Distillations magazine
People & Politics
Science in a world of rules, regulations, and war
A Notorious Life
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.
Palmer the Poisoner
In 1856 William Palmer was convicted in Victorian England’s trial of the century, a case that pulled chemical analysis into the courts.
Birmingham Toast
Famed British caricaturist James Gillray targets famed scientist Joseph Priestley after the devastating Priestley Riots.
Chemical Relations: William and Lawrence Knox, African American Chemists
For brothers William and Lawrence Knox, earning PhDs in chemistry was not enough to overcome discrimination.
The Pursuit of Sweet
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.
Social Scientist
Assessing J. Robert Oppenheimer as a leader.
Christmas at Hanford
How 50,000 people tried to maintain a normal existence while living in isolation at the largest the Manhattan Project site.
Hard Times and Good Fortune
Rudolph Pariser’s early life and career were shaped by world wars and other international events.