Discover the fascinating process of radioactive decay, where unstable atoms transform, releasing energy in the form of alpha, beta, and gamma emissions.

The element radium can be found in extremely tiny amounts in the Earth’s crust and oceans, and in its pure form it is a soft silvery metal. To an untrained eye, a small piece of radium may look like a ...

Together with an international team, researchers from the Molecular Physics Department at the Fritz Haber Institute have ...

Some atoms are stable, while others seem to fall apart. Lead-208 will probably last forever, while the synthetic isotope technetium-99 exists for just hours. The difference lies in the structure of ...

In this lesson, students will investigate the nature of radioactivity and the effect of both distance and shielding materials on different radioactive sources using a Geiger-Muller tube with a counter ...

An international team of researchers has discovered a new configuration of nuclear particles that decays by kicking out individual protons. With 85 protons and just 103 neutrons, the atomic nucleus is ...

Is nuclear power the world's best hope for slowing climate change—or a high-stakes gamble that risks radioactive disaster? What if it's both? As the world seeks cleaner energy sources, nuclear energy ...

Scientists poke and prod at the fringes of habitability in pursuit of life’s limits. To that end, they have tunneled kilometers below Earth’s surface, drilling outward from the bottom of mine shafts ...

Powering spacecraft with solar energy may not seem like a challenge, given how intense the Sun’s light can feel on Earth. Spacecraft near the Earth use large solar panels to harness the Sun for the ...

Nuclear waste. We've all heard about it, but what is it? Is it a problem without a solution? How big is the problem? And what exactly is this waste and why is it so important? New Atlas takes a look ...

Why do some elements decay in minutes, while others last billions of years? Certain "magic numbers" of nuclear particles may make all the difference. When you purchase through links on our site, we ...

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like ...