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Category: chemistry – Page 3

5 Sci-Fi Aliens — And The Likelihood They Could Actually Exist

Special Biology Blog on BigThink on 5 Types of Science Fiction Aliens and the Likelihood that they Actually Exist:

Link through my website Search for Life in the Universe: [ https://www.searchforlifeintheuniverse.com/post/5-sci-fi-ali…ally-exist](https://www.searchforlifeintheuniverse.com/post/5-sci-fi-ali…ally-exist)

While all cellular life on Earth shares the same DNA-based chemistry, planets with different environments could produce alien organisms far more diverse. From insect-like swarms to intelligent machines, many classic sci-fi alien archetypes have at least some grounding in biology, astrobiology, or emerging technology. Ultimately, truly alien life may defy our expectations altogether, and recognizing it could require rethinking not just what aliens look like, but how we define life itself.

Routine vs Selective Calcium Supplementation After Thyroidectomy

Among adults undergoing total thyroidectomy, selective calcium and calcitriol supplementation triggered by low postoperative PTH was not superior to routine supplementation for preventing symptomatic or biochemical hypocalcemia.

Question Is selective calcium and calcitriol (C+C) supplementation, guided by postoperative PTH levels, a better strategy than routine supplementation for preventing symptomatic hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy?

Findings In this randomized clinical trial of 258 patients, the incidence of symptomatic hypocalcemia in the selective C+C supplementation group (7.8%) compared with the routine C+C supplementation group (11.1%) was not signicantly different.

Meaning Selective C+C supplementation based on postoperative PTH levels is not superior to routine supplementation; both are viable options that can be used according to available resources and clinical context.

Particles don’t always go with the flow (and why that matters)

It is commonly assumed that tiny particles just go with the flow as they make their way through soil, biological tissue, and other complex materials. But a team of Yale researchers led by Professor Amir Pahlavan shows that even gentle chemical gradients, such as a small change in salt concentration, can dramatically reshape how particles move through porous materials. Their results are published in Science Advances.

How small particles known as colloids, like fine clays, microbes, or engineered particles, move through porous materials such as soil, filters, and biological tissue can have significant and wide-ranging effects on everything from environmental cleanups to agriculture.

It’s long been known that chemical gradients—that is, gradual changes in the concentration of salt or other chemicals—can drive colloids to migrate directionally, a phenomenon known as diffusiophoresis. But it was often assumed that this effect would matter only when there was little or no flow, because phoretic speeds are typically orders of magnitude smaller than average flow speeds in porous media. Experiments set up in Pahlavan’s lab demonstrated a very different outcome.

Cheaper green hydrogen? New catalyst design cuts energy losses in AEM electrolyzers

Producing clean hydrogen from water is often compared to storing renewable energy in chemical form, but improving the efficiency of that process remains a scientific challenge. Researchers at Tohoku University have now developed a catalyst design that helps hydrogen form more smoothly under alkaline conditions, a key step toward practical green hydrogen production.

The work is published in the journal ACS Catalysis.

Scientific Notation Operations Simplified | A-to-Z Tutorial

In this video, you’ll learn how to perform all four operations in scientific notation: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The lesson explains how to work with powers of ten, adjust exponents correctly, and avoid common calculation mistakes.

Special attention is given to addition and subtraction in scientific notation, including how and when to rewrite numbers so their exponents match before combining them.

This video is ideal for students studying chemistry, physics, and general science, where scientific notation is used to handle very large and very small numbers efficiently.

Topics covered:

Review of scientific notation.
Multiplication in scientific notation.
Division in scientific notation.
Addition in scientific notation (matching exponents)
Subtraction in scientific notation.
Common mistakes and exam tips.

Designed for middle school, high school, and introductory college learners.

Continue reading “Scientific Notation Operations Simplified | A-to-Z Tutorial” | >

Machine learning helps solve a central problem of quantum chemistry

Within the STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence, two research teams at the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR) have refined a computing process, long held to be unreliable, such that it delivers precise results and reliably establishes a physically meaningful solution. The findings are published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Why molecular electron densities matter

How electrons are distributed in a molecule determines its chemical properties—from its stability and reactivity to its biological effect. Reliably calculating this electron distribution and the resulting energy is one of the central functions of quantum chemistry. These calculations form the basis of many applications in which molecules must be specifically understood and designed, such as for new drugs, better batteries, materials for energy conversion, or more efficient catalysts.

Chitosan-nickel biomaterial becomes stronger when wet, and could replace plastics

A new study led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has unveiled the first biomaterial that is not only waterproof but actually becomes stronger in contact with water. The material is produced by the incorporation of nickel into the structure of chitosan, a chitinous polymer obtained from discarded shrimp shells. The development of this new biomaterial marks a departure from the plastic-age mindset of making materials that must isolate from their environment to perform well. Instead, it shows how sustainable materials can connect and leverage their environment, using their surrounding water to achieve mechanical performance that surpasses common plastics.

Plastics have become an integral part of modern society thanks to their durability and resistance to water. However, precisely these properties turn them into persistent disruptors of ecological cycles. As a result, unrecovered plastic is accumulating across ecosystems and becoming an increasingly ubiquitous component of global food chains, raising growing concerns about potential impacts on human health.

In an effort to address this challenge, the use of biomaterials as substitutes for conventional plastics has long been explored. However, their widespread adoption has been limited by a fundamental drawback: Most biological materials weaken when exposed to water. Traditionally, this vulnerability has forced engineers to rely on chemical modifications or protective coatings, thereby undermining the sustainability benefits of biomaterial-based solutions.

Israeli professor leads int’l team behind implantable device that could eliminate need for insulin shots

Assistant Professor Shady Farah from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology’s Faculty of Chemical Engineering – has led an international research team that pioneered the development of an implantable, self-regulating device that produces insulin for patients with diabetes. The research is considered groundbreaking and could potentially eliminate the need for daily insulin shots.

The multinational study was conducted in cooperation with scientists from leading U.S. institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Massachusetts.

The study, published last month in Science Translational Medicine, describes the implant as a self-regulating ‘artificial pancreas’ that monitors blood glucose levels and produces insulin internally, eliminating the need for external insulin shots. The researchers describe the technology as a ‘crystalline shield’ and report that it can operate in the body for years.

Technion researchers developed an implantable artificial pancreas that produces insulin, potentially eliminating daily shots for diabetes patients.

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