Distillations | Science History Institute

In the midst of Japan's nuclear crisis, it's easy to forget that radioactive isotopes are often employed to save human lives. This week we look at diagnostic and therapeutic applications of nuclear medicine. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:10 Radioiodine 03:59 Interview with Abass Alavi and Andrew Newberg 10:51 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush, Michal Meyer, and Anne Fredrickson for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

One of this century's great challenges will be mitigating the effects of our steadily warming planet. In today's episode we explore the consequences of our changing climate. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:11 Extreme Effects: Chad and Bangladesh 05:13 Interview with Susan Solomon 12:24 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

This week, we celebrate April Fools' Day with a little medical trickery. First, we learn about Franz Mesmer's questionable 18th-century cures. Next we hear how fooling the brain is sometimes the only way to get accurate scientific results. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:08 Mesmerism 05:06 Modern Placebos: A Necessary Hoax? 10:27 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Michal Meyer and Josh Kurz for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

TIn this episode we learn about lesser-known women in the sciences. We start with Dorothy Hodgkin, the third woman to win a Nobel Prize in chemistry, and end with a tour spotlighting important females whose stories are told in CHF's museum. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:54 Dorothy Hodgkin 03:49 CHF Museum Tour 11:23 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio, Gigi Naglak, and Anne Fredrickson for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

From primetime to print, forensic scientists are usually depicted as courtroom heroes, but their real-life work makes for more than a thrilling story. On today's episode we look at how one such scientist sealed the fate of Palmer the Poisoner in the 19th century. Then we speak with forensic scientist Mike Eyring, whose team helped solve the biggest serial murder case in U.S. history. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:17 Palmer the Poisoner 04:59 Interview with Michael Eyring 13:59 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to James Voelkel, Peter O'Dowd, and Esther D'Amico for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

In honor of Black History Month, we reveal the lesser known accomplishments of George Washington Carver, and also pull from our oral history collection the stories of two African-American women fighting to make their way in the chemistry field. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 00:57 George Washington Carver 04:01 Oral History: Reatha Clark King and Linda Meade-Tollin 13:59 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks toHilary Domush and Sarah Hunter for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

In this episode we learn about how the mass production of oil paints spawned a new artistic movement and get a tour of artist Dove Bradshaw's studio. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:43 The Evolution of Oil Paints 04:21 Interview with Dove Bradshaw 11:27Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio and Ashley Milne-Tyne for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Rubber has played a shockingly dramatic role in our political and military history. In today's episode we revisit the consequences of the natural rubber shortage during WWII, and how a similar shortage might affect us today. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:00 Natural vs. Synthetic Rubber 04:12 Interview with Mark Finlay 12:03 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio, Sarah Hunter, and Hilary Domush for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

On this episode we learn about the history and future of nuclear power, in the U.S. and abroad. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:08 History of the Nuclear Power Industry 04:13 Interview with Keith Moser 10:38 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

On this episode we are visited by the ghosts of chemistry's past, present, and future, who teach us about Greek fire, red sludge, and the future of the sun. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:30 Introduction 00:44 Greek Fire 03:14 Hungarian Red Sludge 09:46 Death of the Sun 13:13 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Stefan Bos, Michal Meyer, and Dana Ricci for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

This week we continue our four-part series about earth, air, water, and fire. Today’s episode is about air and how the gases in it have been changing ever since Day 1. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:11 A Brief History of Air 05:14 Breathing Toxic Soup 12:45 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Bob Kenworthy and Jim Burress for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

On today's show we look at the Western perspective of Eastern medicine. First yogic breathing; then acupuncture. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:27 Introduction 00:59 Acupuncture 03:29 Yogic Breathing 08:25 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Gretchen Cuda and Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

