Reactions

And because we're celebrating our second month of existence, it's a Reactions double feature this week. In our second video, we examine the science behind the most misunderstood spice in the world: allspice.

Forget ketchup and mustard -- Sriracha might be the world's new favorite condiment. Beloved by millions for its unique spicy, garlicky, slightly sweet flavor, the chemistry of "rooster sauce" is the focus of our latest video.

If you think you can beat a breathalyzer, think again; chemistry will land you in cuffs. In the American Chemical Society's (ACS') latest Reactions video, we examine how your breath can get you busted when you've had too much to drink.

In what may be the warmest Winter Olympics on record, Sochi looks more like SoCal by the day. With few real snowflakes to blanket Sochi's slopes, our latest episode explains how science keeps the Winter Olympics alive with artificial snow.

Abigail Marsh, assistant professor of psychology at Georgetown University, explains the chemistry behind physical attraction in this bonus Reactions video.

Love has inspired timeless songs and sonnets — not to mention a few less-than-timeless romantic comedies. Now the chemistry of love is the subject of our latest Reactions episode! The video explains how feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine and oxytocin fuel lifelong pair bonds in prairie voles, which — along with humans — are the mammalian kingdom's leading monogamists.

They've alleviated pain, saved crops and blasted into space, to name just a few of their long list of accomplishments. We're celebrating Black History Month with a new video featuring five black chemists who changed the world! The video highlights the work of icons like astronaut and chemical engineer Mae Jemison, the first woman of color to go into space, as well as Percy Julian, a pioneer in synthesizing materials from plants, including a glaucoma drug from beans, a firefighting foam from soy protein and an arthritis treatment still used to treat millions of patients today.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is saying goodbye to its Bytesize Science series, and launching Reactions, a new weekly series. The series kicks off with four chemistry-inspired lifehacks. The video is available now on our Youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/ACSReactions?feature=watch

Surya Prakash, Ph.D. and Nobel Laureate George Olah, Ph. D. are working on an alternative fuel concept known as the methanol economy. Methanol offers a large scope of potential applications ranging from use in combustion engines to being used to produce products such as plastics and solvents. Another intriguing potential of methanol is its use as a storable fuel source. In this video, Surya Prakash explains what a direct methanol fuel cell is, and talks about its potential applications.

Could a simple molecule known as methanol become a key energy source for the post-fossil fuel era? 1994 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner George Olah, Ph.D., and Surya Prakash, Ph.D., think so. Olah and Prakash recently won a $1 million prize from the Israeli government for their research on a promising alternative fuel concept, known as the "methanol economy." In our latest video, Surya Prakash gives us a rundown of the potentials that the methanol economy bolsters, and shows us why this concept offers such a promising future.

Thanksgiving is a holiday packed with cherished family traditions. But there's always room to experiment, right? Our latest video features five tips for a better Thanksgiving through chemistry. Check out the video to see the secret of turkey brining explained, the best way to make seitan — a.k.a. mock duck or "wheat meat" — or to find out whether cranberries are packed with more antioxidants in their raw form or as a canned sauce.

The amygdala, an evolutionarily ancient part of the human brain, is the most important structure in the fear response. In this bonus Bytesize video, Georgetown associate professor of psychology Abigail Marsh tells the story of "SM," a woman without a functional amygdala who is — quite literally — fearless.

With Halloween just a few days away, millions are flocking to horror films and haunted houses for their annual dose of terror. Our latest video uncovers the chemistry behind the spine-tingling sense of fear. "Fear is the expectation or the anticipation of possible harm... We know that the body is highly sensitive to the possibility of threat, so there are multiple pathways that bring that fear information into the brain," explains Abigail Marsh, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Georgetown University. Marsh's research focuses on the neuroscience of fear and empathy in psychopaths, among other topics. In the video, she highlights the key brain chemicals and hormones involved in fear and the accompanying fight or flight response.

We visited the Brooklyn Textile Arts Center to get the low-down on the chemistry of natural dyes. Watch our latest video to find out how turmeric, cabbage and even beetles can be used as natural sources of color to transform that boring white t-shirt into a landscape of vibrant hues.

Here's a bonus clip from our interview with Donna Nelson, a scientific consultant for Breaking Bad.