November 24^th is Simon van der Meer's birthday. He is a Dutch physicist who, together with Carlo Rubbia, first detected the existence of W and Z particles during a series of experiments at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron in 1983. Their discovery confirmed the electroweak theory of subatomic particles that unify the electromagnetic force and weak nuclear force. They are also important to the Standard Model of particle physics.

W and Z particles are the carriers of the weak nuclear force, one of the four fundamental forces of physics. The W particles carry a charge of either +1 or -1 and the Z particle carries no charge. They are massive particles, approximately 100 times the mass of a proton, but have a half-life of only 3 x 10^-25 seconds. They are typically present when beta nuclear decay occurs. During β^- decay, one of the down quarks in the neutron becomes an up quark, turning the neutron into a proton and emits a W particle. The W particle quickly decays and produces an electron (beta particle) and an anti-neutrino.

The discovery of W and Z bosons would earn both men the 1984 Nobel Prize in Physics. Find out what else occurred on this day in science history.

You don't have to be affiliated with a lab or school to try your hand at chemistry. There are a ton of chemistry projects you can do using common household chemicals. I'm working on a list of common chemicals that you can get or can make from other household chemicals, plus you can add your own suggestions for obtaining relatively pure common chemicals. Chemical availability varies greatly from one country to another, so these lists should make it easier for home chemists to find what they are seeking. Enjoy!

November 23^rd is Henry Gwyn Jeffreys Moseley's birthday. Moseley was the English physicist who gave meaning to an element's atomic number. Before his work, the atomic number of an element was just its position on the periodic table. Moseley related an element's atomic number to the charge of that element's nucleus. Today, an element is determined by its atomic number or the number of protons in its nucleus.

Unfortunately, World War I interrupted this physicist's career and he enlisted in the Royal Engineers. He was killed during the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915 when he was only 27 years old. Find out what else occurred on this day in science history.

Thanksgiving is all about being thankful, but one of the things Americans are thankful for on the holiday is having a good Thanksgiving dinner with family and loved ones. There's a lot of chemistry in the whole Thanksgiving dinner part of the holiday, plus there are a variety of fun chemistry projects you can do that relate to Thanksgiving. Here are some ideas to get you started.