Museum of Science and Industry

For three decades, chemists and physicists have struggled to understand the structure of quasicrystals, particular crystals with a patterned but non-periodic structure formed by its elements. Stockholm University professor Sven Hovmöller worked for ten years on the problem without satisfying results. While others on his team moved on to other projects, Hovmöller continued his frustrating research until one day it came upon him to recruit his ten-year-old son, Linus, to help him with his work.

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Didn't get enough of Bangs, Flashes, and Fire at the museum? Can't wait for the 4th of July fireworks today? Take a quick break with this video, and learn how colorful combustion works!

You know what I love about plants? Their work ethic. Plants are consistently photosynthesizing to transform sunlight, water, and CO2 into chemical energy.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could use these same materials to make energy for ourselves? Well, hold on to your chloroplasts – because now we can!

A team of chemists recently achieved artificial photosynthesis by using a catalyst made from the metal ruthenium (Ru) and organic molecules. Their reaction takes water and CO2 and converts them into...

Ahh, who doesn’t love the smell of old books? Well, maybe a lot of people. Old books smell a little funky because they are made of paper and other organic materials – and organic things rot! Preserving or appropriately storing a treasured book can take finding out the composition of its paper – a process which traditionally requires burning it. In order to not have to destroy the very...