All The crucible articles – Page 2
-
OpinionJames Lovelock, a gentleman scientist
Philip Ball reflects on the legacy of the creator of the Gaia hypothesis, who has died aged 103
-
OpinionPeriod of discovery
Chemical space contained sufficient information to formulate the periodic system 25 years before Mendeleev
-
OpinionFrom prebiotic soup to fine-grained RNA world
Theories about how life emerged need to be closely attuned to conditions on the early Earth
-
OpinionIs there a natural order in which complex objects appear?
Assembly theory suggests there might be
-
OpinionBeyond the transition state
Entropy production could be a key guide to predicting how a reaction product forms
-
ArticleCausal emergence might explain how living systems can operate
Life does not run like clockwork
-
OpinionA century of curly arrows
Celebrating the simple symbols that – along with their straight counterparts – encapsulate complex chemical behaviours
-
OpinionNed Seeman’s legacy
A system based on DNA ‘tiles’ can embody Darwinian evolution, raising new possibilities for understanding natural selection and materials development
-
OpinionDon’t let the burden of proof squeeze the life out of ideas
Extraordinary claims can be extraordinarily stimulating
-
OpinionVolta’s ink spills its secrets
Chemical analysis of manuscripts can reveal details of their author’s life and motivations
-
OpinionA vaccine for all seasons?
Phase 1 clinical trials have begun on a candidate that could work against a wide range of flu viruses
-
OpinionHidden details in iconic portrait of Lavoisiers reveal fears of coming revolution
As the French Revolution neared the Lavoisiers were reimagined as scientific progressives rather than out of touch aristocrats
-
-
OpinionScience is political
The personal values held by scientists should influence the accolades they receive
-
OpinionFurin fundamentals
There’s no direct evidence for the lab leak hypothesis – and the biochemistry of the virus might not tell us much about it
-
-
OpinionLearning the language of chemistry
Artificial intelligence works out the grammar of chemical reactions
-
OpinionRewards based on priority drive unnecessary competition
The story of Crispr illustrates how a focus on patents and publications can cause good people to act in unsavoury ways
-
-
OpinionWhen does a hydrogen bond become a covalent bond?
Ultrafast infrared spectroscopy probes the character of the short, strong bonds in HF2–