Was your catalytic converter stolen? Here’s why
Catalytic converters cut down on toxic car emissions.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, they’re one of the greatest environmental inventions of all time.
Today,...
Scientists create the whitest paint ever made
To curb global warming, engineers have created the whitest paint ever made.
Coating buildings with this paint may one day cool them off enough to...
This sweat sensor could alert doctors, patients to looming COVID cytokine storm
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors recognized that patients who developed a "cytokine storm" -- a surge of pro-inflammatory immune proteins -- were often...
What are forever chemicals, and do they last forever?
Forever chemicals are known for being water-, heat- and oil-resistant, which makes them useful in everything from rain jackets to firefighting foams.
But the chemistry...
Scientists are making music from spider webs
Spiders are master builders, expertly weaving strands of silk into intricate 3D webs that serve as the spider's home and hunting ground.
If humans could...
Scientists extend the life of a dipolar molecule
Static, long-lasting molecules are key to molecule-based quantum simulation and information processing.
In 2018, Kang-Kuen Ni and her lab earned the cover of Science with...
Dog vs. machine: Who’s a better bomb detector?
What's better at finding a hidden bomb -- a dog or an electronic chemical detector?
In this episode, the Reactions team travels to the U.S....
This stuff in furniture, kitchenware may increase beast cancer risk
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are found in furniture, electronics, and kitchenware to slow the spread of flames in the event of a fire.
However, a...
New catalyst makes styrene manufacturing cheaper, greener
Chemical engineering researchers have developed a new catalyst that significantly increases yield in styrene manufacturing, while simultaneously reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
"Styrene...
Bacteria could help make stronger cars, airplanes and armor
Biological systems can harness their living cells for growth and regeneration, but engineering systems cannot.
Until now.
Qiming Wang and researchers at the USC Viterbi School...