Scientists create the toughest material yet discovered

Until now diamonds were considered the strongest material in nature, but scientists have created a new one harder than diamonds: the Q - carbon. This new material has also more properties: it glows even in the lowest light and it can be magnetized. For this reason it has many potential uses, like creating screens for gadgets or making artificial diamonds. However, scientists still have to investigate more about this new material.

From:  qizmodo.com

From: http: //scienceworld.scholastic.com
Written by Sara Mirás, 3rd A ( 9th grade )

A plastic that recycles itself

Recycling electronic gadgdets is really difficult because it is not easy to separate their plastic components and dangerous to burn them.

Now researchers have invented new plastics which can be degraded exposing them to ultraviolet light. These new plastics dissolve into a clear solution after this exposition. Their small components can be used again to make other plastics, therefore we generate less waste and we reduce raw materials.

Researchers have to check if the use of light influences the properties of plastics, for instance, their strength or durability.

From http://news.sciencemag.org/chemistry/2014/11/plastic-recycles-itself 

Written by Daniel Vázquez and Santiago Rojas - 3rd ESO (9th grade).

Chocolate component reverses memory loss in older people

A research carried out at Columbia University in New York and directed by professor Scott A. Small discovered that a component of chocolate called flavanol reverses memory loss in adults. In this research a group of people was given a drink containing lots of flavanols and by the end of three months they found out that their memory had improved. It’s the first time we know diet can help memory decline. 

Unfortunately, the problem of this study is that people must eat or drink big quantities of chocolate to get a beneficial effect.

From http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/oct/27/chocolate-component-reverses-memory-loss-older-people-claims-study

Written by Alejandra Recimil and Antía Rodríguez (3rd ESO - 9th grade).

Alfred Nobel, the dynamite inventor

Alfred Nobel was a famous scientist, inventor and businessman and he was also the founder of the Nobel Prizes. He was born on October 21 (1833) in Stockholm, Sweden. His father was an engineer and inventor, and his mother came from a wealthy family. He had two older brothers and a younger one.

 

He lived in Stockholm until 1842. Then he moved to Russia with his family because his father had a successful business there. Alfred was interested in literature, chemistry and physics, but his father decided to send him to Paris to study and become a chemical engineer.

 

The Nobel family returned to Sweden in 1863, and Alfred concentrated on developing nitroglycerine as an explosive. Although his experiments resulted in accidents, he didn't give up. Alfred invented, thanks to his experiments, dynamite and he set up factories in 90 different places. He lived in Paris, but he travelled to his factories a lot. He worked in Stockholm, Hamburg, Paris, San Remo, etc. He also experimented in making synthetic rubber and leather and artificial silk.

 

He died in San Remo, Italy on December 10, 1896.

 

His last wish was to give prizes to those who have done their best for humanity. So the first Nobel prizes were in 1901.

 

Image from Wikipedia

 

 

From http://www.nobelprize.org/

 

Written by Nora, Olalla and María (3rd ESO - 9th grade).

 

 

Nova forma de ver os átomos

Maximilian Haider, Harald Rose e Knut Urban conseguiron o Premio BBVA Fronteiras do Coñecemento 2013 por descubrir un microscopio que permite observar con detalle como interaccionan á vez os átomos.

Estes tres homes coñecéronse nun congreso en 1989 e tras escoitar e valorar a proposta que fixera Rose, Haider e Urban propuxéronlle xuntarse para poder levar esa idea a cabo. En 1997 o seu traballo xa daría algún froito pero non foi ata 2003 cando empezaron a comercializar o seu produto. Este produto consistía nun microscopio capaz de visualizar átomos a un picómetro de distancia (billonésima parte do metro). 

A cerimonia de entrega deste premio terá lugar en Madrid o 30 de xuño deste ano.

De esquerda a dereita: Harald Rose, Maximilian Haider e Knut Urban.

Fonte: www.quo.es (21/01/2014)

 

Deeply in love

An Oxygen atom tries to make friends on the playground. Do you know who are going to love it the most ?

Can you imagine a day without Chemistry?

Everything you see, smell or taste is related to Chemistry. This video, which was created to celebrate the International Year of Chemistry in 2011, will make you think about the importance of this science in your daily life.




From BytesizeScience-YouTube