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Observing as experts investigate whether La Bella Principessa is in fact the work of Leonardo da Vinci.

Thin became “in” during the 1920s, and the calorie became a vital tool in the battle to lose weight. Yet before becoming a fashion necessity, the calorie had a decidedly less glamorous role.

In the so-called Hamel Catastrophe of 1820, a scientific expedition lost three local guides after the entire party fell 1,200 feet in an avalanche.

Absinthe, an alcoholic drink introduced to France in the 1840s, developed a decadent though violent reputation.

First sold in 1791 to a scientifically literate audience, chemistry sets have since occupied many niches—and now they are making a comeback.

Although many were skilled in making medicinal home remedies, only a few women ran their own apothecaries, competing with males for the right to prescribe medicines.

Are salt alternatives scarier than the substance they are replacing? A brief history of a “terrifying” food.

The first balloons, both hot-air and hydrogen powered, drew spectacular crowds and set off a craze—balloonomania!

An 1828 murder trial provides insight into the moral ambiguity of forensic science and scientific testimony.

Aspirin has had a long history as a pain reliever—2,000 years of history. But only in the 1970s did scientists begin to uncover its chemical secrets.

Interactions between the pharmaceutical industry, the biomedical sciences, and legislators is a longstanding hot topic in Washington.

The history of pasteurization and the controversy surrounding it demonstrate the complexity of milk as a chemical substance.

Assessing J. Robert Oppenheimer as a leader.

Scientists have only recently begun to investigate the chemical components that give wines their distinct and complex flavors.

Part experimenter and part entertainer, Humphry Davy was a 19th-century icon.

The founding of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers represented the beginning of American technological dominance in the 20th century.

The rise and fall of hormone replacement therapy.

In the 18th century Joseph Priestley and others developed artificially carbonated mineral water, uniting the therapeutic powers of an ancient natural restorative with the emerging science of modern chemistry.

Two books trace the history of Arabo-Islamic science during the European Middle Ages.

In 1788 Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and Jacques-Louis David were introduced during a sitting for the illustrious scientist’s portrait.

Historians have uncovered evidence of the immense influence of Arabic alchemy—a largely unexplored piece of the alchemical puzzle.

DuPont’s colorists were prophets of the color revolution, guiding corporations and consumers in choosing hues for everything from car fenders to countertops.