In the wake of the recent announcement of a new £1 coin to be introduced in 2017, today’s post looks at some of the metals present in the coins of the United Kingdom. All of these coins are produced using alloys, or mixtures of metals; the main metals used include copper, nickel, zinc and iron. The composition of some of the coins has also changed since their original introduction, for reasons which are examined below.
Today is International Women’s Day, so here is another edition of the Women in Chemistry history series. This edition features women whose achievements in chemistry include the creation of synthetic emeralds, the impact of diet and nutrition on intelligence and health, and more.
As the Winter Olympics draw to a close, what are the medals that the top athletes will be taking home made of? This graphic takes a look and also highlights the values of each medal.
Manufacturers claim that antiviral nasal sprays can reduce the duration of cold and flu symptoms, but how effective are they? The latest edition of Periodic Graphics in C&EN examines the evidence and looks at how these sprays fight viruses. View the full graphic on the C&EN site.
Today (8 Feb) marks the birthday of Dmitri Mendeleev, one of the best-known chemists. His name is synonymous with the periodic table; though he wasn’t the first to attempt to organise the elements into a table, his use of his own table to predict the properties of undiscovered elements gave him prominence. This graphic looks at the elements known at the time he constructed his table and the elements whose properties he predicted.
Today (4 Feb) is World Cancer Day. Analysts estimate that there will be 30.5 million new cancer cases diagnosed yearly by 2050, with a projected 18.6 million annual deaths. However, our ability to use medicines to target more effectively is improving, and antibody–drug conjugates are an increasingly effective tool in combating cancers. This graphic explains what they are, how they work, and how they might improve in the future.
Rubber ducks: made from rubber, right? Wrong! This infographic examines the chemical history of a rubber duck, from its origins using genuine rubber in the 1800s to its modern incarnation, made possible by polymers and plasticisers.
