Features – Page 8
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The Mole
Observing chirality and the ‘handedness’ of sugar
Find out more about the molecular property of chirality and try a simple experiment using sucrose to explore ‘handedness’ of sugar yourself.
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Chemists on the front line
The UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory has a near century-long history of working with chemical weapons. Philip Robinson reports from Porton Down
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MOFs head to market
The most porous manmade materials, metal–organic frameworks, are pushing towards commercialisation. Elinor Hughes tracks their progress
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Re-arming the antibiotic arsenal
With drug-resistant bacteria constantly in the news, what is being done to develop better treatments? Phillip Broadwith takes a look
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Modelling crystal structure using marshmallows
Explore the regular and ordered structure of crystals before modelling them yourself using marshmallows and cocktail sticks in this ‘Avogadro’s lab’ activity.
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Trade secrets... Curdling of soya milk
Secrets of the trade: Jonathan Hare asks why soya milk tends to form hundreds of floating lumps when added to coffee
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Is thorium the perfect fuel?
Mike Follows discusses the advantages nuclear reactors fuelled by liquid thorium salts may offer over the ones currently used to power homes and businesses
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Trade secrets... Neon lights, flicker bulbs and chaos
Secrets of the trade: Jonathan Hare shines a light on randomness
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Catalytic metals and their uses
Learn about catalysts based on the transition metals and find out how they are used in catalytic converters to clean up exhaust fumes.
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Chemistry unearths the secrets of the Terracotta Army
Simon Rees discovers how the Terracotta Warriors’ deadly arrows were made
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Panels for pupils
Installing solar panels in a school − or at least building your own mock-ups − isn’t as difficult as you might think, finds Josh Howgego
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The big green lab project
Beverley Lucas and her colleagues give us a big green welcome to the Ecoversity of Bradford
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Trade secrets... Polonium poisoning
Secrets of the trade: Polonium is almost impossible to obtain, so how was it used to poison a Russian spy? Jonathan Hare investigates the strange case of Alexander Litvinenko
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From ground to tap
Sue Thompson leads us through the journey water takes from underground to our drinking glass
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Enzymes and their role in the human body
Enzymes catalyse reactions inside the human body. Find out more about how they work and discover a quick experiment with yeast to try yourself.
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Terpenes: not just for Christmas
The chemicals that give Christmas trees their pine fresh smell could be at the centre of a chemical revolution, as Josh Howgego explains
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The ascent of molecules
Life's molecular origins might not be preserved in the fossil record but, as Laura Howes finds out, chemists are working to fill in the gaps
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The Mole
Batteries and electrochemical cells
Investigate the chemistry behind the battery in your smartphone and find out how you can build a simple electrochemical cell from everyday items in your house.
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The Mole
Trade secrets... making it rain
Secrets of the trade: How can we control the weather so it rains where we need it to? Jonathan Hare investigates cloud seeding
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The Mole
Past secrets unearthed
Akshat Rathi finds out how chemistry plays a central role in revealing how our ancestors once lived