ACS Science Elements Archive: 2009

Science news podcasts from the American Chemical Society

A weekly digest of cutting edge research from the American Chemical Society

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Episode 138 - December 28 2009
A recap/digest of the top 2009 stories for ACS and Science Elements this past year.
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Episode 137 - December 21 2009
How food aromas could help combat the battle of the bulge. Heart drugs that show promise for fighting colon cancer. Tiny tweaks could ease concerns about nanoparticles in sewage.
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Episode 136 - December 14 2009
How calorie-restricted diets fight obesity and extend life span. New research suggests older dental fillings might be safer than previously thought. Scientists are making progress toward a fast, accurate urine test for pneumonia.
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Episode 135 - December 7 2009
How scientists are sniffing out new ways to preserve old books. A natural Jekyll-and-Hyde transformation is linked to coral bleaching. Fruit flies could lead to better addiction treatments.
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Episode 134 - November 23 2009
Why hepatitis B hits men harder than women. How changes in a woman’s saliva could help doctors detect and treat age-related diseases. An ultraviolet light switch could lead to better understanding of paralysis.
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Episode 133 - November 16 2009
Explosive findings about the inner realm of living cells. A vast new liver protein database that could shed light on combating disease. New evidence that dark chocolate helps ease emotional stress.
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Episode 132 - November 9 2009
New evidence suggests that an old idea about oil and gas might be right. How personalized solar energy could become a reality. A new test could quickly and easily detect pesticide residues on foods.
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Episode 131 - November 2 2009
A new study that could turn our notions about household dust inside out. A nanoparticle finding that could knock your socks off. Why disease-causing microbes should be afraid of pumpkins.
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Episode 130 - October 26 2009
Spider web glue could lead to the development of bio-based adhesives. Nanoparticles may boost the growth of tomatoes, pumpkins and other crops. How chemists cracked a culinary conundrum.
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Episode 129 - October 19 2009
Some color shades offer better protection against sun’s ultraviolet rays. China could make more headway in controlling acid rain. How compounds in a legendary plant could help treat osteoporosis.
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Episode 128 - October 5 2009
Drug companies are scrambling to get swine flu vaccine to a clinic near you. British scientists have moved nanotechnology a step forward. A new finding could lead to better treatment of digestive problems.
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Episode 127 - September 28 2009
How green roofs could help put a lid on global warming. Why greenhouse gas emissions differ between major cities. New paper batteries could one day power electronics in clothing and other materials.
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Episode 126 - September 21 2009
A new molecular model could help scientists predict the effects of global warming with greater accuracy. Biofuel production could undercut efforts to shrink a vast “Dead Zone” in the Gulf of Mexico. New evidence suggests that green tea could improve bone health.
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Episode 125 - September 14 2009
How a plant extract could beat the devil out of swine flu. A new skin treatment could potentially help prevent wrinkles. A natural hormone could reduce pesticide residues on crops.
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Episode 124 - September 7 2009
How discarded computers are getting a second life overseas. Why two natural waste products can lead to bumper crop yields. A tiny molecule could help scientists unravel the secrets of aging.
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Episode 123 - August 31 2009
An invasive weed that could help treat a common health problem. Evidence that arsenic lingers in some people’s bodies longer than others. Another reason to be wary of high-fructose corn syrup.
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Episode 122 - August 24 2009
How plastics in our oceans swiftly decompose and spread toxic substances. Households create more water pollution than previously thought. Why romantic dinners might be better without candles.
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Episode 121 - August 17, 2009
Something other than George Washington might be on a one dollar bill. New technology that could help solve murders. How what you don’t smoke can hurt you. A new vaccine could help eradicate a deadly illness in the developing world.
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Episode 120 - August 10, 2009
How fruit flies helped scientists gain new insights into the effects of carbon nanoparticles. Why nematodes could hasten the development of new antibiotics. New evidence suggests smoking marijuana is more harmful than previously thought.
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Episode 119 - August 3, 2009
A "shrimp cocktail" that could fuel your car or truck. New evidence that freshly crushed garlic better for the heart than processed. A finding that could settle a prehistoric controversy.
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Episode 118 - July 27, 2009
The first scientific evidence that certain scents can relieve stress. An inner “fingerprint” for personalizing medical care. A safer and more effective way to prevent infections among people who have severe burns.
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Episode 117 - July 20, 2009
Scientists in Louisiana are developing a new, safer form of acetaminophen. How a popular dietary supplement could help prevent, treat cataracts. Researchers have found a new way to combat drug-resistant flu viruses.
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Episode 116 - July 13, 2009
How cleaner ship fuels could help prevent thousands of deaths. New insights about a long-lost statue could help prevent corrosion. Weed killers can actually boost the nutritional value of corn.
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Episode 115 - June 29, 2009
A startling new estimate of chemistry’s vast untapped potential. The development of a transgenic food that fights allergies. A better way to keep ticks and fleas off of Fido and Fluffy.
