All articles by Philip Ball – Page 11
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Research
Pattern reactions driven by DNA strands
Waves of self-catalysing chemical reactions can be controlled using short strands of DNA
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FeatureFlowing rivers of mercury
Philip Ball investigates claims that the burial chamber of China’s first emperor contains rivers of shimmering mercury
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OpinionA complete chemist
Philip Ball celebrates Paul Schleyer’s contributions to scientific discourse, spanning decades and disciplines
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OpinionAn end to bubble puzzle trouble?
Has a 20-year-old problem finally been solved, asks Philip Ball
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FeatureHarvesting heat
Philip Ball looks at the thermoelectric materials that harness waste heat and turn it into useful energy
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ResearchProbing molecules atom by atom
New NMR technique allows ultra-high-resolution of individual molecules
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OpinionAppreciating art criticism
Philip Ball considers Chinese works of art that comment on environmental and chemical issues
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OpinionDoes life play dice?
Philip Ball wonders whether life evolved to exploit quantum phenomena, or if it’s just in our nature
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ResearchFaulty enzyme link offers new ways to fight Parkinson’s
Research links Parkinson’s disease to an enzyme that affects the functioning of mitochondria
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OpinionThe fascinating in the familiar
A simple droplet shows that there are still plenty of puzzles to ponder in everyday observations, says Philip Ball
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ResearchMolecular clocks may probe fundamental laws
Clocks based on the simplest molecule could weigh in on proton’s mass
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OpinionHow the Pelican got its hue
Philip Ball covers the chemical history of Penguin’s inexpensive educational books
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FeatureThe colourful science
Philip Ball traces how chemists and artists have been inspiring each other for centuries
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ResearchChemistry gets strange at water’s surface
Theoretical study suggests that ions with the same charge might actually become attracted to each other at an interface
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OpinionIs junk DNA all garbage?
A brouhaha in biology shows that uncovering what we don’t know is more important than arguments about what we do, says Philip Ball