Think of bismuth as the Cinderella of the periodic table. Because it is surrounded by its toxic stepsiblings—the elements lead, tin, antimony, tellurium, and polonium—chemists often overlook bismuth ...

This is a guest editorial by Eric Scerri, a lecturer in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles, and author of “The Periodic Table: Its Story and Its ...

The periodic table of elements was proposed in 1869, and thereafter became one of the cornerstones of the natural sciences. This table was designed to contain all the elements (atoms) found in nature ...

The story of the fifteenth element began in Hamburg, in 1669. The unsuccessful glassblower and alchemist Hennig Brandt was trying to find the philosopher’s stone, a mythical substance that could turn ...

One of my favorite tunes growing up was Tom Lehrer's song The Elements, which was merely the periodic table sung to the tune of Gilbert & Sullivan's "Major General's Song." (The version above, from ...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Oxygen can breathe easy, but the party might soon be over for helium balloons. The bubbly new ...

Like a scouting handbook for the molecular realm, a new chart reveals how to tie molecules up in knots of increasing complexity. Mathematicians have cataloged billions of distinct knot types, but ...

The iconic chart of elements has served chemistry well for 150 years. But it’s not the only option out there, and scientists are pushing its limits. By Siobhan Roberts When Sir Martyn Poliakoff, a ...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. The periodic table of elements is a familiar sight to anyone who's ever sat in a chemistry ...

In the first episode of his famous TV series about space, "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage," the late astronomer Carl Sagan wastes no time dramatically setting the stage. "The surface of the Earth is the ...

YouTube channel AsapScience has recorded what is possibly the most fun rendition of the periodic table set to music that anyone's ever heard. Michelle Starr is CNET's science editor, and she hopes to ...