What has long been seen as a deluded effort to turn base metals into gold is being reassessed by researchers as a serious precursor to chemistry in which women were heavily involved. By GARETH WILLMER About 20 years ago, Matteo Martelli was browsing in a bookshop when he chanced upon an intriguing work. Opening the pages … Read more
Scientists are unleashing the power of neutrons to improve understanding of everyday materials and tackle fundamental questions in physics. By MICHAEL ALLEN Apart from flashbacks that the hit Netflix series Breaking Bad may have conjured up, most of us have likely happily forgotten what we learned in chemistry classes back in school. So here’s a quick … Read more
While not primarily useful for telling the time, nuclear clocks could allow scientists to test humankind’s fundamental understanding of how reality works. By Caleb Davies Thorsten Schumm is a clockmaker, but not the kind who sits at a workbench covered with springs and cogs, a magnifying loupe jammed into one eye. No, he is making … Read more
Five experts who appeared in Horizon Magazine in 2022 outline how their areas of activity will evolve in the coming year and more. By VITTORIA D’ALESSIO From more fresh water and less depression to life-saving drones and thought-interpreting scans, 2023 promises to be a big year in science. Still, don’t expect to fly in a … Read more
Game theory mathematics is used to predict outcomes in conflict situations. Now it is being adapted through big data to resolve highly contentious issues between people and the environment. Game theory is a mathematical concept that aims to predict outcomes and solutions to an issue in which parties with conflicting, overlapping or mixed interests interact. … Read more
The old joke is that nuclear fusion is always 30 years away. Yet the dream of abundant clean energy is no laughing matter as we meet an ITER researcher to catch up on progress at the reactor facility. The Sun has fuelled life on Earth for billions of years, creating light and heat through nuclear … Read more