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Showing 10 results from a total of 239

| Issue 7

Mercury: a poisonous solution

Sigrid Griet Eeckhout from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France, investigates what determines the toxicity of mercury compounds – and how X-ray light is helping to solve the mystery.

Ages: 16-19;
Topics: Chemistry, Earth science
           

| Issue 6

Small molecules make scents

Angelika Börsch-Haubold demonstrates the olfactory delights of organic chemistry.

Ages: 16-19;
Topics: Biology, Chemistry
         

| Issue 6

Recovering Pompeii

Do your students find it hard to see the application of science to other subjects? Montserrat Capellas from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France, explains how modern chemical analyses are shedding light on ancient Pompeii.

Ages: 16-19;
Topics: Chemistry
     

| Issue 6

Monastic ink: linking chemistry and history

One of the many purposes of science is to support the humanities. With this in mind, Gianluca Farusi and his students set out to investigate and prepare iron-gall ink, a historically significant material for the transmission of knowledge.

Ages: 14-16, 16-19;
Topics: Biology, Chemistry
     

| Issue 5

Taking the stress out of engineering

Darren Hughes from the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France takes a look at stress. How can it be manipulated to make safer rails for trains or more efficient wind turbines – and what can we learn from neutron- and X-ray analysis?

Ages: 14-16, 16-19;
Topics: Physics, Chemistry, Engineering
     

| Issue 5

Plastics, naturally

We sit on them, wear them and cook with them: plastics are everywhere. Yet this very versatility makes it difficult to produce and dispose of plastics in environmentally friendly ways. David Bradley explains how researchers at the University of Manchester, UK, are working on a solution.

Ages: 14-16, 16-19;
Topics: Biology, Chemistry, Earth science
                 

| Issue 4

Plant hallucinogens as magical medicines

Did witches once soar through the night sky on broomsticks? Or were they hallucinating after eating or touching certain plants? Angelika Börsch-Haubold explains how modern pharmacology helps us to understand the action of many toxic plants – some of which are still used in medicine.

Ages: 16-19;
Topics: Biology, Chemistry
     

| Issue 4

Silken, stretchy and stronger than steel!

Could spider silk be the answer to medical and military challenges? Giovanna Cicognani from the Institut Laue-Langevin and Montserrat Capellas from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, France, investigate Christian Riekel and Tilo Seydel’s research into this remarkable material.

Ages: 16-19;
Topics: Physics, Biology, Chemistry