The study of the molecules and patterns that make up living and nonliving parts of our world.
How Lava Lamps Work
By Henry Dieckhaus Lava lamps! Who doesn’t love those bubbly little jars of fun-colored magical goo? These fascinating contraptions, originally…
Your Cells are Left-handed: The Chirality of Living Things
By Henry Dieckhaus Approximately 10% of people identify as left-handed if asked to write a sentence or throw a ball…
Cancer Alley
by Mariah Jones The year is 1987. The place is a small southern town in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. Within two…
Mouthwatering Munchables: The Maillard Reaction
by Siena Mantooth Bread, fries, and steak are all brown because of the Maillard reaction. Image created by author with…
Hydrothermal Vents: The Origin of Life?
by Nicole Gadda Have you ever wondered how life on Earth began? If so, you’re not alone. Many scientists are…
Zap, Crackle, and BOOM! The Science of Thunderstorms
by Nicole Gadda Most of us who have lived through a North Carolina summer have experienced a thunderstorm. Think of…
Clouds and How They Form
by Madison Williams At some point in your life, you have likely looked up at the sky and saw clouds…
It’s All Gouda: The Science of Making Cheese
by Margaret Dedloff We eat cheese as a snack, we put it on our pasta and our pizza, we even…
Why are Blueberries Blue?
by Taylor Tibbs Versión en Español Photo of blueberries. Source: Daniel Hurst Photography / Getty Images. I can think back…
Smelling Sulfur: the Chemical Culprit behind Eggs, Skunks, and Garlic Breath
by Bree Iskandar Why do rotten eggs, skunk spray, and garlic breath smell so bad? Images by Aqua Mechanical, Creazilla,…
The Chemistry of Tie-Dye
by Katie Acken The Chemistry of Tie-Dye If you’ve tie-dyed before, then you’ve actually set up a chemical reaction! This…
The History of Hoodoos Through Science and Storytelling
By Rami Major Sprawling across tens of thousands of acres in southern Utah, tall rock spires poke like pointy fingers…
The Science Behind Kombucha
By Riya Gohil One COVID/quarantine hobby I’ve picked up over the course of the last year has been brewing kombucha.…
How Do We Track Down Alien Life?
By Brandon Le Does life exist outside the confines of our home planet? If this question captivates you, you’d find…
The Chemistry of Fall Colors
By Taylor Tibbs It is that time of year again: the morning air is crisp and you can feel a…
The Truth About BPA
By Gabrielle Quickstad Have you ever walked down the aisle of your local department store and taken a look at…
The Flavor of Water
By Devina Thiono When you go to a different place, you may notice that the water tastes different than what…
Percy Julian
By Jenna Beam When I started researching Percy Julian for this article, I was amazed by the extent of his…
Making the World of Plastics More Transparent
By Candice Crilly Derived from the Greek word plastikos meaning “capable of being shaped or molded”, plastic is an umbrella…
The Toxicologist
By Eva Vitucci Over 500 years ago, a man named Paracelsus stirred up the world of medicine. At that time…
The Real Risk of California’s Cancer Label on Coffee
By Christina Marvin Under California law, coffee will now carry one of the same warnings as nicotine products. Is the…
The Science of Snowflakes
By Chad Lloyd Flash back to 4th grade art class. “Today we are going to decorate for winter and will…
Storm Surge: The Science of Hurricanes
By Christina Marvin Destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. – From Wikipedia Anyone who has lived through a hurricane…
A Graduate Student Evening: Weirdness in Death Valley
By Mike Pablo I’m a Chemistry PhD student studying the biochemistry of a type of immune cell, but sometimes it’s…
One potato, Two potatoes, Three potatoes, Four!
By Kelsey Gray As the days get longer, the air gets warmer, and the sun shines brighter, we may begin…
Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice: Science in the Kitchen
By Mike Pablo Whether or not you know what to do with a stove, you need to eat. And, while…
The Bacterial Life inside your Breakfast
By Christina Marvin Yogurt is a yummy treat, but did you know that one of the main ingredients is live…
Coffee Science
By Sarah Marks It’s the end of the semester, which means a slew of project deadlines and exams. To get…
Molecular Machines – 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
By Sarah Marks Photo credit – Tim Ereneta For me, one of the most exciting times of the year is…
