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Natural Sciences

Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions

American Chemical Society

Taking inspiration from trees, scientists have developed a battery made from a sliver of wood coated with tin that shows promise for becoming a tiny, long-lasting, efficient and environmentally friendly energy source. Their report on the device — 1,000 times thinner than a sheet of paper — appears in the journal Nano Letters.

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  • 49 episodes
  • Updated Sep 12, 2011

Episodes49

Newest first
  • May 28, 2010

    Our Sustainable Future: Roadmap for preserving the planet

    The United States could completely stop emissions of carbon dioxide from coal-fired electric power plants? A crucial step for controlling global warming? Within 20 years by using technology that already exists or could become commercially available within a decade, scientists are reporting. The scientists outline strategies to make the phase-out possible, including the use of renewable energy and advanced nuclear power plants. Their study appears in ACS’ semi-monthly journal Environmental Scienc

  • May 14, 2010

    Our Sustainable Future: Decomposing BPA-containing plastic using a “fungus among us”

    Scientists are reporting discovery of a more sustainable way of disposing of plastics that contain bisphenol A (BPA) — without releasing that potentially harmful substance to the environment. The new method involves exposing polycarbonate plastic waste to ultraviolet light and heat. Just as cooking makes food more digestible for humans, this pretreatment approach makes polycarbonate plastic more digestible for certain fungi, which the scientists used to break down polycarbonate plastic. Their st

  • Apr 23, 2010

    Combating Disease: Coal from mass extinction era linked to lung cancer mystery

    For years, women in China’s Xuan Wei County in Yunnan Province — women who never smoked cigarettes — have been plagued by lung cancer. The mortality rates among female nonsmokers are the world’s highest — up to 20 times higher than average in China. A new study sheds light on the cancer epidemic and points to an unlikely source: volcanic eruptions occurring millions of years ago. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

  • Jan 4, 2010

    Providing Safe Foods: Heat forms potentially harmful substance in high-fructose corn syrup

    High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), that ubiquitous sweetener in soda, fruit drinks and processed foods, may pose another problem besides adding on the pounds. Researchers have found that heating the syrup promotes formation of potentially dangerous levels of a toxic substance in the corn syrup often fed to honey bees. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

  • Dec 4, 2009

    New Fuels: An “artificial leaf” for making solar-energy

    Scientists are making progress toward development of an “artificial leaf” that mimics a real leaf’s chemical magic with photosynthesis — but instead converts sunlight and water into a liquid fuel such as methanol for cars and trucks. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

  • Oct 29, 2009

    Promoting Public Health: Sandcastle worm’s secrets could yield new medical adhesive

    Scientists have copied the natural glue secreted by a tiny sea creature called the sandcastle worm in an effort to develop a long-sought medical adhesive needed to repair bones shattered in battlefield injuries, car crashes and other accidents. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

  • Oct 15, 2009

    Confronting Climate Change: “Green” roofs can help fight global warming

    If you live in the city and you like fresh veggies, herbs and flowers, how about planting a garden on your roof? “Green” roofs, those increasingly popular urban rooftops covered with plants, could help fight global climate change. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

  • Aug 12, 2009

    Confronting Climate Change: Smoke to soak up future oil spills

    Experts estimate that people dump more than 200 million gallons of used oil each year into sewers, streams and backyards, resulting in a problem that has plagued wastewater treatment plants for decades. But an answer might be found in a material sometimes referred to as frozen smoke. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

  • Jul 22, 2009

    Promoting Public Health: Redefining DNA: Darwin from the atom up

    DNA is the blueprint for every organism that ever swam, flew, crawled or walked on earth. Now, four billion years of evolution later, a few bold scientists have created a new genetic blueprint — with some profound applications. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.

  • Jun 10, 2009

    Promoting Personal Safety and National Security: Targeting Ricin

    Today’s topic is research on new ways to detect and possibly treat poisoning from ricin, a potential bioterrorist agent. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by Halleck, samplecat and acclivity.

  • May 20, 2009

    Our Sustainable Future: Small generator, big applications

    Today’s topic is research on creating a sustainable future. This discovery could render today’s landfill-bound batteries obsolete. Imagine if all you had to do to charge your iPod or your BlackBerry was to wave your hand, or stretch your arm, or take a walk? Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by crk365, man, rutgermuller, Halleck and ljudman.

  • Apr 27, 2009

    Promoting Personal Safety and National Security: New Solutions 2009

    In this episode, scientists from DARPA investigate whether a lethal new kind of explosive threatens America's security. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by ljudman and anton.

  • Apr 6, 2009

    Combating Disease: New Solutions 2009 - Much more than pasta and potatoes

    When you think carbohydrates, spaghetti, rice and freshly baked loaves of bread usually come to mind. A group of scientists in Germany led by Peter Seeberger see carbs a bit differently. Much more than just pasta and potatoes, they envision carbohydrates as the basis of revolutionary new vaccines and drugs to battle malaria, HIV, and a bevy of other diseases. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and M12.

  • Feb 23, 2009

    Confronting Climate Change: The Quest for Permanent Solutions

    Today’s topic is research on global climate change. This discovery could help control the amount of carbon dioxide — the No. 1 greenhouse gas — entering the atmosphere. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by pushtobreak, sinatra314, acclivity and kjackson.

  • Dec 9, 2008

    Episode 12 – Promoting Public Health

    Life expectancy in the 20th Century rose by about 30 years. Advances in protecting the public health were responsible for about 25 of those precious years. Vaccination programs. Improved sanitation to better control infectious diseases. The development of antibiotics. Better prenatal care. And much more. Scientists are making strides toward sustaining that progress by fostering continued improvements in the health of the population as a whole. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.

  • Nov 25, 2008

    Episode 11 – Providing Safe Food (Part 2 of 2)

    Blueberries, raspberries and grapes bursting with flavor. A luscious, silky morsel of chocolate melting into a mouthful’s rush of pure pleasure. Fresh ripe tomatoes. Years ago, people ate for that gratification. Food also provided the calories for people to work, and drove away hunger pangs. Today, people in industrialized countries are selecting food not just for taste and sustenance, but also for its potential effects in promoting good health. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetec

  • Nov 13, 2008

    Episode 10 – Providing Safe Food (Part 1 of 2)

    Every Thanksgiving, family and friends gather to celebrate round dinner tables heaped high with roast turkey and other traditional dishes. There’s praise and thanks for the food, of course. But maybe we should add a word of thanksgiving for the scientific advances that are helping to keep our food supply safe from a host of threats that can really spoil a meal. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and M12 (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.