How artificial intelligence can help us figure out how life began
2 March 2022
How inanimate molecules first arranged themselves into life is one of the great mysteries. The answer could lie in a systematic exploration of chemical space
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Automated chemistry: The machines that can discover new drugs
2 March 2022
Making new molecules to treat disease has relied upon the painstaking art of synthetic chemistry, but now we're developing robots that could do it all for us
Endlessly recyclable materials could fix our plastic waste crisis
2 March 2022
Untold amounts of plastic waste is polluting our land and seas. Now, we're using chemical tricks to design infinitely and easily recyclable materials
How to make sustainable batteries that won't wreck the planet
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The batteries we need to power the transition to 100-per-cent renewable electricity require rare metals, and that means destructive mining – but researchers are working on alternatives
New ways to suck up methane can buy us vital time in the climate fight
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Remove a billion tonnes of methane from the air and we could cool Earth by 0.2°C, extending the window of opportunity to remove carbon dioxide before it is too late
The rise of the molecular machines set to make new wonder materials
2 March 2022
Machines made of atoms are being used to sew together new materials molecule by molecule, which could open the floodgates to all manner of innovation
Artificial leaves: Bionic photosynthesis as good as the real thing
2 March 2022
Converting sunlight into liquid fuel through artificial photosynthesis would be a huge environmental victory – and the latest prototypes look surprisingly effective
El Salvador's bitcoin gamble draws crypto-tourists but angers locals
1 March 2022
The adoption of cryptocurrency as legal tender by El Salvador's government has attracted enthusiastic tourists, concern from financial institutions and scorn from locals
Light yet strong metamaterial inspired by art of paper cutting
1 March 2022
A chequerboard pattern based on kirigami, the Japanese art of paper cutting, enables thin and light structures to support much heavier loads
Tyrannosaurus rex may actually be three separate species
1 March 2022
After analysing the teeth and thigh bones of 38 T. rex fossils, some researchers propose reclassifying them as three different species, but others are unconvinced
