OpinionJanuary 23, 2025
My Climate Protest Arrest Shows the Problem with ‘Social Tipping Point’ Theory
People hoping that progress on climate action will accelerate like sudden changes in our physical world must prepare for a long, hard struggle
Stories by Andy Extance
Andy Extance is a freelance science writer based in Exeter, England, who protests with Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil. He is accredited as a chartered chemist and chartered scientist by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
EvolutionJune 22, 2020
The First Gene on Earth May Have Been a Hybrid
A new experiment suggests DNA and RNA may have formed together before the origin of life
ChemistryJanuary 9, 2019
Testing for Caffeine Could Help Foil Fake Urine Scam
The absence of substances originating from coffee, chocolate, nicotine and blood in pee could indicate foul play
Climate ChangeNovember 20, 2017
Surfing for Science: Ocean Enthusiasts Could Help Gauge Coastal Warming
Researchers want to enlist surfers, scuba divers and anglers to monitor hard-to-reach areas vulnerable to climate change
ChemistryJanuary 15, 2016
New Catalyst Can Reduce Mercury Emissions
A gold-based compound will help clean toxic metals released by China's vast polyvinyl chloride industry
EnvironmentOctober 27, 2015
Could Diamond Dust Sprayed into the Sky Cool Earth?
Solid particles of diamond or alumina might be safer than sulphate droplets as a way to redirect the sun’s energy, calculations suggest
TechnologySeptember 30, 2015
Entrepreneurs Explore Bitcoin's Future
Academics and entrepreneurs are fascinated with the cryptocurrency's core block chain innovation, which serves as the official online ledger of every Bitcoin transaction
TechnologyMay 28, 2015
Laser Weapons Get Real
Long a staple of science fiction, laser weapons are edging closer to the battlefield, thanks to optical fibers
ChemistryMarch 16, 2015
Fake Data Prompts Major Journals to Retract Chemistry Papers
In Science and elsewhere claims about using small forces to pull molecules apart seem fabricated
The SciencesFebruary 23, 2015
Ecstasy Precursor Shows How to Reduce Alcohol Cancer Risk—and Curb Drunkenness
A molecule related to the illegal drug teams with an enzyme to mop up alcoholic effects in mice
HealthFebruary 5, 2015
Robot Scientist Discovers Potential Malaria Drug
The machine called Eve is packed with innovations for finding drugs faster
ChemistryFebruary 4, 2015
Common Chemicals Linked to Early Menopause
Endocrine disruptors increased likelihood of hormonal change in study of 1,400 women
TechnologyJanuary 15, 2015
Manhattan Project Plutonium, Lost to Obscurity, Recovered by Scientists
Radioactive signatures identify one of the first pieces of plutonium seen by human eyes
ChemistryDecember 24, 2014
'Sky Chemistry' Leads To Greener Way To Make Plastic
Nylon production creates a greenhouse gas but combining ozone and UV light eliminates it
Space & PhysicsAugust 7, 2014
Next Mars Rover Will Make Oxygen from CO2
The spacecraft, due in 2020, will have a reverse fuel cell to produce oxygen for fuel—or to breathe
ChemistryJuly 9, 2014
New Molecular Sieve Offers Greener Way to Filter Chemicals
Metal-organic frameworks cut energy needed to make high-demand propylene