Tiny Matters

Latest Episodes:

The placenta: A disposable organ we can’t live without Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

The placenta is essential for life, but so much of its function is unknown. In this episode, we talk about how this disposable organ’s development within the early weeks of pregnancy shapes so much of what happens months later. We tackle what makes the human placenta so unique, what other animals like reptiles are teaching us about it, and how scientists are turning to evolution and computer models to see if we can better understand it.

Check out the IVF episode of Tiny Matters.

Send us your science facts, news, or other stories fora chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!

Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.

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[BONUS] An inspiring pharmacist grandma and orcas wearing dead salmon hats: Tiny Show and Tell Us #21 Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we hear from a listener about her incredible grandma who’s a pharmacist in Venezuela (still, at 92 years old!) and has inspired her love of science and current lab work. We then talk about orcas spotted wearing dead salmon as hats, and what this fishy behavior may mean.

We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

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How glaciers safeguard Earth’s future and hold clues to our ancient past Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

The reason many of us hear about glaciers has to do with sea level rise — which makes sense! If all of the glaciers on Earth melted, sea levels are predicted to increase by about 230 feet (70 meters), which would flood coastal areas, envelope a number of islands, and seriously impact human infrastructure, including our current water resources. But glaciers do more than safeguard Earth’s future — buried within them is our ancient past. In January of this year, a team of scientists drilled nearly 2 miles down into an Antarctic glacier. The 1.7 mile long cylinder of ice they pulled up, called an ice core, holds the equivalent of 1.2 million years of climate history. In this episode of Tiny Matters, we talk about what glaciers mean to us today, their importance for the future of our planet, and what they tell us about Earth’s ancient past.

Send us your science facts, news, or other stories fora chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!

Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

[BONUS] Evolutionary adaptations to high altitudes and e-cigs vs. dry herb vaporizers: Tiny Show and Tell Us #20 Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we discuss the differences between e-cigarettes (vapes) and far-less-studied dry herb vaporizers. Then we talk about some of the incredible evolutionary adaptations of populations of people living at high altitudes.

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

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How 18th and 19th century 'race science' still has deadly medical consequences today Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

In the 1700s and early 1800s scientists from Europe and the Americas were studying what they called "race science," a pseudoscientific field of study promoting the idea that humans could be divided into separate and unequal races. Biases stemming from race science have influenced medicine for hundreds of years, and still have deadly consequences today. In this episode of Tiny Matters, we tackle some of these consequences, where they get their roots, and what people like our guest — physician and science communicator Joel Bervell — are doing to raise awareness and incite change.

Send us your science facts, news, or other stories fora chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!

Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

[BONUS] Crocheted wasp nests and sewage in reefs: Tiny Show and Tell Us #19 Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we discuss if a crocheted wasp nest could actually attract wasps and keep them from invading your property. Then we talk about how sewage is impacting the resilience of coral reefs.

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The rape kit: From controversial 1970s invention to ending the backlog today Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

In the 1970s, the rape kit began as a simple box with some envelopes, a comb, nail clippers, and a few other basic tools. The contents of the kit have evolved somewhat since then, but the technology to analyze samples has evolved astronomically. And, through and through, the rape kit has stood for the idea that every survivor has the right to go to a hospital, get a full forensic exam, and have their evidence taken seriously. On today's episode, we talk about how the rape kit became a reality and the woman who championed the rape kit into the tool it is today. We also discuss what the future of the rape kit could look like, how the rape kit backlog has grown of out control in some states, and what activists are doing about it.

Send us your science facts, news, or other stories fora chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!

Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

[BONUS] Double rainbows and mysterious chromosomes: Tiny Show and Tell Us #18 Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we cover the science of rainbows and why double rainbows are always mirror images. Then we talk about mysterious, yet super common, chromosomes called Robertsonian chromosomes that seem to have a significant impact on human health.

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Not just a ‘royal disease’: Hemophilia’s devastating past to recent advances Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

Hemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency in clotting factors in the blood, which can cause permanent damage to joints and, in some cases, life threatening bleeding, both externally and internally. Today, people with hemophilia can live generally long, healthy lives, but in previous generations, the future wasn’t so bright. In fact, less than a century ago the life expectancy for someone with hemophilia hovered around just 10 years. It doesn’t receive much attention, and when it does, what you hear might not be all that accurate. In today’s episode, we cover the history of hemophilia and the science behind treatments over the decades, including the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on hemophilia patients. We’ll also clear up several misconceptions, including one that seems to show up a lot in popular culture: that hemophilia is a "royal disease.”

Send us your science facts, news, or other stories fora chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!

Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

[BONUS] Fungus farming ants and disappointing orange juice: Tiny Show and Tell Us #17 Feb 26, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we cover the incredible world of fungus farming ants and how it really needs to be a Pixar movie. Then we talk about what makes fresh squeezed juice taste so much better than the mass produced processed juices you pick up in the grocery store.

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.