The chemistry of laundry detergents is fundamental to their performance. Knowing more about these ingredients will help inform your choices.

Heat can do amazing things to change your hairstyle, but it comes with casualties. Many people use heat protectants, often in the form of sprays, to minimise the damage. So how do they work?

Salt and MSG are two well-known food additives. Both contain sodium, but there are plenty of differences you can use to your benefit.

Gold nuggets grow much bigger than they should – and electricity produced by earthquakes may be the reason why.

Burnt-up satellites could dump hundreds of tonnes of aluminium in the stratosphere every year. An atmospheric chemist explains what that might mean

Enigmatic organisms called archaea can harvest energy from hydrogen, and new research is revealing exactly how they do it.

Knowing a little bit of chemistry can help a lot when your mouth is on fire.

I hate telling people I’m a chemist – but chemistry is the central science of the modern world.

When astronomers focused on the galaxy NGC 4383, they didn’t expect the data to be so spectacular. This is the first detailed map of gas flowing from this galaxy as stars burst within.

Next time you do your laundry, think like an astronaut – wash your clothes as little as possible.

A mix of vinegar and baking soda is a popular DIY cleaner – but it’s really inefficient. A chemist explains why you should reconsider using this fizzy mixture.

The molecules that make micelles are in your dishwashing detergent, your body wash, your shampoo, your toothpaste and even many foods. They are there to help the water interact with the dirt and oils.

Each year, hungry plant-eating animals do billions of dollars of damage to valuable plants. We need prevention methods that don’t involve killing them.

There is a large energy cost to breaking apart and mixing the water and oil layers. The secret to blending them is to add an extra ingredient known as a ‘surfactant’ or emulsifier, like mustard.

Roasting meat sets off a cascade of chemical reactions. With a bit of kitchen chemistry know-how, you can use these reactions to your advantage when you make gravy.