
Distillations | Science History Institute
361 episodes — Page 7 of 8
Episode 61: Space Science
Space, the Final Frontier! Mention the chemistry of space and you’re likely to hear bad jokes about Tang or the behavior of liquids in zero gravity. But it turns out that there’s an entire field—astrochemistry—dedicated to understanding the chemistry of the universe. Chemical Agent: Panspermia. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:56 Chemical Agent: Panspermia 03:11 A conversation with Stefanie Milam 08:11 Tools of the Trade: Radio telescopes 11:15 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Audra Wolfe for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 60: Professional Networks
Today Distillations is finding out more about professional networks—particularly in the field of chemistry. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:12 Chemical Agent: Sodium Cyanide 03:21 Tools of the Trade: Imaging Software 06:13 A conversation with Michael Gordin 10:58 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio, Hilary Domush, and Eleanor Goldberg for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 59: Winter Sports
We’re hitting the slopes—and tending our wounds—on today’s episode of Distillations. We start off with the science behind sports gels. Next, find out more about the synthetic fabrics. Finally, learn about the latest advances in fake snow. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:58 Chemical Agent: Menthol 03:05 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Synthetic Fibers 06:30 Feature: Snowflex 11:16 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Erin McLeary, Eleanor Goldberg, and Lydia Wilson for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 58: Presidents & Policy
Distillations is taking a look at the presidential side of chemistry. First we learn about stem cells and the controversy surrounding their research. Next we find out why 21-gun salutes are safe and not so smoky in Mystery Solved! SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:01 Chemical Agent: Stem Cells 03:30 Mystery Solved! Smokeless Gunpowder 06:32 Commentary: A Planet in Peril 11:05 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio, Nicole Rietmann, and Jody Roberts for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 57: Library & Information Services
Let’s go to the library! This week we take a field trip to that venerable institution where great reading abounds and shushing up is de rigueur. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:04 Chemical Agent: Water 03:43 Tools of the Trade: The Chemical Abstract Service 06:44 Feature: Book Printing and Binding 11:18 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Audra J. Wolfe for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 56: New Year's Resolutions
What do you resolve to do in 2009? Get in shape? Improve your eating habits? Stop smoking? We cover them all on this week’s show.Our Mystery Solved! segment investigates why fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants, like the pomegranates pictured here, are being credited with all sorts of health-saving powers. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:06 Chemical Agent: Nicotine 03:52 Mystery Solved! Antioxidants 07:00 Feature: Aching Muscles 11:22 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio, Eleanor Goldberg, and Lara Ratzlaff for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 55: Anniversary
We are marking the one year anniversary of Distillations this week! To celebrate we’re looking back at the year 2008 and its noteworthy occasions: first, boron, whose 200th birthday was this year, then, the Nobel Prize. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:07 Element of the Week: Boron 03:20 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry 06:49 The Most Significant Chemical Moment of 2008 10:20 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Eleanor Goldberg and Chi Chan for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 54: Holiday Greetings 2008
Thanks to J. J. Thomson‘s plum pudding model of the atom, chemistry will be forever associated with 19th-century British Christmas traditions. His model was soon discarded, but it remains a staple of high school chemistry textbooks. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:10 Element of the Week: Tin 02:47 Tools of the Trade: Plum Pudding 05:41 Feature: Ham 10:47 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush, Anke Timmermann, and Eleanor Goldberg for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 53: Faking It
The truth behind the fake—this week Distillations explores the science of forgery. Some forgery is known and expected, such as fake meat products for vegetarians, while other fakes are meant to deceive…think imitated artists. 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 Erin McLeary, Audra Wolfe, and Rebecca Sheir for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 52: Wine
Americans are still relatively new to consuming wine—but they do so with gusto during the holiday season. On today’s show we take a look at the chemistry of this intoxicating substance: its aroma, its flavor, and its sometimes unwanted side effects. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:52 Element of the Week: Oxygen 02:54 Mystery Solved! Sulfites and Hangovers 05:35 Feature: Organic Wines 10:11 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush and Eric Mack for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 51: Global Health
Monday, December 1, is the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. In honor of this campaign, Distillations is considering global health. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 00:58 Element of the Week: Silver 02:59 A Conversation with Seema Shah 07:54 Mystery Solved! Affordable Vaccines 11:27 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Dominique Tobbell for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 50: Children's Health
Nothing is more important to parents than the health of their children, and advances in chemistry and pharmaceuticals have made it possible for children to receive the best care that science has to offer. However, chemical hazards in everyday life still pose hidden risks to children. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:33 Introduction 00:58 Element of the Week: Lithium 02:49 A Conversation with Sandra Steingraber 08:38 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Bisphenol A 11:18 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jody Roberts and Eleanor Goldberg for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 49: Eating
Eating is one of life’s simple pleasures, but the chemical process behind it is actually quite complex. Balancing the right minerals with good taste is no easy matter. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:50 Element of the Week: Magnesium 02:56 Mystery Solved: Umami 07:14 Poetry Reading: “A General Description of the West-Indian Islands.” 11:17 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Audra Wolfe for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 48: Alchemy
