New Scientistimage/svg+xml SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE How clever chemistry is making plastic fantastic again Plastic waste threatens a wide range of ecosystems all over the planet. But innovative ways of making, reusing and recycling plastic are set to change our relationship with this extraordinary material Read more How lab-on-a-chip technology is turning smartphones into food sensors A lab-on-a-chip that fits inside a smartphone is set to change our relationship with food and the chemicals we use to make it Read more The quest to build better cities Thanks to clever chemistry and innovative engineering, the cities of the future are being fashioned from cleaner, greener concrete Read more Beating the battery barrier Electric cars need batteries that store plenty of energy, deliver it quickly and then recharge in the time it takes to gulp a cup of coffee. BASF researchers are developing the solution Read more The battery revolution that will let us all be power brokers Companies are racing to find better ways to store electricity – and so provide us with cheaper energy when and where we want it Read more Lithium dreams: The surreal landscapes where batteries are born Batteries that power our smartphones need lithium – an increasingly precious resource. Could Bolivia supply the world? Hal Hodson takes a visit Read more The air we breathe Engine exhaust is a major contributor to pollution in cities. But BASF’s innovative engineering and clever catalytic chemistry is helping to produce cleaner air Read more Nitrogen oxides in car exhaust kill tens of thousands in UK Evidence is mounting that NOx emissions don’t just make us ill by boosting the production of ozone and tiny particles – they directly damage our health too Read more France plans to ban all new petrol and diesel cars by 2040 The country’s environment minister has pledged to phase out coal by 2022, and end sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 204 Read more Towards the sound of silence Unwanted noise is a scourge of modern life. But an extraordinary material from BASF’s research labs is restoring a bit of peace Read more Acoustic archaeology: The secret sounds of Stonehenge Trevor Cox reveals how the acoustic footprint of the world’s most famous prehistoric monument was measured Read more Advertisement Sign up to our newsletters Enter your email address to get started Contact usHelpAbout usPrivacy policyCookie policyTerms & conditions AdvertiseWrite for usEventsScience jobsSyndicationRSS feeds Gift subscriptionsStudent subscriptionsEducational subscriptionsCorporate subscriptions MANAGE PREFERENCES GET THE APP FOLLOW US © Copyright New Scientist Ltd. Back to top We Care About Your Privacy We and our partners store and/or access information on a device, such as unique IDs in cookies to process personal data. You may accept or manage your choices by clicking below, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, or at any time in the privacy policy page. These choices will be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to provide: Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. List of Partners (vendors) I Accept Show Purposes