July 18, 2008

Chemistry Newsbytes

Posted by Bethany Halford and Lisa Jarvis on July 18, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere

Piezoelectricity at work: A U.K. dance club installs a power-generating dance floor. Engadget

That second semester of organic could get a lot less crowded: A Harvard dean thinks pre-meds might not need all that chemistry. WSJ Health Blog

What to do with all that human waste generated in a six-month space mission? Astronauts are busy drinking their Tang to help NASA figure it out. Gizmodo

An Australian start-up thinks a single-layered coating of porous silicon oxide could vastly improve the efficiency of solar cells. CNet

Female chemists in the U.K. are dissuaded by “macho” environment of academia. Chemistry World

The Army is set to deploy new chemical-sniffing robots. Artificial Intelligence

Posted in Chemistry is Everywhere | 1 Comment »

Hint: 21

Posted by Linda Wang on July 18, 2008 in Where is C&EN?

At the International Chemical Olympiad, there is never a dull moment.

On Sunday, Jasper Landman and Niels Kouwenhoven of the Netherlands began receiving anonymous letters taped to their dorm-room door.

By Monday night, they had received three letters that each started with the polite salutation, “Greetings cheeseheads!” (The Netherlands is known for its gouda cheese.)

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Posted in Where is C&EN? | 7 Comments »

An International Experience Like No Other

Posted by Linda Wang on July 18, 2008 in Where is C&EN?

The students in the Chemistry Olympiad finished their five-hour theoretical exam yesterday morning and reunited with their mentors last night for a celebratory cruise down the Danube River. The students got their cell phones back, and I have an Internet connection again!

Here are some snapshots from the past couple of days:

Students from all over the world write “Welcome to Hungary” in their native language.

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Posted in Where is C&EN? | 5 Comments »