Degrading alcohol is a multi-step process that happens in the liver, where cells metabolize it using a series of enzymes working in a tidy cascade of reactions.
On Aug. 18, 1838, the Exploring Expedition led by Navy Lt. Charles Wilkes embarked on a world cruise of scientific discovery. He fit well into a class of armed scientists, military naturalists who rose to prominence in the 18th and 19th centuries.