All articles by Philip Ball – Page 8
-
Opinion
What's the point of synthesising the human genome?
A plan to build our genome from scratch should be challenged on its scientific merit, not whether it is creating life, argues Philip Ball
-
Opinion
How game theory could explain complex life
Philip Ball asks if the building blocks of life benefit from cooperation
-
Research
Scientists claim to have seen ‘new state’ of water
Scepticism that water molecules with delocalised protons can be described as an unknown phase of water
-
Opinion
Homing pigeons should thank quantum chemistry
Philip Ball asks whether quantum biology holds the secret to how birds navigate
-
Opinion
Why salty water foams
Philip Ball seeks the answer to a question more complex than it appears
-
Research
Bonding accurately predicted in diatomics by new scheme
Hopes that simple theoretical framework can be extended to tackle polyatomic molecules
-
Research
New buzz around vibrational smell theory
Controversial theory bolstered by discovery that ordinary and deuterated odour compounds elicit different responses in honeybee brains
-
Opinion
What is a molecule?
Despite being a standard scientific concept, it’s virtually impossible to agree a satisfactory definition, says Philip Ball
-
Research
Chemical reaction flipped back and forth under scanning probe microscope
Work demonstrated on Bergman cyclisation offers route to valuable new reactions
-
Opinion
The periodic table name game
Proposed new rules on how elements are named save confusion but sacrifice romance, argues Philip Ball
-
Research
Freezing oil droplets put on a show
Drops of hexadecane adopt geometric shapes more appropriate to crystals
-
Opinion
Why we need more research risks
Scientists are playing it too safe when choosing topics for investigation, warns Philip Ball
-
Opinion
Weapons of mass discussion
A chemistry opera gives reason to face up to the role of scientists in war, says Philip Ball
-
Opinion
Speaking of chemistry
Richard Feynman’s mischievous genius shone discussing chemistry, says Philip Ball
-
Research
Nanotube desalination could be put back on track
Simulations reveal what may have been holding up this promising technology
-
Research
Drawn out proteins make self-healing scaffolds
Self-assembling protein tubes can be shaped into a flexible, branching network that can support growing cells
-
Feature
Navigating chemical space
Fully exploring the ocean of possible compounds – even computationally – is impossible, finds Philip Ball