Distillations | Science History Institute

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Chemistry
**Distillations | Science History Institute**

Distillations is the Science History Institute’s critically acclaimed flagship podcast. We take deep dives into stories that range from the serious to the eccentric, all to help listeners better understand the surprising science that is all around us. Hear about everything from the crisis in Alzheimer’s research to New England’s 19th-century vampire panic in compelling, sometimes-funny, documentary-style audio stories.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 31: Motherhood Jul 11, 2008

Show notes

What makes motherhood scientific? This week, we try to answer, with a look at motherhood, pregnancy, and science.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits

00:32 Introduction

01:06 Element of the Week: Curium

03:43 A Conversation with Janet Golden

07:55 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Home Pregnancy Tests

11:07 Quote: Katharine Whitehorn

11:29 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Erin McLeary for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Episode 30: American Chemistry Jul 04, 2008

Show notes

Chemistry has been part of the American experience ever since the settlers at Jamestown built a lab for blowing glass and assaying metal (you can learn more on our Jamestown episode). Today we celebrate the 4th of July with a tribute to American scientific and technological achievements—and we’ve thrown in some fireworks, just for fun.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits

00:31 Introduction

00:57 Element of the Week: Americium

03:03 A Conversation with Dale Keairns

07:22 Mystery Solved! Fireworks

09:54 Quote: Vannevar Bush

10:25 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Chi Chan for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Episode 29: Left Behind Jun 27, 2008

Show notes

Matter can neither be created nor destroyed. So when you take your garbage out to the curb every week, do you ever stop to think about where it’s going? In this week’s episode, Jori Lewis explores how New York City is trying to make it easier for residents to recycle their electronic waste.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits

00:31 Introduction

01:15 Element of the Week: Cadmium

03:25 Conversation with Demir Hamami

07:16 Recycling Electronics

11:23 Quote: Chinese proverb

11:32 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Jody Roberts for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Episode 28: Summer Jun 20, 2008

Show notes

Summer 2008 officially begins today, June 20, at 7:50 EDT (at least in the Northern Hemisphere). Here at Distillations, we’re celebrating with a show dedicated to poolside lounging.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits

00:31 Introduction

00:58 Element of the Week: Titanium

02:57 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Chlorination

05:22 Mystery Solved! Why do we float?

07:42 Quote: Henry James

08:00 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to David Caruso for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Episode 27: Illumination Jun 13, 2008

Show notes

Illumination has been a quest of humans for centuries now—both in terms of the cerebral and the physical. In today’s episode we focus on the physical type of illumination.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits

00:32 Introduction

01:14 Element of the Week: Sodium

04:09 Chemistry of Bioluminescence

09:10 Mystery Solved: Glowing in the Dark

11:08 Quote: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

11:24 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Hilary Domush and Ann Dornfeld for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Episode 26: Performance Jun 06, 2008

Show notes

Baseball, track, swimming, biking—is there any sport that hasn’t suffered a scandal in the past few years? It turns out that the obvious culprits—performance enhancing drugs—are just the tip of the iceberg for how chemistry can alter athletic competition. In today’s show we look at some of the chemistry going on both inside and outside athletes’ bodies.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits

00:31 Introduction

01:10 Element of the Week: Potassium

02:56 A Conversation with John Hoberman

07:28 Chemistry in Your Cupboard

10:48 Quote: Damon Hill

11:00 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Erin McLeary for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Episode 25: The Chemistry of Time May 30, 2008

Show notes

There are four fundamental qualities: time, length, mass, and temperature. All other units can be derived from them, but these four can’t be broken down any further. This week we focus on time—the measurement that orders our lives.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits

00:32 Introduction

01:30 Element of the Week: Ruthenium

03:59 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Pressure Cooker

06:20 The Atomic Clock

10:37 Quote: William Faulkner

10:51 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Eric Mack and Audra Wolfe for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Episode 24: Beer and Brewing May 23, 2008

Show notes

What do Isaac Newton, yeast, and Harold Urey have in common? They all come under the research microscope of Chemical Heritage Foundation fellows.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits

00:31 Introduction

01:04 Element of the Week: Calcium

02:57 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Hops

05:44 A Visit to Dogfish Head Brewery

09:57 Quote: Ben Franklin

10:10 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Hilary Domush and Joel Rose for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Episode 23: Preservation May 16, 2008

Show notes

Entropy is defined as the degree of disorder in a system, and according to the Second Law of Thermodynamics entropy is always increasing. Preservation is a way that humans are trying to beat entropy, and this week we look at why and how we preserve.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits

00:32 Introduction

01:08 Element of the Week: Argon

03:24 Conversation with Ronn Wade

07:29 Frozen Dead Guy Days

11:28 Quote: Neil Rollinson

11:44 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Eric Mack and Audra Wolfe for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Episode 22: Virtual Classrooms May 09, 2008

Show notes