Botany was Carl Linnaeus's most important source of inspiration and knowledge as a physician. In sharp contrast, the pharmaceuticals industry of our own age relies more on the laboratory than on the field trip. However, a growing interest in natural products has led to something of a renaissance for the subject of pharmacognosy, the study of medicines from natural sources.  Read more

In September 1864, the Nobel factory in Stockholm exploded. Five people lost their lives, among them Alfred Nobel's brother, Emil. How this affected Alfred, we can only guess. But just three years later, he applied for a patent for an explosive substance that was much safer to handle - dynamite. And without being aware of it, he used nanostructures from diatom fossils that were tens of millions of years old.  Read more