Highlights
C&EN: Silicon insertion methods join skeletal-editing toolbox
06 May 2026Two teams take different approaches to squeeze silicon atoms into molecular scaffolds.
ACS Central Science: Pharm to Table Podcast Duo Bridges the Academia–Industry Divide
29 April 2026The Merck colleagues and cohosts advocate closer collaboration between academic and industry chemists.
New Scientist: We need more radioactive drugs. Can we make them from nuclear waste?
22 April 2026The rise of a new generation of radiotherapies means we will soon need much greater quantities of radioactive atoms. That’s why companies are scrambling to refine them from all manner of radioactive waste.
Science: Whistleblower alleges Finnish startup’s vaunted solid-state battery isn’t what it claims
22 April 2026Donut Lab’s assertions of lightning-fast charging and high energy storage have led to a criminal complaint.
Nature: Fresh claim of making elusive ‘hexagonal’ diamond is the strongest yet
04 March 2026After decades of debate, researchers say that they have found the clearest evidence yet for this rare form of carbon.
TESTIMONIALS
“As an editor and reporter, Mark Peplow is fast, accurate, and versatile. He covers science policy and pure research with equal passion, and his writing combines a scientist’s precision with a journalist’s verve.” Tim Appenzeller
Former Chief Magazine Editor at Nature, now News Editor at Science
"Mark guided me through some of the most challenging stories I've written. These are pieces I might not have attempted were it not for his steady editorial hand." Linda Nordling
Freelance Journalist, South Africa
“Working with Mark is never anything other than a pleasure. He is the kind of editor that writers hope for: able to identify what needs fixing and what doesn’t, bringing to bear a wealth of knowledge, always clear, prompt and easy to talk with. Much of that comes from being a splendid writer himself.”
Philip Ball
Freelance Science Writer
Category Archives: Highlights
Neolithic chefs spiced their food
Mineral grains from garlic-mustard seeds found in 6,000-year-old cooking pots.
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Technetium: Nuclear Medicine’s Crisis
With conventional sources of technetium already under pressure, a collision between politics, business and science is forcing a shake-up in the way this essential isotope is made, and in the path it takes to hospitals.
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Food vs Man
What you eat can exert surprising amounts of control over your mind and body. (subscription required)
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Horizon scan: Synthetic biology blossoms
Funding opportunities abound as the UK positions itself to be a world leader in this nascent field. (subscription required)
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The nonclassical cation: a classic case of conflict
Mark Peplow celebrates decades of debate about the structure of the 2-norbornyl cation.
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Fear and loathing
Facts are not enough to tackle chemophobia.
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Rock samples suggest meteor caused Tunguska blast
Grains from Siberian peat bog may be remnants of the biggest Earth impact in recorded history.
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Two techniques unite to provide molecular detail
Raman spectroscopy souped up with scanning tunnelling microscopy hones in on individual atoms and bonds.
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Chemical forensics confirm French wine had early roots
Ancient jars hold residue of 2,500-year-old vintage.
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Helium reserves under pressure
The fate of one of the world’s main sources of the gas hangs in the balance, and the global helium market faces a period of turbulence that could send prices soaring.
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