From Lavoisier's experiments with plaster of paris to the the 'Sistine Chapel of crystals' in Mexico, Mike Freemantle explores the history of gypsum

Originally developed to treat flu and marketed in Japan as Avigan, promising Covid-19 trial results have seen countries stockpiling this medication by the millions

Tannic acid in green acorns can kill wild animals and livestock, but in this podcast Mike Freemantle makes plain that you can prevent poisoning with pannage pigs.

Common in the US but banned in the EU, this animal feed additive makes for muscular pigs and beefy international trade disputes.

Brian Clegg discovers what a six-membered silicon ring can tell us about alien life

Frances Addison on the aromatic compound found in both buttered popcorn and the bearcat's scent glands, and responsible for the distinctive smell of both

News that this cheap, ubiquitous steroid drug may reduce deaths in Covid-19 cases has been greeted with cautious optimism. Ben Valsler looks at the history of dexamethasone and the promising Recovery trial results.

Mike Freemantle on the art, history and science of this delicate, translucent ceramic material

Brian Clegg introduces the humble mineral that delights both astronomers and archaeologists

Mike Freemantle introduces the peptic ulcer treatment cimetidine, which – as Tagamet – became the first 'blockbuster' drug