Origins of Biological & Chemical Warfare

When Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, his homecoming turns into a ruthless reckoning. Tristan Hughes and Dr. Emily Hauser dive into the shocking climax of Homer’s Odyssey, where hospitality, vengeance and survival collide in a blood-soaked finale.What drives Odysseus to unleas ...  Show more

Long before the age of the Inca and Maya, a remarkable city once flourished on the coast of modern Peru. Founded more than five thousand years ago, the sacred city of Caral is home to monumental pyramids, lavish temples and one of the world's earliest urban societies.Tristan Hugh ...  Show more

For more than 100 years chemical weapons have terrorised, maimed and killed soldiers and civilians alike. As a chemist, the part his profession has played in the development of these weapons has long concerned Andrea Sella, professor of chemistry at University College London. In ...  Show more

How dangerous were the cosmetic habits of medieval women? Let's just say you won't find mercury foundation or potions of liquid gold at your nearest Macy's. Welcome to part 4 of Eleanor Herman's Poison Chronicles, inspired by her book The Royal Art of Poison.Learn more about The ...  Show more

Napalm. One of the most controversial weapons of the 20th century, it's an incendiary substance that if it comes into contact with your skin, it will burn directly to the bone. Used in the Second World War, and later the Korean and Vietnam war, what are the origins of this devast ...  Show more

Metal poisons. Odorless ones. Toxic plants. Iocane powder, arsenic, old lace, poisons as self-defense, black mirrors, Aqua Tofanas, movie myths, and the start of testing for that which ails or kills you: we’ve got Historical Toxicology with Pulitzer Prize-winning science autho ...