Chemistry in its element

This week, we discuss team discuss the boundaries of the atom and breakdown the US's plan to eliminate synthetic food dyes with Jennifer Newton and Phillip Broadwith. The atomic radius of an atom is a concept we are taught from early in our chemistry careers, but for such an important value its definition remains ambiguous. Why is there no single answer to the size of an atom? And, US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr announced last year that the US will phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes in foods. But what are these chemicals, and what concerns exist around their consumption?

This week, we discuss reflections from this year's American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting and the latest advances in plasma chemistry with Rebecca Trager and Mason Wakley. The annual meeting of the AAAS kicked off in Phoenix, on the heels of the recent minibus spending package announcement, as well as the rescinding of the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding. We'll fill you in on some of the conversations that took place that weekend. And, plasma is often described as the fourth state of matter, but what exactly is it made of? We'll explain it's make-up and dive into how chemists are learning to unlock its power.

Welcome to our latest podcast series, The chemical breakdown. Each week, we dive deeper into two stories we've covered here at Chemistry World, providing insight into the facts, why you should care, and what it means for the chemistry community. We also give you that week's headlines to keep you up to date with what's happening in the chemistry community. And finally, we'll end each episode with a brief section on what was happening this week in chemistry history. This week, we discuss the new deep learning model AlphaGenome and visit the very beginning of life on Earth with Mason Wakley and Neil Withers. Google DeepMind has released a new deep learning model that can predict the effect of small changes to DNA sequences up to one million base pairs in length. What does this new tech mean for our understanding of the human genome? And, how did life start on Earth, before the first cell came to be? We discuss the RNA world hypothesis and breakdown the chemistry it's built on. You can find more episodes of The chemical breakdown on the Chemistry world podcast feed. We would love to hear your feedback on this new podcast, so if you have any questions or comments please get in touch.

In this special podcast produced in partnership with Waters Corporation, find out how understanding the chemistry and materials that go into batteries marks the first step towards making them safer and increasing energy density, and unlocks new opportunities for reuse and recycling

How did a tree bark from Sri Lanka become one of the essential flavours of the festive season? We explore the history of cinnamon and the compound that gives it its distinctive taste and aroma

A compound so explosively unstable that nobody has been able to measure how sensitive it is without it, well, exploding.

How one of mankind's oldest pigments helped shepherds secure their sheep and inspired one of the most popular songs of the twentieth century

A sweet compound that provides ample energy for extreme endurance events – find out how maltodextrin helped Anna Ploszajski swim the English channel

Liquid salts, ionic melts, fused salts, or ionic glasses – call them what you like, these much-hyped solvents show great promise. Katrina Krämer speaks to chemical engineer Jason Bara about ionic liquids.

An antimicrobial compound that kills bacteria and viruses quickly – found in some of the most colourful antiseptic solutions

Does asparagus give you foul-smelling urine? Helen Arney investigates asparagusic acid, and the lavatorial genetic lottery that controls whether or not you can smell its distinctive aroma

A sweet treat with a deadly trick for Halloween – glycyrrhizic acid, or glycyrrhizin, is found in black liquorice and sweeter than sucrose, but can cause heart problems and even prove fatal if consumed in excess

Also known as 'milk of amnesia', propofol helps to prevent perception of pain in surgery – just don't forget its dangerous side

Hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir made waves when first launched – quicker to work and with fewer side effects than existing drugs, but it came with a hefty price tag

Meera Senthilingam makes a welcome return to the podcast with a drug that gives hope to the many sufferers of drug-resistant TB – still one of the world's biggest killers

This summer's extreme weather prompts Katrina Krämer to investigate the history of sunblock and the ingredient blamed by some for bleaching coral reefs

From Lavoisier's experiments with plaster of paris to the the 'Sistine Chapel of crystals' in Mexico, Mike Freemantle explores the history of gypsum

Originally developed to treat flu and marketed in Japan as Avigan, promising Covid-19 trial results have seen countries stockpiling this medication by the millions

Tannic acid in green acorns can kill wild animals and livestock, but in this podcast Mike Freemantle makes plain that you can prevent poisoning with pannage pigs.

Common in the US but banned in the EU, this animal feed additive makes for muscular pigs and beefy international trade disputes.

