Nitrate medications are notorious for being able to trigger airport bomb detection scanners and to alert explosive-sniffing dogs, a reminder of the origins of this extremely useful medication. Let's ...

Ascanio Sobrero, born on this day in 1812, invented nitroglycerin. He just didn’t see any use for it—even though it became, in the hands of Alfred Nobel—yes, that Nobel—the active ingredient in ...

Most people have heard of nitroglycerin, either as a heart medication or an explosive. It's mind boggling that one compound could blow your face off or save your life, but it can. Discovered by ...