Chemicals & other reactions

What do we do to our bodies? What do our bodies do to us? Explore more with our expert views:

Gentle nudges

They're only tiny, but they can cause massive changes in our lives: find out how molecules affect us.

Burning issues

Even today, there are people who argue about the risks of tobacco - it's little wonder it took 400 years to get conclusive evidence of the dangers of smoking cigarettes.

Breaking the chains

Even many people who are fully aware of the health risks involved still enjoy lighting up. Faced with the costs and the dangers, why do people smoke?

Drawing on science

Nicotine as patches and gum, but as a molecule? Find out what lies inside every packet of cigarettes.

Get the rush

Afraid? Anxious? Exercising? Find out how your body regulates your reactions with pure adrenaline.

Java application

Why can't you function without a cup of coffee in the morning? What's the chemicals causing the kick in your coffee?

The chemical man

Take a look at what it is that makes a man really male: testosterone.

Open2 goes pop

Have you swigged carbonic acid? Chances are you have. Find out what's really in those fizzy drinks.

Tanning or cooking up cancers?

Tanning, of course, used to be a term for the process of taking a dead animal's skin and turning it into leather. Is suntanning so very different? Is the sun bad for you?