A weekly digest of cutting edge research from the American Chemical Society
Science Elements Archives: 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012
Episode 249 – May 21, 2012
How scientists created the first practical artificial leaf. How new technology could help nab terrorists. Why sunscreens may be linked to a painful disorder in women.
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Episode 248 – May 14, 2012
Why a common spice is a top-notch fat fighter. Unroasted coffee could help accelerate weight loss. How researchers are closing in on a natural way to coax a cancer-fighting compound out of soybeans.
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Episode 247 – May 7, 2012
How micro-submarines could help scrub away oil spills. Why scientists are digging deep to find out more about potentially harmful microbes lurking in sand. How differences in the salt content of rivers and the oceans could help produce a new and sustainable form of energy.
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Episode 246 – April 30, 2012
Minute super scrubbers could revitalize laundry detergents. A new fabric coating could help our clothes shrug off gunk. How silk could strangle dangerous microbes before they can harm us.
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Episode 245 – April 23, 2012
Why researchers say they have some “berry” good news about the brain. How putting the kibosh on something called oh-glick-nack might help improve your memory. How an evolving type of artificial memory could add a new dimension to modern computing.
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Episode 244 – April 16, 2012
Why the “fearful lizards” of yore could be the smartest kids in the class on some distant planet. How living at a snail’s pace just got a lot more energetic. A new finding about oil and water could turn the world upside down.
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Episode 243 – April 09, 2012
How comets may have set evolution in motion. Why microscopic “spaghetti highways” could help rejuvenate older people. How butterfly wings could boost production of green fuels. What surprising source of antioxidants is popping up in the kitchen?
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Episode 242 – March 19, 2012
Why that morning pick-me-up might not be as natural as you think. A tantalizing taste conundrum defies explanation. What is killing the bees?
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Episode 241 – March 12, 2012
How producing sustainable fuels could put a strain on scarce natural resources. Why farmers could soon face a daunting choice: grow food or fuel? A high-tech version of a common over-the-counter drug could help subdue a leading cause of death.
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Episode 240 – March 05, 2012
How bacteria in our bellies may contribute to weight gain. Why potatoes could help mash high blood pressure without packing on the pounds. Where water shortages are most likely to occur in the next 40 years.
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Episode 239 – February 27, 2012
“Miracle materials” could help solve some of the world’s greatest challenges. An ultra-thin material subdues rust. How a new process led to the discovery of two potent weapons in the fight against drug-resistant bacteria.
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Episode 238 – February 20, 2012
How testing for vitamin D deficiency just became more reliable. A hand-held device could revolutionize blood testing. Why smart phones could help keep us a lot healthier.
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Episode 237 – February 13, 2012
Skewered nanoparticles could help overcome a big problem. A microrocket could speed up drug delivery in the body. How science might best address concerns about the safe use of nanomedicines.
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Episode 236 – February 06, 2012
A new online tool could help you find out what’s really going up in smoke. An inexpensive, yet amazingly effective, new material could help slash carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere. How an energetic insect could help power the next generation of electronic devices.
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Episode 235 – January 30, 2012
How scientists are closing in on ways to make healthier hot dogs. Why a little-known component of beer could cause digestive havoc in some people. A startling finding could lead to changes down on the watermelon farm.
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Episode 234 – January 23, 2012
How a substance produced by a “miracle tree” could help quench the worldwide thirst for clean drinking water. Why dew drops do what they do. Why some drug names are such tongue twisters.
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Episode 233 – January 17, 2012
How coffee drinking reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes. A real insight into a “wild card” in your genes. Advances toward an imaging agent for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease.
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Episode 232 – January 09, 2012
How dried licorice root fights the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease. Why some vacuum cleaners actually make things dirtier in your home. A new medical scanner bears a strong resemblance to a device used on television’s most famous science fiction show.
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Episode 231 – January 02, 2012
An emerging field of research could heat up cancer treatment. How a new tool could help surgeons zero in on cancer cells in the brain. Why nano-magnets could help doctors replace damaged or diseased cells in the body.
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