Chemical Curiosities

Bananas, Bee Stings, and Fake Flavor

The Myth of Bananas and Bees Imagine you’re watching a movie. On the screen, some kids are walking down the sidewalk in a typical American neighborhood. They’re eating b

You've Been Smelling the Ocean in Your Kitchen This Whole Time

Two Experiences, One Molecule Picture this. You’re sitting at a picnic table on a hot summer’s day. Your friend hands you a cold beer - something light and refreshing. T

A Tea that Tastes Like Cherry Blossoms

Full post can be read at: https://johnknightphd.substack.com/Intro Imagine a beautiful spring morning. The trees are stunning with new, bright green growth and colorful

How a Byproduct of Winemaking is Helping to Recycle Batteries

The Battery Paradox We live in a world of batteries. They are in our smartphones, laptops, wearables, tablets, and speakers - all the devices we surround ourselves with

A 30-year Dream: How Chemists Finally Made an "Impossible" Molecule

A Dream Has there ever been something that you've spent your whole life trying to prove - something that’s lived in the back of your mind for decades? Although Hollywo

Chocolate Chemistry Myths: Stimulants, Love Potions, and Sweetened Botanical Fat

Intro Recently on Substack, I wrote about one of the world’s favorite indulgences: chocolate. Humans have been eating chocolate for at least four thousand years. From th

Knowing Enough to be Wrong

The Storm that Trended Away On Sunday, January 18th, 2026, social media accounts in the United States began to chatter about an upcoming weather event for the following

The Chemistry of a Crowded Gym

Note from author: This is one of my shorter, more audio-focused posts that I make between my long-form articles. If you’re interested in my most recent audio post on Hang

Why Your Brain Panics After Drinking

Transcript: If you’ve ever woken up at 4:00 AM after a night out with a racing heart and a sense of embarrassment, you’ve probably experienced ‘hangxiety.’ In the main a