Methane is the most famous volatile organic compound (VOC) in our atmosphere. This week, our host George Zaidan follows up on a Reactions subscriber’s question about the 600 teragrams of a less famous VOC released every year: isoprene. Used in the biosynthesis of a staggering number of molecules, isoprene is also released from plants, including many species of trees. And they release exponentially more isoprene as the temperatures climb. In large cities, isoprene can react with nitrogen oxides from fossil-fuel combustion to create ground-level ozone. Join George as he explores whether this should change how we think about trees.

The University of Tennessee is at the forefront of the groundbreaking effort to quickly repair military vehicles in the field using expeditionary manufacturing equipment—a WarpSPEE3D printer, which uses cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) technology, and VRC’s Brolga-002 mobile cold spray system. 

At the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, cats aren’t just patients, they’re VIPs (very important pets). And that world-class care extends far beyond campus, as the research conducted by Mizzou veterinarians is improving feline health worldwide.

To celebrate National Cat Day on Oct. 29, here are four purr-fect examples of how research from Mizzou cat geneticist Leslie Lyons and Gretchen Carlisle, from Mizzou’s Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction, has improved the way we understand and interact with these whiskered wonders.

Natural hazards like hurricanes can take a higher than average toll to life and property on certain population groups, such as the elderly. A dataset that highlights vulnerable populations in hazard response plans was awarded a 2024 DesignSafe Dataset Award. 

Lerman, an expert on how people communicate in digital spaces, explains how misinformation thrives on emotional triggers — and why traditional fact-checking often misses the mark.

By measuring the brain’s electrical signals, researchers in the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology's Cognition and Brain Lab explore how the brain links sensory information to meaning and memory.