system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How is sodium bicarbonate seemingly so versatile?

I have an ulcer, the internet told me to put bicarb soda on it. Apparently it can also be used as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, playdough, it can get rid of smell, put out grease fires, remove grease from clothing, give relief from irritants, be used in cooking, and a plethora of other things. Is this a case of sodium bicarbonate having a magical chemical composition, or a myth propagated on the internet?

Cheers!
gpt
Sodium Bicarbonate will react with acids to neutralise them, producing CO2. It will also give off CO2 if heated up, by thermal decomposition.

This CO2 production is why it is used in baking, it produces gas which will form bubbles in the dough. It is also why it will help put out fires, as it produces CO2, which will exclude oxygen.

It's used for ulcers as it will neutralise some of the stomach acid, but it will produce CO2 which might not be too pleasant!

It's essentially a not-very-toxic molecule which produces CO2 easily, and neutralises acids. There are a range of uses for this, so it's a useful compound!