CHEMISTRY

Researchers Pinpoint the Genes Behind the Durian's Foul Stench

That odor is extra powerful for a reason.

Eye-Catching Videos Show the Beauty of Chemical Reactions

It's gorgeous when elements react in high resolution.

Meteorites Splashing Into 'Warm Little Ponds' May Have Sparked Life on Earth

A new study supports a theory first proposed by Charles Darwin.

2017 Ig Nobel Prizes Celebrate Research on How Crocodiles Affect Gambling and Other Odd Studies

It's hard to pick a favorite from these off-the-wall studies exploring topics like whether cats can be both solid and liquid, the physics of walking backwards with coffee, and the brain activity of people who are grossed out by cheese.

How Japan's 'Dancing' Cats Predicted a Deadly Environmental Disaster

Something was wrong with the local felines … and soon humans would get sick too.

How to Make Slime With Glue

The science behind the ooey-gooey slime fad.

Archaeologists Find Italy's Earliest Wine—And It's Thousands of Years Older Than We Thought

File drinking Italian wine under "ancient tradition." Really, really ancient.

A Brief History of DayGlo

In the midst of the Depression, the world turned brighter when brothers Bob and Joe Switzer began developing a dazzling new fluorescent color palette.

Why Adding Water to Your Whiskey Makes It Taste Better

There’s a science-based argument for ordering whiskey on the rocks.

9 Facts about Physicist Michael Faraday, the 'Father of Electricity'

The British scientist's electromagnetic discoveries sparked a revolution.

The Strange Recipe Behind 'Bubble Gum Flavor'

It can be defined—just not in a way that looks good on the wrapper.

This Interactive Periodic Table Features a Haiku for Each Element

Chemistry makes for some great poetic inspiration.

Scientists Figure Out How to Recycle Aluminum Foil Into an Ingredient for Biofuel

There's a new way to recycle aluminum, even if it has food on it.

This Illustrated Periodic Table Shows How We Regularly Interact With Each Element

This graphic, spotted by inhabitat, presents the information found in a traditional periodic table with pictographs and labels indicating where you might encounter each element in your life.