![Hairdresser relaxing the hair on an african woman head and also using comb to stretch and apply the relaxer cream through the hair](jpg/8b91ed7a-cbb9-4ad2-8927b12f6aa39fdf_sourcec72e.jpg)
Hair Relaxers Will Be Safer without Formaldehyde, but It’s Just a Start
Banning formaldehyde hair relaxers might help protect Black women’s health, but won’t end the racism that drives their use
Hair Relaxers Will Be Safer without Formaldehyde, but It’s Just a Start
Banning formaldehyde hair relaxers might help protect Black women’s health, but won’t end the racism that drives their use
This Molecule Is a Nanoscale Bulldozer
Researchers discovered that a heart-shaped molecule will jump in straight lines when given an electric jolt
Zapping Plastic Waste Can Produce Clean Fuel
Can waste plastic can be converted into hydrogen gas and a type of graphene—at a profit?
Gluten’s Complex Chemistry Contributes to Delicious Baked Goods
Gluten’s unique chemistry gives foods like bread and rolls their airy, stretchy textures
Superconductor Research Is in a ‘Golden Age,’ Despite Controversy
The search for room-temperature superconductors has suffered scandalous setbacks, but physicists are optimistic about the field’s future
Hair Straighteners and Relaxers May Be Harmful to Health. Here’s How to Make Them Better
Growing evidence suggests certain hair products marketed toward Black women may be harmful to their health. Scientists, entrepreneurs and policy makers are taking steps to fix the problem
Nature Retracts Controversial Room-Temperature Superconductor Study
One of the world’s most prestigious science journals has retracted a major paper from embattled superconductivity researcher Ranga Dias
2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Goes to Tiny Quantum Dots with Huge Effects
Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery of quantum dots, an entirely new class of material that is used in large-screen TVs and cancer surgery
New Chemical Process Offers Hope for Mixed-Plastics Recycling
A molecular additive allows different kinds of plastic to be recycled together
Fungi Make Safer Fireproofing Material
Scientists are now growing mycelium, the fungal root network, into fire-retardant sheets to provide a safer, nontoxic way to protect buildings
Some Metals Mysteriously Heal Their Own Cracks
Scientists accidentally discover metals that mend themselves without human intervention
The Chemistry behind Bourbon
How does bourbon, “America’s spirit,” get its distinctive taste and color?