This week we continue our four-part series about earth, air, water, and fire. Today’s episode is about fire and how humans have tried to protect themselves from it. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:12 Flame Retardants 03:54 Third Degree Burns 12:36 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Anna Boiko-Weyrauch and Victoria Indivero for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Today’s show will have your skin crawling… literally. In honor of Halloween we bring you a show revealing a scarier (and squirmier) side of science. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:27 Introduction 00:54 Forensic Anthropology 04:06 A Conversation with Robert Hicks and His Leeches 11:47 Maggots 14:39 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Margaret E. Wood and Michal Meyer for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

This week we continue our 4-part series about earth, air, water, and fire. Today’s episode is about water and the many ways to ensure it is potable. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:28 Portable Water Purification 05:24 Desalination Plant on the River Thames 14:01 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Nina Perry and Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

In this week’s episode we pay tribute to the periodic table. We talk to Sam Kean, author of the best-selling book The Disappearing Spoon and hear an excerpt from Primo Levi’s book The Periodic Table. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:21 Interview with Sam Kean 09:28 "Carbon," from The Periodic Table by Primo Levi 12:57 Competition - Elemental Memoir 13:31 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Michal Meyer and Mia Lobel for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

This week we begin our four-part series about earth, air, water, and fire. Today’s episode is about earth and the Marcellus Shale. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:40 The Geologic History of the Marcellus Shale 06:04 The Marcellus Shale Today 13:31 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Michal Meyer and Susan Phillips for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Before pharmaceuticals existed, all medicines had to come from natural sources—like plants. On this week’s show we focus on such remedies. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:24 Digitalis, aka Foxglove 03:45 Visiting Lancaster Farmacy 12:42 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio and Joel Rose for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

We continue to bring you some of our favorite segments from past Distillations episodes this week: Senescence, Richard Holmes, and Boy Rocketeer. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:57 Chemical Agent: Senescence 03:32 A Conversation with Richard Holmes 07:53 Boy Rocketeer 13:34 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush, Michael Meyer, and James Voelkel for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

This month Distillations takes a step back to bring you some of our favorite segments from past episodes: Glenn Seaborg, the Three Sisters, and Living with Illness. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:57 Chemical Agent: Glenn Seaborg 03:30 Tools of the Trade: The Three Sisters 06:22 Living with Ilness 11:39 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio, Andy Mangravite, and Erica Stefanovich for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Distillations marks its 100th episode this week! To celebrate, we revisit segments from some of our past shows and bring you new developments on electric car batteries, hair mats cleaning up oil spills, and the Obama administration's environmental policies post-election. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:31 Update: The Electric Car 03:49 Update: Cleaning Up Oil Spills 09:27 Update: A Planet in Peril 13:00 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Devin Browne, Jody Roberts, and Erica Stefanovich for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Halfway through July, we are just about in the middle of summer. So we thought it would be appropriate to talk about meat and barbecuing in this week’s episode of Distillations. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:01 Chemical Agent: Papain 03:51 Conversation with Roger Horowitz 09:17 Carcinogens and Grilled Meat 11:22 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Victoria Indivero, Michal Meyer, and James Voelkel for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

As atmospheric carbon dioxide increases, does the world have to get hotter? Controlling the earth’s weather and climate is this week’s topic. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:26 Introduction 01:11 Chemical Agent: Silver Iodide 03:02 Interview: James R. Fleming on Climate Engineering 07:47 Storing Carbon with Phytoplankton 11:19 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Michal Meyer and Hilary Domush for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

If you could live forever, would you? Though most believe this to be a hypothetical question, there are some scientific processes that impart eternal life, or something like that, to actual creatures on earth. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:10 Chemical Agent: Animal Antifreeze 03:25 Feature: Immortal Jellyfish 07:03 Comte de Saint-Germain 10:24 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Aries Keck, James Voelkel and Michal Meyer for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Innovation can be messy work, and sometimes outright disastrous. This week on Distillations we’re looking at some of the 20th century’s most infamous scientific missteps. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:12 Chemical Agent: Thalidomide 03:35 Conversation with Professor Judith Walzer Leavitt 08:18 Cold Fusion 11:10 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio and Michal Meyer for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

