Calcite is made up of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). With stunning crystal formations and a range of beautiful colors, calcite also has...

Sporosarcina pasteurii is a gram-positive bacterium with the extraordinary ability to precipitate calcite and solidify sand when exposed...

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is an amazing natural powder ground from the sedimentary stone diatomite. The stone itself is made of fossilized...

Diatoms, while invisible to the naked eye, are essential to the ecosystem and human survival. These tiny microalgae prolifically generate...

Pyrometallurgy is the high-temperature processing of ores to extract and refine metals. It uses alchemical processes in a modern...

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is only one of the amazing bacteria used in biometallurgy. In an age of environmental concerns,...

Chalcopyrite (CuFeS₂) is vital to the earth's geology. A primary ore of copper, this scintillating mineral is influential to health,...

Copper (II) sulfate CuSO4 yields a vivid color and widespread applications. Also known as blue vitriol in alchemy and chalcanthite in...

Potash is a mineral group prized in agriculture, health and human life though history. Potash covers various potassium-rich salts,...

Iron(III) oxide or ferric oxide (Fe2O3) yields a striking red color as a pigment, and has a wide range of uses. From industrial...

The microbes of concrete corrosion include bacteria, fungi and algae. Their purpose in life is to break down and decompose matter, and...

Drawing is a creative expression for humans since cave paintings of prehistory. In art, anything making a mark is a drawing tool....

Sanguine is a rich, reddish-brown chalk beloved by Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo. Creating flesh-like tones in the human form...

Radon (Rn) is part of the noble gas family. Colorless, odorless, and tasteless, radon presents unique characteristics and effects on...

Sodium silicate or "water glass" or liquid glass, originates in ancient practices. A chemical compound, sodium silicate is composed of...

Sodium carbonate, also known as soda ash or washing soda, is prominent across various industries for millennia. It's used in ancient and...

The Indus Valley Civilization of the Bronze Age is one of the earliest urban societies, famous for trade, inventiveness and extraordinary...

Talc or hydrated magnesium silicate is a naturally occurring mineral, primarily composed of magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. With its...

Artists of Renaissance Europe cultivate palettes rich in colors sourced from elements both enchanting and lethal. The Renaissance is...

Hildegard von Bingen is a German Benedictine abbess and polymath often called the Sibyl (Prophetess) of the Rhine. She transcends...