Jesse Hicks

Following World War II, President Dwight Eisenhower attempted a risky balancing act between war and peace, secrecy and transparency.

Amphetamine didn’t cure anything, but it did make you feel better. Chemist Gordon Alles faced this paradox after patenting his discovery in 1932.

How did a seemingly benign chemical and a near-miraculous public-health initiative spark decades and decades debate?

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

From lab accident to wonder drug to chemical has-been, saccharin’s history tracks the rise of consumer consciousness, government regulation, and the uncertainties underlying scientific evidence.