In the 18th century, Viennese physician Franz-Joseph Gall claimed that personality and intelligence were determined by the shape of the brain, which in turn was reflected by the shape of the skull....
There is an old saying that if you play with fire, eventually you will get burned. The same can be said for certain chemicals. Of course, I don鈥檛 mean 鈥減lay鈥 in the literal sense. What I mean is...
It is a common misconception that aspirin is found in the bark of the willow tree. A related compound called salicin does indeed occur in willow bark, thereby explaining the use of the bark as a...
Take some corn syrup, water, flour, red food dye and blue food dye. Blend these ingredients together in the right ratio and you鈥檒l have a great batch of fake blood! It won鈥檛 be of any good for...
鈥淎u鈥 is also the chemical symbol for the element. 鈥淎urora鈥 was the Roman goddess of the dawn and her name became associated with gold because of the colour of the sky at dawn. Ian Fleming named his...
That鈥檚 the classic exchange between British Secret Service agent James Bond and archvillain Auric Goldfinger as a laser beam begins to inch up the gold-plated table on which Bond is bound,...
The glass cases at the Warren Anatomical Museum in Boston are filled with a variety of fascinating items that have played a role in the history of medicine. On display is a one- meter long iron rod...
In 1942 nylon went to war. American paratroopers dropped from the sky with nylon parachutes and hunkered down in nylon tents. Soldiers on leave hoped to seduce European women with gifts of nylon...