Free Astronomy Magazine November-December 2023

8 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2023 ASTRO PUBLISHING source of greenhouse gases that in- creasingly destabilize our environ- ment and add to polarization within our political systems. Our poor management of its collection and recycling has led to the Great Pacific and North Atlantic Garbage Patches, features that span areas often described in terms of U.S. states and European countries. On the far end of the size spectrum, re- searchers in the field of molecular manufacturing have proposed de- vices made from carbon that meas- ure nanometers in size but that could revolutionize our handling of all the above. It is an essential element to our environ- ment, global resources, and life itself, making the study of its history, presence, and avail- ability throughout the universe and here Ancient and everywhere, Webb detects organic molecules by Damian G. Allis NASA Solar System Ambassador T he significance of the element carbon extends far beyond the simple variety of the molecular geometries accessible through its chemistry. The study of its stability and reactivity, organic chemistry , is the bedrock of numer- ous industries and the make-or- break bane of prospective medical students. Its supply is the driver of modern industry and economic growth, while its combustion is the