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 21: Sound May 02, 2008

Show notes

Sound is often thought to be a science of physics, but on today’s show we consider its chemistry.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits

00:31 Introduction

01:11 Element of the Week: Neodymium

03:03 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Pop Rocks

05:43 Sonic Art: Experimental Musical Instruments

10:43 Quote: Ludiwg van Beethoven

11:08 Closing Credits

CREDITS

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

Episode 20: Spring Cleaning Apr 25, 2008

Show notes

Tuesday, April 22 was Earth Day. Amid all the hubbub about "going green," it's a fair question to ask how much power individual consumers have to reduce their environmental impact.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:18 Element of the Week: Fluorine 02:48 REACH: A New Approach to Chemical Regulation 07:44 A Conversation with John Mullins, Sun and Earth 10:38 Quote: Francis Bacon 10:54 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Jori Lewis and Jody Roberts for researching this show. Additional credits available at distillations.org.

Episode 19: Jamestown Apr 11, 2008

Show notes

Jamestown celebrated its 400th anniversary last year. Many people may know that it was the first permanent English settlement in North America, but less commonly known is that Jamestown was also the birthplace of the American chemical enterprise.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:16 Mystery Solved 04:00 Element of the Week: Strontium 06:24 Visiting Josh Simpson's Glassblowing Studio 10:13 Quote: Captain John Smith 10:23 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Robert Hicks and Amy Mayer for researching this show. Additional credits available at distillations.org.

Episode 18: Beyond the Chip Apr 11, 2008

Show notes

Semiconductors are at the heart of countless electronic devices. Although we often think of Silicon Valley as being built on computer chips, the companies that make the chips often depend upon materials and equipment manufacturers who build the component parts. On today's show we explore some of the unheralded companies that have made the Digital Revolution possible.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:20 Element of the Week: Silicon 02:46 Conversation with Griff Resor 06:26 Virtual Tour of the Computer History Museum 10:52 Quote: N. Bruce Hannay 11:05 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Hyungsub Choi and Mia Lobel for researching this show. Additional credits available at distillations.org.

Episode 16: Vitamania! Mar 28, 2008

Show notes

In today's show we take a closer look at vitamins, the tiny substances that are vital to our health.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:39 Mystery Solved: Rickets 04:35 Element of the Week: Iron 06:41 Making Vitaming C 10:18 Quotation: George Bernard Shaw 10:38 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Jocelyn Ford and Anke Timmermann for researching this show. Additional credits available at distillations.org.

Episode 17: Dual Use Mar 28, 2008

Show notes

Science has long been a component of warfare, and in this week’s episode we look at how it has played a part in both destruction and preservation during times of war.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits

00:32 Introduction

01:19 Conversation with Jeffrey Johnson

07:35 Element of the Week: Chlorine

09:35 Review of This Republic of Suffering

11:46 Quote: William Jennings Bryan

11:56 Closing Credits

CREDITS

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

Episode 15: The Art of Science Mar 21, 2008

Show notes

While chemistry often plays a silent role in art, such as synthetic additives in acrylic paints, both artists and scientists have consciously chosen to intersect the two.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:09 Element of the Week: Neon 03:37 Commentary: Self-Grown Pictures 06:54 ChemArtists 10:51 Quote: Bo Malmstrom 11:04 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Erin McLeary and Audra Wolfe for researching this show. Additional credits available at distillations.org.

Episode 14: Blockbuster Science Mar 14, 2008

Show notes

Is science on the silver screen any less real than science in the lab? A crew from CHF attempts to answer this question with a visit to a new Star Wars exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 00:50 Element of the Week: Krypton 02:28 Commentary: Cartoons as Science? 06:15 Exhibit Review: Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination 11:10 Quote: Lex Luthor 11:30 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Jody Roberts, Jennifer Landry, and Tori Indivero for researching this show. Additional credits available at distillations.org.

Episode 13: The Nanoscale Mar 07, 2008

Show notes

You've heard the hype—but what's nanotechnology really all about? Today's show is an investigation into the current reality and the future potential of nanotechnology.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits

00:31 Introduction

01:32 Element of the Week: Carbon

03:08 Conversation with George Whitesides

07:51 Mystery Solved! Damascus Steel

10:49 Quote: Richard Smalley

11:08 Closing Credits

CREDITS

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

Episode 12: Chemistry as Technology Feb 29, 2008

Show notes

In today's world, technology is seemingly ubiquitous. Chemistry plays a role in many technologies and may be obvious in some products, but is quite invisible in others.

SHOW CLOCK

00:00 Opening Credits

00:32 Introduction

01:39 Element of the Week: Uranium

04:13 Mystery Solved: Liquid Crystal Displays

06:51 Hydrogenation

10:59 Quote: Karl Compton

11:19 Closing Credits

CREDITS

Special thanks to Victoria Indivero, Jody Roberts, and Catherine Girardeau for researching this show. Additional credits available at distillations.org.

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