Scientists recently found that tiny cages made of ice can dramatically alter chemical reactions when exposed to ultraviolet light. These cages, called clathrate hydrates, act like microscopic labs where chemicals get trapped and behave differently than they would in open space. Researchers tested ac
In the wide grasslands of northern China, two types of plants often compete for space: tough perennial grasses and colorful flowering forbs. Scientists have long noticed that these plants don’t just look different—they also affect the soil and nutrients in contrasting ways. Leaves from grasses and f
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the Black Sea’s northwest coast has faced pollution it wasn’t ready for. Before the war, this area already dealt with natural shifts and years of human impact from farming and industry. Now, the fighting has added sudden bursts of harmful substances while making it hard
Food isn’t always what it seems. In crime labs worldwide, scientists regularly examine foods for hidden drugs after crimes or seizures. But testing isn’t straightforward—chocolate, drinks, or even gummy candies behave differently when mixed with substances like cannabis, painkillers, or sedatives. E
Scientists have found a new way to learn about the habits of city residents by looking at their sewage. The technique, called wastewater‑based epidemiology, usually tracks drug use but now also measures food and drink markers. A fresh laboratory test can spot more than 40 different substances in raw
Land use has changed a lot between 2001 and 2020 in China, especially as cities grew and forests were planted. Scientists wanted to see how these changes affect the way certain chemicals form on surfaces and later in the air. They used a computer model that simulates air quality, keeping weather and
Scientists have figured out exactly which parts of a cobalt‑based material make it good at turning glycerol into useful energy. Instead of guessing, they built three similar crystals that differ only in the tiny details around cobalt atoms. The key discovery was that the reaction happens mainl
Battery sizes in phones keep getting bigger, but Vivo just jumped way ahead. A tipster shared on Weibo in early 2026 that the company is testing a phone packing a 10, 000mAh battery—the biggest yet in a smartphone that still fits in your pocket. Most phones max out around 5, 000mAh, so this is a hug
Most people notice old iron pipes in their water system only when the water turns yellow or rusty. What they don’t see are the invisible side effects. Scientists recently traced how these aging cast iron pipes could be quietly creating extra chemicals in drinking water, ones we don’t even test for r
Scientists have created a new type of sponge that sticks strongly to wet tissue and stops bleeding even when patients take blood‑thinning drugs. The trick is coating one side of a gelatin sponge with a special polymer called PANS, which contains NHS ester groups. These groups form strong bonds—bo
