Distillations magazine

William Herschel had a conflicted relationship with his biggest creation.

Can science tell us what makes a Stradivarius so special?

Making eco-friendly cement is easy; the hard part comes later.

Many tragic accidents have provided unexpectedly valuable information for scientists.

Why would anyone visit a radioactive ghost town or the remnants of a nuclear reactor?

Candy stores in the 19th century sold sweets as deadly as they were delicious.

A globe-hopping doctor and a weird amphibian produce a fast, inexpensive pregnancy test.

Scientists with disabilities have frequently faced intolerance and prejudice in their careers.

A painting bears the mark of Nazi brutality but also speaks to our capacity for kindness and bravery.

Is the mayonnaise substitute Just Mayo the future of food or just another product from the hype machine?

GMOs are one of the great success stories of the postwar era. So why do many find this technology so distasteful?

Computers have always been central to NASA’s accomplishments: they just used to be women.

Hippies of the 1960s and 1970s were not necessarily the technophobes they are often made out to be.

In a time of warring empires and transoceanic voyages, sailors dreaded scurvy more than any other disease.

In the 1950s, a devious oil company created a television show to flatter industrialists and win their business.

The highs and lows of lab life.

How a Republican president ushered in the EPA.

How the chemical agent made the transition from wartime weapon to domestic police tool.