Synthetic Spider Silk
While spider silk proteins are something you can make in your garage, making useful drag line fibers has proved a daunting challenge. Now, a team of scientists from Japan and …read more Continue reading Synthetic Spider Silk
Category Archives: chemistry hacks
Flux, From Scratch
Soldering flux is (or at least, should be) one of the ubiquitous features of any electronics bench. It serves the purpose of excluding oxygen from a solder joint as it …read more Continue reading Flux, From Scratch
Nanotechnology in Ancient Rome? There Is Evidence
Anything related to nanotechnology feels fairly modern, doesn’t it? Although Richard Feynman planted the seeds of the idea in 1959, the word itself didn’t really get formed until the 70s …read more Continue reading Nanotechnology in Ancient Rome? There Is Evidence
This Unique Flip-Flop Uses Chemistry and Lasers
One of the first logic circuits most of us learn about is the humble flip-flop. They’re easy enough to build with just a couple of NOR or NAND gates, and …read more Continue reading This Unique Flip-Flop Uses Chemistry and Lasers
DB Cooper Case Could Close Soon Thanks To Particle Evidence
It’s one of the strangest unsolved cases, and even though the FBI closed their investigation back in 2016, this may be the year it cracks wide open. On November 24, …read more Continue reading DB Cooper Case Could Close Soon Thanks To Particle Evidence
How to Refrigerate With Urine
It’s often said that the best science experiments are the ones which do not require any special devices or ingredients, which makes the use of what naturally comes out of …read more Continue reading How to Refrigerate With Urine
Aqueous Battery Solves Lithium’s Problems
The demand for grid storage ramps up as more renewable energy sources comes online, but existing technology might not be up to the challenge. Lithium is the most popular option …read more Continue reading Aqueous Battery Solves Lithium’s Problems
DIY Chemistry Points the Way to Open Source Blood Glucose Testing
Every diabetic knows that one of the major burdens of the disease is managing supplies. From insulin to alcohol wipes, diabetes is a resource-intensive disease, and running out of anything …read more Continue reading DIY Chemistry Points the Way to Open Source Blood Glucose Testing
Promethean Matches: The Ancestor to Modern Matches
The history of making fire at will is a long and storied one, stretching back to the days when we’d rub wooden sticks together, or use flint and steel to …read more Continue reading Promethean Matches: The Ancestor to Modern Matches
Homebrew Gel Fuel Keeps the Steam Coming, Legally
All it takes is one knucklehead to go and do something stupid to screw things up for everyone. We’re not exactly sure who the knucklehead is behind the recent ban …read more Continue reading Homebrew Gel Fuel Keeps the Steam Coming, Legally