The author of this book, associate professor of the Faculty of Chemistry of Moscow State University, wrote it for all inquisitive people. “Science begins with wonder,” said Aristotle. After reading this work, you will be surprised more than once. And at the same time you will learn how airbags work in a car, what metals coins from different countries are made of, what records there are in chemistry, why medicine can turn out to be poison, how chemists expose fakes of ancient paintings, how a magazine joke deprived “experts” of victory in a famous television game "What? Where? When?", and much more. So this publication will be of interest to both “amateurs” and professional chemists - everyone will find something new and interesting in it.