It made Robert Bunsen seriously ill, Michael Faraday thought it 'barbaric' to use in battle and even Fritz Haber – the 'father of chemical warfare' – abandoned it after a fatal accident in his lab. This week, Mike Freemantle tells the story of tetramethyldiarsine, otherwise known as cacodyl.
Kit Chapman takes us back to the 1904 Olympics in St Louis, via the bronze age and ancient Greece
Louise Crane introduces the antioxidant that led to exaggerated claims that 'whisky helps fight cancer'
The spice that gives your Christmas eggnog its distinctive taste and aroma is also a toxic narcotic that played an important role in international history. Florence Schechter shares the history of myristicin – the active ingredient in nutmeg
Post-nuclear steel is a little bit radioactive, so for some specialist jobs we need to find a source of steel from before the bomb
The compounds that put the 'tin' in tin cans and help you to reflect on your appearance
Kat Arney’s investigation of the pungent chemical in onions is enough to bring tears to your eyes
Epoxies – including hard-wearing resins and strong adhesives – can be found almost everywhere, from your household white goods to the Large Hadron Collider. And the aroma of these compounds cemented their place in Brian Clegg's childhood memories.
How one footballer's climate concerns led to the creation of a green chemistry company: Mike Freemantle discovers the story of Mathieu Flamini, GFBiochemicals and levulinic acid.
Florence Schechter discovers how a seemingly healthy grapefruit-based breakfast could disrupt your daily drugs
Kat Arney gets to the bottom of the story of phenolphthalein – a chemical with two very different uses. If you've measured pH in a classroom or had some trouble in the bathroom, you may have met this compound before.
A biologically active compound from the biblical balm of Gilead, said to ‘heal the sin-sick soul’
Gege Li on the compound formerly known by the no-nonsense name 'very fast death factor'
Florence Schechter introduces an ancient, but effective, treatment for painful attacks of gout
What links blue jeans to ancient British warriors? Mike Freemantle discovers the blue dye with a colourful history
The latest in an alarming trend of novel psychoactive substances being mis-sold at festivals as traditional street drugs, putting users at risk
As hayfever season comes to a close, Katrina Krämer examines antihistamines. From calming down a hyperactive immune system to increasing cognitive abilities, these small molecules have a big impact.
Kat Arney finds out about the 'toxic caterpillar' chemical that will make your skin crawl
Michael Freemantle introduces a tear gas used by the British army in the first world war, picked, in part, because of our access to seaweed
Brian Clegg on the almond flavour compound that gives your taste buds a treat and may help rescue survivors from a disaster
How the ‘world’s most wonderful mineral’ became one of the world’s biggest health hazards
Kat Arney investigates the chemicals responsible for giving bruises their hue and colouring your poo
Katrina Krämer examines the overdose antidote that has saved tens of thousands of lives
A 1960s breakthrough in pain relief that now fuels the opioid crisis
How a waxy mixture from a sheep's fleece helped create a global fashion brand
Ben Valsler with the story of Charlotte Figi, Dravet syndrome and the cannabis compound controlling her condition.
Brian Clegg on a compound that keeps us well fed and looking radiant
Katrina Krämer asks if an essential blood-thinning medicine ended Joseph Stalin’s 30-year rule over the Soviet Union
Discover bat-borne-bombs and a classic chemistry textbook, as Mike Freemantle examines the history of kerosene
One mineral form may look like gold, but Brian Clegg isn't fooled by the value of iron sulfides
