The lifesaving killer

What do you think when you hear 'DDT'? Do you think of a dangerous chemical pervading nature, killing the birds and building up in fatty tissues of animals and humans? If so, it's down to Rachel Carson's famous book Silent Spring. But the funny thing is that Carson never advocated banning DDT, just using it in a controlled way - because this chemical saved millions of lives and could have saved many millions more had it not been for the stupid way it was used.

This is the latest in my contributions to the Royal Society of Chemistry's podcast series Take a listen and decide for  yourself if DDT is hero or villain.