Decades ago, archaeologists discovered a sticky substance in a copper jar in an ancient Greek shrine. And until recently, the identity of the residue was still murky — is it a mixture of fats, oils and beeswax or something else? Researchers publishing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society have reanalyzed samples of the residue using modern analytical techniques and determined that it’s likely the remains of ancient honey — a conclusion previous analyses rejected.

Temporary tattoos aren’t just for kids anymore — semi-permanent versions have become a favorite among adults who don’t want the commitment of the real thing. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Sensors have created their own temporary tattoo sticker that has a hidden, but possibly lifesaving, purpose: detecting the presence of one drug used to “spike” alcoholic beverages and facilitate sexual assault. The sticker responds within 1 second to even low concentrations of the drug γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB).

Plastics are one of the largest sources of pollution on Earth, lasting for years on land or in water. But a new type of brilliantly colored cellulose-based plastic detailed in ACS Nano could change that. By adding citric acid and squid ink to a cellulose-based polymer, researchers created a variety of structurally colored plastics that were comparable in strength to traditional plastics, but made from natural biodegradable ingredients and easily recycled using water.