How do the chemicals in sunscreen protect our skin from damage?
Energy from the sun's rays can cause skin damage and cancers. Sunscreens can absorb or reflect the dangerous UV light. Here's how it works.
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Articles on UV light
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Reprintable paper becomes a reality
Coating paper with an inexpensive thin film can allow users to print and erase a physical page as many as 80 times. That reduces both the cost and the environmental effects of paper use.
Why don’t plants get sunburn?
New research from the University of Geneva is helping us understand how plants protect themselves from the sun.
UV radiation: the risks and benefits of a healthy glow
The risks of UV radiation exposure are well-known, but some scientists are exploring lesser-known benefits of UV light.
Health Check: what does the UV Index mean?
Alongside the day's high and low, weather reports generally contain a UV alert for a particular time. But what does it actually mean – and what should you do about it?
Think indoor tanning is a safer alternative to sitting in the sun? Think again
Researchers have estimated that 8% of the five million cases of skin cancer diagnosed each year in the US can be attributed to indoor tanning.
Hubble’s ultraviolet telescope has revealed more about the stars than we could ever see
After a slow start, Hubble's ultraviolet vision changed the face of astronomy.
A third of sunscreens could have overestimated SPF protection – it’s a scandal
Despite the many awareness-raising campaigns on the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, a walk along any tourist beach will tell you just how many sun worshippers continue to soak up the sun…
Ultra-black scales camouflage deadly snake
The West African Gaboon viper’s pattern of cream, yellow, brown and black scales helps it blend in with leaves, but a new…
How does the ozone layer protect Earth from radiation?
SAVING THE OZONE: Part three in our series exploring on the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer – dubbed “the world’s most successful environmental agreement” – explains why we…
Keeping clean easier with water-repellent coating
A new coating for cotton that is 1½ times more water-repellent than Teflon can survive for dozens of machine washes, say…
Higher allergy and eczema rates for children in southern states suggest UV link
Children who live further from the equator are more likely to develop food allergies and eczema because they receive less…
Top contributors
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Paediatric Allergist and Gastroenterologist, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
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Senior Principal Research Fellow (Honorary), James Cook University
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Adjunct Professor, School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University; Education and Research Director, Cancer Council WA; Chair, Occupational and Environmental Cancer Committee, Cancer Council Australia
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Maître de conférences en pharmacie industrielle et cosmétologie, Université de Nantes
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Professeur en galénique et cosmétologie, Université de Nantes
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Professor of Plant Science, Lancaster University
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Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics, The Open University
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Associate Professor of Health Management Policy, University of Michigan
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Associate Professor- Departments of Medical Microbiology & Immunology and Dermatology | Member- Foods For Health Institute | Member- Comprehensive Cancer Center | Director- Autoimmunity | Director- Immune Monitoring Core, University of California, Davis
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Medical student, University of California, Davis
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Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside
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Research Chemist, University of California, Riverside
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