Sparklers in super slow-motion

With the advent of Independence Day, people across the country celebrate with fireworks. Sparklers are a classic crowd-pleaser, and this week the American Chemical Society’s Reactions looks at the chemistry of these July 4 mainstays in super slow-motion. Watch as the special chemical composition of sparklers creates a prolonged, magical experience.

New phosphor for next-generation LEDs

Researchers from KU Leuven (Belgium), the University of Strasbourg, and CNRS, both in France, discovered a new phosphor that could make next-generation fluorescent and LED lighting even less expensive and more efficient.