This week we’re digging into our archives and looking back at one of our first episodes of Distillations. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:59 Commentary: Trash Island 03:21 Element of the Week: Mercury 05:11 Cleaning Up Oil Spills 09:36 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jody Roberts for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

The future is now. Distillations, therefore, is pausing to compare what people once predicted the modern world would look like to the actual reality on the ground—and in the air. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:16 Chemical Agent: Magic Bullet 03:02 Feature: Fembots 08:37 Space Colonization 11:44 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Aries Keck, Jennifer Dionisio, Hilary Domush, and Mia Lobel for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

In honor of National Lab Day in May this episode focuses on the scientist in every kid. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:54 Chemical Agent: Bangsite 02:32 Feature: Kids Doing Science 06:51 Boy Rocketeer 12:15 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Mia Lobel and James Voelkel for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

April is National Poetry Month and Distillations is celebrating by looking at the connections between science and literature. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:26 Chemical Agent: Opium 03:41 Conversation with Richard Holmes 08:08 Poetry and Science with Lord Byron 11:09 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio and Michal Meyer for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

In early March 2010 the Chemical Heritage Foundation’s museum opened its newest temporary exhibit, Marvels and Ciphers: A Look Inside the Flask. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:40 Introduction 01:05 Chemical Agent: Viagra 04:30 Secrets of the Alchemical Tree 08:43 19th-Century Political Cartoons 09:47 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush and James Voelkel for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

What’s better than recycling? Reducing waste! OK, maybe not better, but equally important. In this week’s episode of Distillations we learn about industrial-waste reduction. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:11 Chemical Agent: Carbon Black 03:04 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Vaseline 05:49 Conversation with Roger Horowitz 10:55 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Victoria Indivero, Michal Meyer, and Maggie Wood for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Love it or hate it, plastic is hard to avoid. This week we take a look at plastic made from corn and find out just how biodegradable it really is. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:21 Polylactic Acid 03:32 Plastic Leaching 06:35 Conversation with a Chemist: Keeping Meat Fresh 11:30 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush and Michal Meyer for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

On this week’s episode of Distillations we’re talking about what the nose knows. First up we learn about the nose itself—how it works and how losing your sense of smell can affect your day-to-day life. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:08 The Nose 03:19 Scent Identification 05:53 Feature: Perfume Vinyl 11:27 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush, Victoria Indivero, Michal Meyer and Douglas Smith for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Scientific discoveries can be dramatic tales of unexpected adventure. They can also be personal explorations of intuition and faith. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:02 Chemical Agent: The Wolf Trap 03:22 A Conversation with Bill Brock 08:46 Mystery Solved! The Unknown Continent 11:48 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Michal Meyer and Victoria Indivero for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Whether it’s preventing illness by vaccines or avoiding germs, this episode is about getting sick and staying healthy. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:22 Chemical Agent: Meningitis Vaccine 03:27 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Hand Sanitizer 06:04 Feature: Living with Illness 11:36 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Maggie Wood and Erica Stefanovich for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Another year has come and gone, but the impact of scientific discoveries made and concerns raised will be felt in 2010 and beyond. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:20 Asia: Water Management in a Changing Climate 04:02 Europe: Large Hadron Collider 07:15 A Conversation with The Scientist's Alla Katsnelson 11:26 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Michal Meyer and Anke Timmerman for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

There are many different types of crystals we encounter, ranging from tiny to extremely large in size. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:11 Chemical Agent: Sodium Chloride 03:34 Tools of the Trade 06:15 A Conversation with Karen Allen 11:27 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Victoria Indivero, Michal Meyer, Anke Timmermann, and Maggie Wood for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 01:10 Chemical Agent: Yeast 03:28 Tools of the Trade: Backyard Acids from Early Chemistry 07:18 A Conversation with Matthew Shindell on Harold C. Urey 11:51 Closing Credits CREDITS Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

