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Chemistry

A red car and a large salt truck drive on a snowy road next to a mountain.

Can bacteria help us prevent salt damage to concrete roads and bridges?

Science

Spring has long been filled with bumps and potholes in roads, many of which are caused by the salt that makes driving safe all winter. New research has shown how this annual problem could become a thing of the past with bacteria, which are being used in the fight to maintain our roads and save our streets from costly damage.

A man test-sprays glyphosate in a field with tall grass while wearing a blue pack on his back containing the chemical.

Inside Monsanto’s day in court: Scientists weigh in on glyphosate’s cancer risks

Justice

Better Chemistry Through Beauty

Arts, Culture & Media
Andrea Carolina and Desikan Sundararajan with Statoil, along with Dirk Richter, founder of Quanta3 (left to right), install a pilot methane detector at a Statoil well pad at the Eagle Ford Shale natural gas site in Texas.

Engineers compete to detect methane leaks, a powerful climate pollutant

Environment
A pharmacist holds prescription painkiller OxyContin, 40mg pills, made by Purdue Pharma L.D. at a local pharmacy.

Why the opioid crisis is an American problem

Health
Tropical forest Indonesia

Tropical forests are becoming net carbon producers, instead of carbon sinks

Environment

Tropical forests have historically absorbed excess carbon dioxide, but new research indicates that these areas have become a net source of CO2.

Smokestack and trees

As global carbon dioxide levels climb, plants are becoming better at photosynthesis

Environment

Plants are responding to rising levels of carbon dioxide by performing more photosynthesis and using water more efficiently.

Beijing power plant

Globe-trotting pollutants pose a larger threat to public health than previously thought

Health

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, toxic air pollutants produced by combustion, are linked to lung cancer and other serious health problems. Recent findings suggest that these tiny particles travel long distances and significantly increase overall health risks.

Celebrity scientist to be sealed in airtight box for experiment

Environment

For two days, British geologist Iain Stewart will be sealed in an air-tight, bedroom-sized container with only small plants to provide him with oxygen.

The 180,000-carat Bahia Emerald weighs 840 pounds and has been the subject of a contentious court battle between a colorful crowd of gem traders, miners and a real estate tycoon all vying for the prized jewel - once valued at $372 million.

A massive emerald from Brazil: Worth $900 million? Or nothing?

Business

The 180,000-carat Bahia Emerald weighs 840 pounds and has been the subject of a court battle between a colorful crowd of gem traders, a real estate tycoon and the nation of Brazil. Is it even worth it?