Conversation articles

Charles W. Dunnill, Swansea University and Joseph C Bear, UCL What has chemistry ever done for me, you might ask? Just as Dustin Hoffman was told by one of his would-be mentors in The Graduate, one answer is plastics – one of the greatest chemical innovations of the 20th century. Most plastic items are made … Read morePlastics of the future may be made from sulfur, not oil, putting waste to good use

Charles W. Dunnill, Swansea University and Robert Phillips, Swansea University Researchers led by NASA’s former chief technologist are hoping to launch a satellite carrying water as the source of its fuel. The team from Cornell University, guided by Mason Peck, want their device to become the first shoebox-sized “CubeSat” to orbit the moon, while demonstrating … Read moreMaking space rocket fuel from water could drive a power revolution on Earth

Charles W. Dunnill, Swansea University Space agencies and private companies already have advanced plans to send humans to Mars in the next few years – ultimately colonising it. And with a growing number of discoveries of Earth-like planets around nearby stars, long-distance space travel has never seemed more exciting. However, it isn’t easy for humans … Read moreMethod of making oxygen from water in zero gravity raises hope for long-distance space travel