Op-Ed article by Prof Oliver Sacks describes taking comfort in samples of elements that have marked his most recent birthdays, such as that of element 82, lead, and 83, bismuth, a birthday he does not believe he will see; reflects on finding solace in thinking of eternal things as he faces inevitability of his death. MORE

Dr John Sutherland of University of Cambridge issues report offering his tested hypothesis that life on Earth may have emerged from chemicals that were present on the planet prior to existence of planet's first living cells; Sutherland's research grew from his discovery within last decade of chemical key to RNA, building block of living cells. MORE

LiquiGlide, company begun by professor and students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has developed coating for inside of packaging that keeps materials from glue to mayonnaise from sticking to it; product has potential to significantly reduce waste by allowing consumers to use entire contents of package. MORE

Nobel Prize in Chemistry goes to Eric Betzig of Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Virginia; Stefan W Hell of Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Germany; and William E Moerner, of Stanford University in California; three are recognized for circumventing a basic law of physics and enabling microscopes to peer at the tiniest structures within living cells. MORE

Scientists at University of University of Manchester in England have generated highly complex star-shaped molecule made of interlocking rings that could be used to produce light, flexible, resilient materials. MORE

Kenneth Chang Time Travel column on quasicrystals, or molecular structures that do not repeat and cannot be explained by lattice of atoms stacked in usual manner; existence of such structures was confirmed in 1989 and continues to be acknowledged today. MORE

Researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, DC, are experimenting with compressing various organic substances between diamond anvils in order to observe molecular changes; research allows scientists to explore permutations of matter occurring in Earth's core, within Jupiter and other extreme high pressure environments. MORE

Dr Michael J Barlow study in journal Science reports first discovery of molecules of argon hydride, a noble gas, in space; scientists have long known that nobles gases, odorless, colorless gases with low reactivity, should exist in space, despite never having detected any. MORE

Chemical reactions that help produce products from margarine to medications rely on valuable metals like platinum and rhodium as catalysts; three studies published in journal Science report development of catalysts based on cheap metals that can match or outperform those based on precious metals. MORE

Barbara Moran article describes experience of tackling dreaded organic chemistry class, course widely known for weeding out pre-meds, during mid-life career change from science writer to doctor; questions course's role in creating future doctors MORE

Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded to Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel, recognized for computer simulations that enable closer study of complex reactions like photosynthesis and design of new drugs; winning researchers are notable for work that does not involve test tubes or lab coats, but instead, explores world of molecules virtually, with computers. MORE

Dr Steven Benner, master organic chemist and leading expert on origin of life, has suggested that based on available evidence, Mars might be more likely place for life to have started than Earth; Benner argues that best way to determine answer is to look for certain types of chemicals on both planets. MORE

Scientists may be adding new element to periodic table after Swedish physicists recreate experiment to confirm its decade-old discovery; new element has 115 protons and would fill gap in periodic table between elements114 and 116. MORE

The Week column; scientists have captured images of atoms in motion rearranging themselves in chemical reactions, using atomic-force microscope; other significant developments in health and science news highlighted. MORE

Rosie Cook, cultural historian at the Chemical Heritage Foundation in Philadelphia, is curating exhibit detailing history of chemistry sets, scheduled to open in 2014. MORE

American scientists Dr Robert J Lefkowitz of Duke and Dr Brian K Kobilka of Stanford are awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on deciphering the communication system that the human body uses to sense the outside world and send messages to cells; understanding could be used to refine drug design, producing more selective and effective medications. MORE

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, the body that oversees the periodic table of elements, unveils the proposed names for elements 114 and 116: flerovium and livermorium. MORE

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Chemistry - News - Science - The New York Times