In this episode of Distillations we clarify common misconceptions about food. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:18 Chemical Agent: Sucralose 03:30 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Detox Diets 06:04 A Conversation with David Schleifer on Trans Fats 11:33 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio, Sky Kalfus, and Erica Stefanovich for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Let there be light! Whether it comes from the sky or a bulb, we’d be lost without it. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:01 Chemical Agent: Organic Solar Cells 03:54 Mystery Solved! Seasonal Affective Disorder 06:42 Feature: The History of Lightbulbs 11:21 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jim Burress, Hilary Domush, Michal Meyer, and Erica Stefanovich for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Autumn! Learn about leaf changes, the three sisters, and apple cider. Chemical Agent: Senescence. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:07 Chemical Agent: Senescence 03:43 Tools of the Trade: The Three Sisters 06:27 Feature: Apple Cider 10:52 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush and Erica Stefanovich for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Everything falls into one of three phases of matter: solid, liquid, or gas. Or does it? SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:11 Chemical Agent: Dry Ice 03:34 A Conversation with Michal Meyer 08:11 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Glass 11:04 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush and Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Science isn’t some exalted ideal confined to labs and classrooms—it’s all around us. In this episode we share different ways that scientists have reached out to educate and enlighten the masses. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:00 Chemical Agent: Glenn Seaborg 03:43 Tools of the Trade: The Air Pump 06:07 Feature: Science in the City 11:08 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Andy Mangravite and Erin McLeary for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Every year the Chemical Heritage Foundation holds Innovation Day—an event for people to get together to discuss and learn about science’s exciting new technologies. In this episode we take a look at innovations—the natural kind and the man-made kind. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:13 Chemical Agent: Thermoregulation 03:34 Tools of the Trade: GoreTex Stents 06:25 A Conversation with Richard Silverman 11:22 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Chi Chan for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

In honor of Labor Day this episode of Distillations looks at how chemistry has affected the work of a variety of professionals—for better or worse. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:59 Chemical Agent: Polybenzimidazole 02:58 History Lesson: Origins of Occupational Health 06:01 Feature: The Chemistry of Welding 10:40 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Mia Lobel, Andy Mangravite and Jody Roberts for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Distillations is sharing more of our favorite episodes this week: free radicals, art forgery, and snoring. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:48 Chemical Agent: Free Radicals 02:42 Feature: Detecting Forgery in Art 07:35 Mystery Solved! Snoring 10:51 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush and Anke Timmermann for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

It’s almost the end of the summer; so the Distillations crew is taking a look back at some of our favorite episodes this week: panspermia, umami, and pheromone perfumes. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:40 Introduction 00:59 Chemical Agent: Panspermia 03:04 Mystery Solved! Umami 07:14 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Pheromone Perfumes 09:59 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Aries Keck, Audra Wolfe, and Jen Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Birth, once nature's miracle, is increasingly manipulated by humans and regulated by society. In this week’s episode we look at a range of reproductive technologies and the implications of their use. Chemical Agent: Luteinizing Hormone. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:30 Introduction 01:16 Chemical Agent: Luteinizing Hormone 03:54 Conversation with Joanna Radin 09:01 Review: Reproduction in Dystopian Novels 11:39 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Erica Stefanovich and Hilary Domush for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Location, location, location! In this week’s episode we talk about why and how certain spaces are chosen and used. Chemical Agent: Bromine. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:07 Chemical Agent: Bromine 03:13 Mystery Solved! Brownfields 06:31 Conversation with Jim Hutchison 11:16 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush, Jennifer Dionisio, and Jody Roberts for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Rise and Shine! Today we look at some of the most essential elements of a satisfying breakfast. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:21 Chemical Agent: Pectin 03:34 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Butter vs. Oil 06:37 Feature: Making Sourdough Bread 11:00 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Rebecca Sheir and Audra Wolfe for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.