The Smithsonian — August 2012 A hundred years ago, deodorants and antiperspirants were obscure products that few people used–or even knew about. Now they are an $18 billion industry worldwide. Find out how a traveling salesman and high school entrepreneur helped launched our fear of sweat. The article was picked up by Boing Boing, Andrew Sullivan,…

  Creating the fear of stink in America in The Smithsonian A hundred years ago, deodorants and antiperspirants were obscure products that few people used–or even knew about. Now they are an $18 billion industry worldwide. Find out how a traveling Bible salesman and high school entrepreneur helped launched our fear of sweat. The article was…

Economist — July 22, 2010 The Mona Lisa’s lure is so strong that Louvre Museum officials find it wise to keep her safely stowed behind bulletproof glass. She is let out of her protective cage once a year, for a whiff of fresh air. And this is when many a researcher would love to get…

Maclean’s Magazine — August 30, 2004 Tasting the fruits of laboratory labour is not a typical perk for most scientists. But when Steven Lund sips a delightful cabernet sauvignon, he is, in fact, doing research. Read the rest of this page

I used to be the Berlin-based, European correspondent for a weekly news magazine about molecules called Chemical & Engineering News, where I also co-hosted a video series about quirky science news called Speaking of Chemistry. I also edited a regular column called What’s That Stuff? about the molecular make-up of consumer products and food, including…