News & Comment

The idea of radiocarbon existing at equilibrium within Earth’s atmosphere has established radiocarbon dating. Adam Fleisher takes a look at its beginnings, achievements and limitations.

The laws governing electrolysis developed by Michael Faraday, who originally trained as a bookbinder, led to the determination of the Faraday constant, as Daren Caruana recounts.

The measurement of pH is more complicated than it seems, recalls Andrea Taroni.

The uptake of graphene-based materials calls for standardization. Silvia Milana explains what this entails.

The unit length of DNA is a base pair, which serves as a ruler for DNA compaction and processing, as Michelle Wang explains.

Initially used to measure the brightness of radio sources, the jansky has spread to other areas of astronomy, as Natasha Hurley-Walker recounts.

A single equation can describe how fluids flow across a wide range of length scales, from ocean currents to swimming algae. The difference merely lies in the Reynolds number, says Julia Yeomans.

As the namesake of a variety of constants, distributions and equations, Ludwig Boltzmann has earned his place in the physics hall of fame. But as Ankita Anirban reveals, he cannot take sole credit for the most famous constant bearing his name.

What does it mean for an individual to be ‘important’ or for a connection to be ‘outstanding’? The answer depends on context, as Sarah Shugars and Samuel V. Scarpino explain.

Surface scientists love a good vacuum. The reason for this is captured by the work of Irving Langmuir and the little-known unit bearing his name, explains Daniel Payne.

The metric system is one of the enduring achievements of the French Revolution. Martin Milton recounts how it was also intended to unite nations.

Simulations are as much a part of science as hypothesis and experiment. But can their outcomes be considered observations? Wendy S. Parker investigates.