This post is the first in a three-part series on how living creatures use the elements of the periodic table. Learn more about the elements on NOVA's two-hour special, "Hunting The Elements." When you ...

Silicon is a chemical element (Si), which can be found on the Periodic Table. Commonly used in making computer chips, the element’s name made sense for the basin below San Francisco, as it originally ...

Recent research showed that, although long neglected by ecologists, silicon is in fact beneficial for the growth of many plants, including major crops such as rice, wheat and barley. Researchers have ...

In power electronics, semiconductors are based on the element silicon -- but the energy efficiency of silicon carbide would be much higher. Physicists explain what exactly is preventing the use of ...