After a year of fastidious planning, a microscopic sample of the ultra-rare radioactive element berkelium arrived at a Berkeley Lab. With just 48 hours to experiment before it would become unusable, a ...

What do magnets, smartphones and medical imaging devices have in common? They all depend on rare earth elements called lanthanides, which are vital for modern technology. Yet, separating these ...

Catalysts that could recycle carbon dioxide into clean fuel. Compounds that could boost the power of batteries. Proteins that could transform how we treat disease. Every day, scientists hunt for new ...