Cosmetic products are packed with chemical science, but do they live up to the hype? Anti-wrinkle creams Proteins are the major building blocks of the human body and collagen and elastin are two critical...
Why have humans and other animals stopped using certain organs and functions which were once crucial for survival? Charles Darwin is one of history’s most famous naturalists. Living in the 19th century, he became...
We know that humans have eaten algae since prehistoric times. Edible seaweed is still a common ingredient in many countries, such as the nori that surrounds many Japanese sushi dishes. Algae are far less...
We need these tiny ions to keep our muscles and nerves moving Our bodies are huge biochemical batteries, and to keep our nerves firing, our muscles moving and our hearts beating, we need to...
How can high-volume sound cause hearing loss? The way we hear sound involves an intricate series of physical, chemical and electrical activity within our ears. An integral part of our ability to hear lies...
At first glance, a swimming pool might just look like a huge basin full of water, but hidden beneath the surface is a surprising amount of technology that keeps swimming pool water crystal clear....
Why do these blood-sucking insects lose their appetite after a squirt of this spray?
This dangerous myth all started when a fraudulent study led by Dr Andrew Wakefield was published in the highly respected medical journal The Lancet in 1998. He studied children diagnosed with autism after receiving...
Dialysis machines are artificial kidneys, keeping the blood clean when the kidneys fail The kidneys have lots of jobs, but one of the most important is keeping the blood clean. Packed inside these bean-shaped...
Spherification puts the bubble in bubble tea To add an explosion of flavour to a dish or cocktail, chefs can use clever chemistry to create spheres of flavoured liquid. The liquid is contained inside...
