Distillations magazine
Distillations articles reveal science’s powerful influence on our lives, past and present.
Powerful Effervescence
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.
John Dalton and the Scientific Method
Dalton proposed atomic theory in 1808; an additional century passed before the theory was universally accepted by scientists.
Not Counting Chemistry: How We Misread the History of 20th-Century Science and Technology
Is chemistry’s ubiquity why we so rarely talk about its historical importance?
Seek Knowledge as Far as China
Two books trace the history of Arabo-Islamic science during the European Middle Ages.
Revolutionary Instruments: Lavoisier’s Tools as Objets d’Art
In 1788 Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and Jacques-Louis David were introduced during a sitting for the illustrious scientist’s portrait.
Gertrude Elion, Biochemist
With the curiosity of a scientist and the personal motivation of having lost family members to cancer and bacterial infection, Elion fulfilled a vital role in the fight against disease.
Aluminum: Common Metal, Uncommon Past
Now ubiquitous and vital to modern life, aluminum was once more expensive than gold, locked away in its ore without a commercially viable method to release it.
Hard Times and Good Fortune
Rudolph Pariser’s early life and career were shaped by world wars and other international events.
Al-Kimiya: Notes on Arabic Alchemy
Historians have uncovered evidence of the immense influence of Arabic alchemy—a largely unexplored piece of the alchemical puzzle.
True Blue: DuPont and the Color Revolution
DuPont’s colorists were prophets of the color revolution, guiding corporations and consumers in choosing hues for everything from car fenders to countertops.
Getting the Lead Out
Our long history with a potent poison.
Patterning the World: The Rise of Chemically Amplified Photoresists
The rise of the digital age depended on integrated circuits made with new materials and techniques that could both increase performance and drive down cost.
Mendeleev’s Legacy: The Periodic System
Mendeleev’s greatest achievement was not the periodic table so much as the recognition of the periodic system on which it was based.