When humans take up long-term residence on other planets or the moon, they will need to pack light, in part because shipping materials from Earth is expensive. NASA has estimated that every pound of material sent into orbit around the Earth costs around $10,000.

The secret to cleaning up contaminated water may lie in the cheap, common polyurethane foam used in mattresses. In a study published in the journal Nature Sustainability this week, scientists tested the ability of the material, enhanced with a special coating, to soak up tiny droplets of oil suspended in water. They found that it consistently captured almost all of the oil in under three hours.

When you hear about radioactive material you tend to think that it would be best not to go near it. A team of physicists and chemists from the University of Bristol in England don't quite think that way, though. The team, in fact, hope to recycle radioactive material from disused nuclear power plants in the South West of England to create diamond battery power — ultra-long-lasting power sources.

In Omar Farha’s lab at Northwestern University, the chemist and his team are working on an unusual craft project in collaboration with the United States Army. They mix powders and liquids into a paint-like consistency, dip swatches of cotton fabric into the liquid, and then leave the beige cloth out to dry. Through this process, they are creating fabrics that can rapidly neutralize some of the deadliest poisons known to humankind: nerve agents.

From poisoned monks and nuclear bombs to the “transfermium wars,” mapping the atomic world hasn’t been easy.

For the first time, scientists found a complete protein molecule in a meteorite — and they’re pretty sure it didn’t come from Earth. After analyzing samples from the meteorite Acfer 086, a team of researchers from Harvard University and the biotech companies PLEX Corporation and Bruker Scientific found that the protein’s building blocks differed chemically from terrestrial protein. As they write in their research, which they shared on ArXiv on Saturday, “this is the first report of a protein from any extra-terrestrial source.”

Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have created a form of nitrogen that’s never been seen before. Nicknamed “black nitrogen,” the new substance is crystalline, occurs in two-dimensional sheets, and could one day be useful in advanced electronics.

Chemists have calculated that chains of double or triple-bonded carbon atoms, known as carbyne, should be stronger and stiffer than any known material..

The Acetone is not actually "dissolving" the Styrofoam. Here is what is happing. When styrofoam is placed in acetone, the long polymer strands are dissolved, releasing the trapped air and causing the structure to disintegrate.

Ocean warming will negatively impact plankton colonies, resulting in a rough climate change cycle.

Whiskey drinkers know that the moment they swirl a bit of the smoky spirit in their mouth, they’re bound to find a world of flavors: some oak, some smoke, a little vanilla, maybe a slight bite from tannin. Brown liquors — from scotch to bourbon and all the whiskeys in between — are complex spirits that lend themselves to purposeful tasting, creating connoisseurs willing to shell out top dollar for the most peaty scotch or their favorite spicy bourbon.

Having studied brain toxicity for 30 years, a professor of environmental medicine declares that enough is enough when it comes to dangerous compounds and our brains.

The framework for ridding the world of Syria's chemical weapons may be tactical, but the challenge it poses is technological. 

Cave exploration could help fight a major medical problem.

The Cassini probe has detected propene, or propylene, on Saturn's moon Titan. On Earth, this molecule, which comprises three carbon atoms and six hydrogen atoms, is a constituent of many plastics.

Hormone-disrupting chemicals may be far more prevalent in lakes and rivers than previously thought. Environmental scientists have discovered that although these compounds are often broken down by sunlight, they can regenerate at night, returning to life like zombies.

Three U.S. scientists won the Nobel chemistry prize on Wednesday for pioneering work on computer programs that simulate complex chemical processes and have revolutionized research in areas from drugs to solar energy.