The Hubble Telescope found more evidence of vast plumes of water bursting through the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. What does this tell us about the potential for life on Europa?

A while back, we were tasked with answering some of the world's most asked questions. So here, in one convenient location, are some of those questions and their answers.

Have you ever noticed that sunlight makes colors fade? Join Quick Questions as we explore why that happens.

Between the new, potentially Earth-like planets, organic molecules on Ceres, and SpaceX's successful launch, it's been quite a week in space!

When molecules collide, chemical reactions can occur -- causing major structural changes akin to getting a new arm on your face! George Zaidan and Charles Morton playfully imagine chemical systems as busy city streets, and the colliding...

Cone snails are venomous marine snails who use their venom in creative ways to take down their prey. And scientists have realized that certain chemicals in these venoms could actually be pretty useful for medicine.

Concrete doesn't dry - it sets!

RNA, the genetic messenger, makes sure the DNA recipe gives your cells exactly what they ordered. But sometimes that means inhibiting some other RNA that got the recipe wrong. This process is called RNA interference (RNAi), and it acts...

Even though all living things have a lot in common, different organisms can have very different reactions to the same organic chemicals. That means it’s really important for organic chemists to be able to purify chemicals and separate...

What if our bodies could help grow new life after we die, instead of being embalmed and buried or turned to ash? Join Katrina Spade as she discusses "recomposition" -- a system that uses the natural decomposition process to turn our...

Everything is made of chemicals, including the human body, but there are some especially weird ones

Explore some properties of water with the Amoeba Sisters! It's all about those hydrogen bonds.

Explore the types of passive and active cell transport with the Amoeba Sisters! Table of Contents: Intro 00:00 Importance of Cell Membrane for Homeostasis 0:41 Cell Membrane Structure 1:07 Simple Diffusion 1:45 What does it mean to "go...

Authentic dollar bills are equipped with many security features to make them difficult to forge. But that doesn't stop counterfeiters from trying to fool people with fakes. Luckily, anyone can help catch a counterfeit; all you need are a...

It might feel like it was only yesterday that the Curiosity rover touched down on Mars, but in August, the rover celebrated its fifth birthday! For a kindergartener, it's made some really impressive discoveries.

In the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, we might be able to find new treatments by looking at some of the world’s most venomous snakes.

Viruses are among humanity's greatest threats and it seems like they're always one step ahead of us. But this week, biologists say that they've discovered a new weapon we can use against some of our most nefarious virus enemies - and it...

What does real scientific work look like? As neuroscientist Stuart Firestein jokes: It looks a lot less like the scientific method and a lot more like "farting around ... in the dark." In this witty talk, Firestein gets to the heart of...

Freezer burn, what's your deal? Why are you ruining our dinner plans?

When you think of antihistamines, you're probably only thinking about getting rid of a runny nose, but we're learning that antihistamines can be used for nausea, insomnia, and even depression!

You might think weather on earth is pretty crazy, but at least we don't have an apocalyptic shockwave to worry about every 111 days.

A tiny change in a molecule’s geometry completely changes its effects on the human body.

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Every cell that's ever lived has been the result of the four-letter genetic alphabet: A, T, C and G -- the basic units of DNA. But now that's changed. In a visionary talk, synthetic biologist Floyd E. Romesberg introduces us to the first...

Atoms can (and do) bond constantly; it's how they form molecules. Sometimes, in an atomic tug-of-war, one atom pulls electrons from another, forming an ionic bond. Atoms can also play nicely and share electrons in a covalent bond. From...