Teen brains show low motivation
Adolescents really are less motivated than adults, reveal brain scans - this may contribute to risky behaviour suggest researchers
25 February 2004

Booze tests reveal all about your drinking
A battery of new tests on blood, urine and hair can reveal how much someone has drunk not only in the past days, but also in the past weeks and months
11 February 2004

Teenagers face health timebomb
Adolescents are the only age group whose health is getting worse, with rising obesity, binge-drinking and under-age sex, reveals a UK report
8 Dec 03

Hand-held device detects impaired drivers
By assessing the driver's behaviour, rather than testing for particular substances, it could expose those affected by drugs, alcohol or tiredness
19 Nov 03

Genes linked to high-risk personalities
People who smoke, abuse alcohol or drugs may have genetic personality traits that contribute to the risky behaviours
17 Jun 03

Drug could protect unborn babies against booze
A specific way to block alcohol's toxicity to the fetal brain could lead to a drug that protects the babies of alcoholic mothers
9 Jun 03

Alcoholic blackouts may lead to heavier drinking
Drinkers may fill in the blanks after binges with rosy memories, putting them at greater risk of future alcoholism, say researchers
14 Apr 03

'Irish coffee' injection prevents stroke damage
A caffeine and alcohol cocktail cuts damage by 80 per cent in rat studies, and passes a pilot study in humans
11 Apr 03

Frequent drinking cuts heart attack risk
An alcoholic drink every other day, be it wine, whisky or beer, can reduce the risk of heart attacks by a third
9 Jan 03

Red wine extract creates long-life fruit
Dipping apples in one of the health-giving components of red wine extends their shelf life from two weeks to three months
2 Jan 03

Yeast biologists put winemaking world in a ferment
Tinkering with the microbes' DNA can conjure up desirable flavours, add body and reduce hangovers - but will consumers swallow it?
26 Dec 02

New white wine has red's health benefits
The French Chardonnay is much richer in polyphenols than usual and should have nearly all the antioxidant effect that some credit to red wine
12 Dec 02

One drink per day boosts breast cancer risk
A woman's risk increases by seven per cent for each alcoholic drink consumed per day - but smoking has no effect, a "definitive" study shows
12 Nov 02

Alcohol's erroneous ways revealed
Just two glasses of wine can ruin your brain's ability to detect its own errors, and to correct them, say researchers
7 Nov 02

Drugs to stop drink from harming baby
Pregnant women may one day be able to pop a pill to stop alcohol harming their baby
28 Sep 02

Whisky galore
From excise officer to distiller - how Aeneas Coffey's super-efficient still transformed the industry
31 Aug 02

Same again?
Smart glasses mean you won't have to wait for a refill
6 Apr 02

Car computer could detect drunken steering
The system could alert police or slow a car down when a driver's co-ordination is impaired, researcher says
11 Mar 02

Fungus takes the fizz out of champagne
A grape fungus that makes champagne smell mushroomy and mouldy also makes it much less bubbly, say French researchers
31 Dec 01

Champagne does get you drunk faster
Champagne drinkers have higher blood alcohol levels and perception - carbon dioxide in the bubbles may be the cause
20 Dec 01

Secrets of red wine revealed
Researchers pin down for the first time how a moderate intake of red wine may protect against heart disease
19 Dec 01

Thirsty work
Alcohol causes dehydration. How does it do this and how much water do you have to drink to compensate for the effect?
28 Nov 02

Space hop
What would happen to a pint of beer in space?
1 Aug 98

A tinny please
Why do canned beers often have a metallic taste when the solubility of the metal is negligible?
5 Jul 97

Milk and alcohol
Can you live on milk and Guinness alone?
15 Feb 97

Closing time
Why do you feel hungry when you're drunk?
6 Jul 96

Party spirit
What mechanism causes extra drunkenness when drinks are mixed?
27 Apr 96

Cream on
Why toroidal cells develop in Tia Maria with cream
23 Dec 95

Sluggish and drunk
Could a slug live in a bottle of wine?
25 Nov 95

Take the pils
Why you stumble to one side more than the other when you've had a few drinks
7 Oct 95

Widget history
How do they work?
9 Sep 95

Fizz ice
Can beer really freeze as it's taken out of the fridge and opened?
15 Apr 95

Over the top
Why doesn't sparkling wine froth when poured into a wet glass?
17 Dec 94

White water
Why do anisette-based drinks turn white when water is added to them?
12 Nov 94