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Episode 114 - June 22, 2009
New laboratory studies in mice suggest vinegar might help fend off fat. How “milking” microscopic algae could yield massive amounts of oil. A new federal study reveals much about lingering pesticides in and around our homes.
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Episode 113 - June 15, 2009
New compelling evidence links marijuana use to increased risk of cancer. An innovative “electronic nose” that can help sniff out kidney disease. How a bit of genetic engineering could transform a deadly microbe into a life saver.
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Episode 112 - June 8, 2009
Wine in a box? Think “good” not “gauche”. A skin-deep discovery reveals a hidden defense used by poisonous frogs. And finally, some new ideas about making sustainability a reality.
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Episode 111 - June 1, 2009
How tenacious the virus that causes bird flu really is. Why silver nanoparticles could help prevent blood clots. New “microcapsules” could boost drug absorption into the blood stream.
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Episode 110 - May 25, 2009
Why scientists are a step closer to solving a mysterious disease. Where a new type of nanoparticle could fend off foggy windows and eyeglasses. How chemists used ingredients from the human body to create stronger dental fillings.
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Episode 109 - May 18, 2009
How an important advance could improve food safety. Scientists solve a mystery surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear plant accident. Technology used by an Internet megastore is helping us learn more about proteins.
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Episode 108 - May 11, 2009
A new way to produce biofuels without straining global food supplies. A better way to build a railroad that is environmentally sound. A smart way to reduce radioactive waste at nuclear power plants.
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Episode 107 - May 4, 2009
A new computer program could be a modern day Rosetta Stone for chemists. Japanese scientists have created the first self-propelled oil droplets. How mercury levels in Arctic seals may be linked to global warming.
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Episode 106 - April 27, 2009
How a new type of ice could lead to greener ways to fight fires. A "self-healing” polymer could simplify plastic recycling. A new biosensor could help prevent food poisoning.
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Episode 105 - April 20, 2009
A new broad spectrum anti-microbial paint capable of combating “superbugs”. The first wireless brain oxygen level sensor that could help fine tune testing and treatment. The centuries-old secret behind India’s “holy powder.”
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Episode 104 - April 13, 2009
How a discovery about mussels could lead to better bandages. Why it could take far more water to produce biodiesel than previously thought. Scientists are a step closer to understanding what puts sperm “in the mood”.
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Episode 103 - April 6, 2009
How bees cope with impending career changes. A “magic potion” in fly spit may shoo away blinding eye disease. A new gas storage material that could accelerate the development of ultra-clean fuel cells.
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Episode 102 - March 25, 2009
A new nanogenerator that one day could be used to charge cell phones with a wave of the hand. New evidence that nanoparticles in cosmetics could have adverse environmental effects. And finally, The first economical process” for making biodiesel fuel from algae.
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Episode 101 - March 18, 2009
Nanoparticles that show promise for “cooking” cancer cells. Evidence that a new type of yogurt can fight stomach ulcer bacteria. The first automated carbohydrate “assembly line”. Vegetable proteins that could fend off two common medical problems. And finally, new evidence of a controversial energy source.
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Episode 100 - March 16, 2009
The discovery of plants that makes bilirubin. A new, more accurate way to date ancient rock paintings. And finally, a super-buoyant material that could lead to a new generation of futuristic flotation devices.
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Episode 99 - March 9, 2009
Simple changes in rural sanitation could save more than one million lives annually. A shoe found in an 800-year old dump could help us preserve leather artifacts. Scientists have cracked the centuries’ old secret of Gouda.
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Episode 98 - March 2, 2009
A new test for detecting fake organic milk. Two food additives with previously unrecognized estrogen-like effects. The discovery of an historic sample of bomb-grade plutonium.
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Episode 97 - February 23, 2009
A new test that could identify illegal steroids in cattle. How eating eggs might help reduce blood pressure. A soybean derivative fights abnormal proteins involved in Alzheimer’s disease.
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Episode 96 - February 16, 2009
How antibacterial plaster could put a clean sheen on walls. We could one day drive on roads paved with recycled trash from the Information superhighway. Researchers have discovered the ultimate sponge for cleaning up oil spills.
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Episode 95 - February 9, 2009
Technology used on Mars could detect pollutants here on Earth. Butterfly wings spark development of more powerful solar cells. How a blood test could one day help identify harmful nanoparticles.
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Episode 94 - February 2, 2009
Australian researchers are developing a urine test capable of diagnosing heart disease. An edible fungus foils dangerous grapefruit-drug interactions. How a licorice ingredient could one day help treat cocaine addiction.
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Episode 93 - January 19, 2009
Animal bones helped strengthen medieval walls. Microscopic hands could help build tomorrow’s machinery. How a saliva test could one day help detect Type 2 diabetes.
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Episode 92 - January 12, 2009
New evidence suggesting our bodies produce a key component of a common over-the-counter pain reliever. Newly developed microswimmers that could improve drug delivery. Chicken feather clothing that is worth crowing about.
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