Clay Cansler

Clay Cansler is the Science History Institute’s editorial director. He previously worked as a journalist and book editor.

More From the Author

Matthew Carey Lea and the Origins of Mechanochemistry

Distillations Article

A reclusive expert of 19th-century photography laid the foundation for green chemistry solutions emerging today.

Styrofoam, a Practical and Problematic Creation

Distillations Article

The good and bad of an everlasting invention.

From Ancient to Art Nouveau

Distillations Article

Decay makes beauty in an ancient bottle.

Graphic History

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Comic books have been wrestling with the consequences of the atomic age for as long as their readers.

Making Sense of Making Meth

Distillations Article

Anthropologist Jason Pine offers an up-close view of methamphetamine culture in small-town America.

The Petroleum World

Distillations Article

A government oilman maps a hidden realm.

The DDT Collector

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In the 1980s Phil Allegretti found an unusual hobby. His collection of old DDT cans, sprayers, and diffusers tells the story of our contradictory approach to pesticides.

Conversation Piece

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It’s not often that art literally highlights pollution.

Where’s the Beef?

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Mix a 19th-century chemist with a road builder in South America. Add cows and boil.