Brian Clegg discovers what a six-membered silicon ring can tell us about alien life

Frances Addison on the aromatic compound found in both buttered popcorn and the bearcat's scent glands, and responsible for the distinctive smell of both

News that this cheap, ubiquitous steroid drug may reduce deaths in Covid-19 cases has been greeted with cautious optimism. Ben Valsler looks at the history of dexamethasone and the promising Recovery trial results.

Mike Freemantle on the art, history and science of this delicate, translucent ceramic material

Brian Clegg introduces the humble mineral that delights both astronomers and archaeologists

Mike Freemantle introduces the peptic ulcer treatment cimetidine, which – as Tagamet – became the first 'blockbuster' drug

The World Health Organisation hope to eradicate human African trypanosomiasis, better known as sleeping sickness, within our lifetimes. Jamie Durrani looks at a drug that may make it possible.

Georgia Mills investigates the psychoactive found in ayahuasca that may mirror near-death experiences

Katrina Krämer investigates how industrial-strength bleach became promoted as 'miracle mineral supplement' – a supposed 'cure' for autism, cancer and even Covid-19.

Brian Clegg discovers the link between olive oil, dandruff and stained glass windows.

An immune-modulating compound used to reduce the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and now showing potential against coronaviruses, interferon beta is the last of the WHO's Covid-19 Solidarity trial candidates to get the Chemistry in its element treatment.

The unexplained appearance and dramatic spread of a new form of HIV drug ritonavir hurt patients and cost its makers almost $250 million. Alexander Whiteside on the chemical phenomenon that links Irving Langmuir, H G Wells and Kurt Vonnegut.

Ben Valsler explains how a drug that prevents HIV from donning its protective 'coat' now makes up one arm of the World Health Organisation's Covid-19 trial

Will new clinical trials for Covid-19 give remdesivir a second chance?Ben Valsler introduces the broad-spectrum antiviral that didn't quite make it as the Ebola drug it was originally planned to be.

Old drugs sometimes find their way back into the news. The Covid-19 pandemic – and some very high profile backing – has led to malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine hitting the headlines worldwide. Ben Valsler explores both the history and the hype.

Brian Clegg on the popular over-the-counter painkiller, developed by a high-street pharmacy chain

Catherine Hodges explores the chemical solutions to thinning hair and patchy beards, examining the popularity of minoxidil and the cautionary tale of finasteride

The pesticide that keeps pets free of pests, but may have also been responsible for the devastating collapse of bee colonies. With Harriet Brewerton.

Rotund rodents revolutionised our understanding of the biological role of fat. Now, as Katrina Krämer discovers, the hormones created by fats could redefine obesity.

Ben Valsler on vitamin K – the blood clotting factor that is likely to be the first supplement you ever receive

Brian Clegg on the enzymes make life a little sweeter by breaking down starch into sugars, helping to make bread and beer

Georgia Mills on a compound that explodes from a beetle's bum, and has a controversial role in skin depigmentation

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the Baia Mare disaster, when toxic sodium cyanide spilled from a gold processing plant led to ecological damage on a huge scale. Mike Freemantle tells the tragic tale and explores the poison's place in precious metal processing.

Once thought of as an interesting – but useless – turpentine derivative, this oddly-named acid became the precursor to one of the world's most widely used plastics

From ancient Egyptian pottery to distinctive blue bottles, cobalt oxide has been providing 'chemically and artistically perfect' pigments for centuries

If you're trying out a vegan diet, you're likely to be told to make sure you get enough vitamin B12. Ben Valsler asks what B12 does, where we get it from, and how can we be sure we're getting enough?

To celebrate 2019 – the International Year of the Periodic Table – we're joined by Helen Arney and the Waterbeach Brass Band with an updated version of Tom Lehrer's elements song. See the video, featuring contributions from chemists around the world, here: https://www.chemistryworld.com/IYPT Happy New Year!

After promising results treating ill pets, some researchers think iminosugars could become treatments for infection and even cancer. Mike Freemantle explores the buzz about iminohoney.

Frances Addison examines how our quest to control and manage pain has led to a modern medical crisis, as opioids oxycodone and hydrocodone are among the most abused prescription medications in the US

Ben Valsler tackles 'zombie facts' and the tenuous connection between tryptophan in turkey and your post-Thanksgiving dinner doze