Isaac Newton spent some four decades researching “chymistry,” the early modern equivalent of our chemistry. Although his laboratory notebooks survive, his experimental goals remain obscure to the present day. Our work reveals that Newton was engaged in fruitful chemical research even by modern standards. Replication of his experiments, involving Newton’s “vitriol” (from his “liquor of antimony,” NH4Cl, HNO3, and Sb2S3) and verdigris (Cu(CH3COO)2), produced a variety of NH4+-, Cl−-, SO4−2-, NO3−-, and Cu-containing crystallization products. We analyzed these products using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) (Cu Kα radiation) and Rietveld refinement, which revealed a complex mixture of (NH4)2Cu(SO4)2(H2O)6, NH4NO3, NH4Cl, (NH4)2CuCl4(H2O)2, and (NH4)[Cu(NH3)2Cl3]⋅2H2O. The XRD data also consistently showed a suite of peaks unmatched by any phase in the PDF-5 database. A crystal of the unknown product was analyzed using single-crystal X-ray methods (Mo Kα radiation), revealing a previously unknown compound, (NH4)2[Cu2Cl2(C2H3O2)4]·2NH4Cl, with space group Pmna and room-temperature unit-cell parameters of a = 14.550(3) Å, b = 8.850(1) Å, and c = 9.116(2) Å. The inclusion of this phase in the Rietveld refinements yielded a satisfactory fit. Our ongoing replications of Newton’s crystallization experiments reveal that his research produced a complex, unusual suite of phases, including the aforementioned previously unknown compound.

In many tourism-dependent islands, an acute imbalance between increasing demand for wastewater management and the capacity of existing sewage infrastructure represents an increased risk for ecosystems and population health. Given that locals may be opposed to increasing tourism taxes to fund investments in sewerage, promoting charitable giving among tourists may be an alternative to improve wastewater management in tourist destinations. Using a contingent valuation survey, this study assesses whether tourists are willing to donate to improve wastewater management in San Andres Island, Colombia. Split-sample treatments were implemented to examine the response of tourists' giving preferences to priming communications regarding the effects of poor wastewater management. Results indicate that tourists are willing to donate to improve local wastewater management. Our findings also provide useful insights about tourists' giving preferences to design effective charitable giving campaigns to improve wastewater management.

Paleontology provides insights into the history of the planet, from the origins of life billions of years ago to the biotic changes of the Recent. The scope of paleontological research is as vast as it is varied, and the field is constantly evolving. In an effort to identify “Big Questions” in paleontology, experts from around the world came together to build a list of priority questions the field can address in the years ahead. The 89 questions presented herein (grouped within 11 themes) represent contributions from nearly 200 international scientists. These questions touch on common themes including biodiversity drivers and patterns, integrating data types across spatiotemporal scales, applying paleontological data to contemporary biodiversity and climate issues, and effectively utilizing innovative methods and technology for new paleontological insights. In addition to these theoretical questions, discussions touch upon structural concerns within the field, advocating for an increased valuation of specimen-based research, protection of natural heritage sites, and the importance of collections infrastructure, along with a stronger emphasis on human diversity, equity, and inclusion. These questions offer a starting point—an initial nucleus of consensus that paleontologists can expand on—for engaging in discussions, securing funding, advocating for museums, and fostering continued growth in shared research directions.

Over the past decade, several multi-institutional research consortia have formed within the North American pediatric surgical community. In this article, we describe our experience with the creation and implementation of the Eastern Pediatric Surgery Network, a large and comprehensive research consortium designed to produce a wide array of high-quality clinical studies within our subspecialty. In 2020, a vision statement and rules of governance were established at thirteen academic pediatric surgery divisions in the eastern United States. The research consortium was organized based on four major pillars, namely legal ownership of aggregate data, horizontal leadership structure, mandatory participation in adopted studies, and a broad research portfolio that encompasses the full breath of the specialty. Over the past five years, the number of research projects has dramatically expanded over time and includes participation from 24 different medical centers. Despite a lack of dedicated sponsored extramural support for most projects, there have been 28 abstracts presented at national conferences and 12 manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals. It is our hope that sharing our experience with creating this organization can help to inform others interested in establishing the academic infrastructure to engage in multi-institutional, evidence-based clinical research in other medical specialties and beyond.

Biological and physical retrospective dosimetry for ionizing radiation exposure is a rapidly growing field, and several methods for performing biological and physical retrospective dosimetry have been developed to provide absorbed dose estimates for individuals after occupational, accidental, intentional, and incidental exposures to ionizing radiation. In large-scale radiological/nuclear incidents, multiple retrospective dosimetry laboratories from several countries may be involved in providing timely dose estimates for effective medical management of several thousand exposed individuals. In such scenarios, the harmonization of methods among participating laboratories is crucial for consistency in data analysis, dose estimation, and medical decision-making. In this regard, ISO documents ensure that these practices are standardized globally across the laboratories by providing quality assurance and quality control documentation that guide laboratories in maintaining high-quality performance for consistency. With the intent of bringing standardization and harmonization of biological and physical retrospective dosimetry methodologies across national and international laboratories, the ISO working group 18 (WG18) was established under ISO/TC85/SC2 (Technical Committee 85, Subcommittee 2-Radiation Protection) in 1999. This manuscript summarizes some of the past, current, and future activities of WG18 on biological and physical retrospective dosimetry.