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Cecilia Payne and spectral lines

Feature

The young female astronomer who worked out what the sun is made of

100 years ago, Cecilia Payne deduced that the sun is mainly made of hydrogen – but was encouraged to downplay her findings by her PhD supervisor. Mike Sutton takes up the story

Hibernating doormouse

Feature

Hibernation awakens interest for drug discovery

With many different species entering torpor for a variety of reasons, scientists are looking to their sleepy secrets for ways to treat human diseases. Anthony King reports

Benzene and bunting in chalk on a blackboard

Opinion

Benzene at 200

Celebrating the molecule that changed the world

Kekule, Faraday and Mitscherlich in a party collage

Opinion

Benzene’s 200-year legacy of transformation

As we celebrate the anniversary of benzene’s isolation, we must remember that scientific centenaries carry additional agendas

A model of a molecule of a chain of six nitrogen atoms

Research

Most energetic molecule ever made is stable – in liquid nitrogen

Nitrogen allotrope releases double the energy of the most powerful chemical explosives 

Wizard with black cat and flask

In search of the alchemists of Prague

By

A city where chemistry lurks almost anywhere you look

NMR

Getting good at human tasks

By

’What do you mean you had to lock the NMR with an oscilloscope and shim the magnet by hand?’

Ponnadurai Ramasami

Ponnadurai Ramasami: ‘You will learn more by going the more difficult way’

By

The trailblazing computational chemist on the joys of teaching, inaugurating a virtual conference, and the importance of doing things the hard way

Elements

Helping remote schools be in their element

By

The element sets now found in over half of Australian high schools

Letters: July 2025

By

Readers ponder polymorphs, period products, PFAS and more

Chemistry's capital C

By

From refinery scale to a nanosecond existence, carbon is everywhere – in life as well as chemistry 

Contemporary chemistry owes a lot to benzene's beginnings

By

Celebrating what started when Faraday found the molecule with no end

(–)-Bipinnatin J

By

A stepping stone to greater things?

A scientist helps two visually impaired high school students perform a chemistry experiment with a bottle of fizzy drink and a balloon. The students are smiling as they feel the changes to the objects.

News

Chemistry for the visually impaired that can be felt, heard and smelt

The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, recently brought chemistry alive for students with sight loss

Wizard with black cat and flask

Opinion

In search of the alchemists of Prague

A city where chemistry lurks almost anywhere you look

Opinion

Getting good at human tasks

’What do you mean you had to lock the NMR with an oscilloscope and shim the magnet by hand?’

Opinion

Ponnadurai Ramasami: ‘You will learn more by going the more difficult way’

The trailblazing computational chemist on the joys of teaching, inaugurating a virtual conference, and the importance of doing things the hard way

Careers

How to excel at public speaking

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