All History articles
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Webinar200 years of benzene, the peculiar molecule that defied classification
Join us on 11 November to celebrate benzene’s 200th birthday
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OpinionThe simple machine that visualised atomic orbitals
In 1931, Harvey Elliott White developed a device that traced out the shapes of electron clouds by approximating solutions to the Schrödinger equation
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WebinarFrom folklore to pharmacology: the chemical roots of witchcraft
Learn about the chemistry of witchcraft through the ages – join us on 28 October
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FeatureFrom flying ointments to healing herbs: the forgotten chemistry behind historical witchcraft practices
The unusual concoctions of village witches have historically been dismissed as nonsense hocus pocus – but is this the whole story? Victoria Atkinson investigates the chemistry behind the myth and whether there was more to witchcraft than ritual and superstition
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ResearchUnique Iron Age kohl from Iran differs from that of ancient Egypt
Eye makeup found to contain graphite and manganese but not organic ingredients
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OpinionThe fungal source of Titian’s rich reds
Laccaic acid, thought to be produced by lac insects, is produced by a symbiont similar to the zombie ant fungus
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OpinionContemporary chemistry owes a lot to benzene's beginnings
Celebrating what started when Faraday found the molecule with no end
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OpinionFaraday’s laboratory manual and the isolation of benzene
Instruction on how to be as much at home in the lab as was the man himself
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FeatureThe young female astronomer who worked out what the sun is made of
100 years ago, Cecilia Payne deduced that the sun is mainly made of hydrogen – but was encouraged to downplay her findings by her PhD supervisor. Mike Sutton takes up the story
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NewsCollection of Alan Turing’s papers sells for a record £465,400
Items included a personal letter from his mother and an original copy of his only chemistry paper
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OpinionWhat the smell of benzene tells us about the world
A philosophical discussion about how much we can trust our senses
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OpinionBenzene’s 200-year legacy of transformation
As we celebrate the anniversary of benzene’s isolation, we must remember that scientific centenaries carry additional agendas
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ResearchAncient ‘Egyptian Blue’ pigment recipes recreated
Work could aid conservation of Egyptian artefacts
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OpinionWay’s electric light and flashes of brilliance
The continuing adventures of John Thomas Way under the mercury-powered spotlight
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OpinionHow feminist bioethics can improve women’s health
From correcting research imbalances to placing value on lived experiences
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OpinionWay’s double silicates and what else he dug up from the soil
John Thomas Way’s practical advice also produced the first quantitative observations of ion exchange