In 19th-century France, the young chemist challenged the theory of spontaneous generation and discovered an invisible world ...

It’s a good thing you’re wearing your mask. Most of the dust motes floating in homes are plastic microfibers, scientists say, that have no business in our lungs. “If you think, for example ...

Tiny motes like this are sometimes referred to as “smart dust”, a term that saw some hype in the early 2000s but thankfully hasn’t yet lived up to some of the more apocalyptic visions.