Alchemy is about a lot more than turning lead into gold or making the philosopher’s stone. Until the 17th century, alchemists worked hard in their laboratories to produce medicines, develop metal- and glass-working techniques, and uncover the quintessential essence of all earthly and celestial matter. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:09 Element of the Week: Quintessence 02:54 Review of Tara Nummedal’s Alchemy and Authority in the Holy Roman Empire 06:34 Alchemy at the Corning Museum of Glass 11:15 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Nina Goodby and Anke Timmermann for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 47: Making Up
Happy Halloween from Distillations! This week we’re looking at the world of cosmetics, which seems fitting for a day when many people wear makeup who might not normally. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:08 Element of the Week: Lead 03:02 Conversation with Rodger Curren 07:12 Cosmetics Database Report 11:23 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jen Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 46: Charging Up
The first cars didn’t run on gas—they ran on electricity. Over a century later, the high cost of fuel has finally forced automakers to take the possibility of battery-powered cars seriously. On today’s show we look at three kinds of batteries that have been proposed as transportation solutions. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:13 Element of the Week: Nickel 03:08 Mystery Solved! Hydrogen fuel-cell cars 06:38 GM’s lithium-ion battery lab 11:13 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Devin Browne and Chi Chan for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 45: Making Modernity
This week we celebrate the opening of the Chemical Heritage Foundation’s new museum! SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:04 Element of the Week: The Periodic Table 03:06 Tools of the Trade: Technicon Autoanalyzer 06:13 Tour of new Making Modernity exhibit 11:18 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Erin McLeary for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 44: Sweet Dreams
There’s nothing quite like a good night’s rest to recharge the body and restore the spirits. Today’s show looks at the science of sleep—and insomnia. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:28 Element of the Week: Helium 03:15 Mystery Solved! Snoring 06:44 Caffeine and Wakefulness 10:38 Quote: C. S. Lewis 11:02 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Catherine Giradeau and Anke Timmermann for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 43: Cause and Effect
According to Newton’s third law, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” In this week’s episode we explore causes and their effects in several different ways. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:16 Element of the Week: Francium 03:10 Chemistry in your Cupboard: Pheromone Perfumes 06:11 Feature: The Chemistry of Ripe Apples 10:38 Quote: Ralph Waldo Emerson 10:57 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio and Lara Ratzlaff for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 42: Women in Chemistry
Breaking through the glass ceiling can be tough, especially when you are a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field. This week’s episode takes a look at women in chemistry. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:30 Introduction 01:19 Element of the Week: Meitnerium 03:21 A Conversation with Donna Nelson 07:30 Feature: The Career of Helen B. Brown 11:31 Quote: Abigail Adams 11:43 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush and Catherine Girardeau for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 41: Self-Experimentation
This week we delve into the world of experimenting on oneself. Many scientists have both knowingly and unknowingly used themselves as guinea pigs in the lab. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:23 Element of the Week: Radium 03:03 Conversation with Rebecca Herzig 08:04 Chemistry in your Cupboard: Home DNA Test Kits 10:51 Quote: Edwin Emory Slosson 11:14 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Dominique Tobbell for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 40: Agriculture
All over the Midwest, farmers are cranking up their combines for the corn harvest. Modern agriculture depends on science and technology at every step of the way, from genetically modified crops, to the fertilizer on the fields, to the fuel in the tractor. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:21 Introduction 01:21 Element of the Week: Nitrogen 03:27 Feature: Biodiesel and glycerine 08:06 Mystery Solved! Compost 10:43 Quote: Walt Whitman 11:16 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Amy Coombs and Audra Wolfe for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 39: Photography
In the eleventh century the first camera obscura was invented, helping artists draw. It would be another eight centuries before people figured out how to capture images directly onto film. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:10 Element of the Week: Selenium 03:13 Commentary: Objectivity vs. Subjectivity 06:04 Science and Photography at SFMOMA 10:50 Quote: Terrence Donovan 11:15 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to David Caruso and Emily Wilson for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 37: Best of Distillations #1
This week we’re looking back at some of our favorite Distillations episodes. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 00:50 Element of the Week: Platinum 03:03 Making Mauvine 08:30 Mystery Solved! Damascus Steel 11:17 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush and Chi Chan for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 38: Best of Distillations #2
We continue to look back at some of our favorite episodes this week at Distillations. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:48 Element of the Week: Black Bile 02:12 A Conversation with Jackie Duffin 06:44 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Pop Rocks 08:52 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Erin McLeary, Robert Hicks, and Chi Chan for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 36: Olympics
Addicted to the Olympics? Take a break from too much video with 12 minutes of audio. On today's show, we investigate Olympic mysteries, from the flame of the torch to the composition of those so-called gold medals. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:12 Element of the Week: Gold 03:13 Mystery Solved! The Olympic Torch 06:01 Citizen Air Quality Monitoring 10:43 Quote: Albert Camus 11:03 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush and Andrew Stelzer for researching this show. Additional credits available at https://sciencehistory.org/stories/distillations-pod/olympics/
Episode 35: Things We Wear
This week we discuss the chemistry behind what we wear. Many modern fabrics include synthetic materials, and these synthetics would not be possible without chemistry. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:00 Element of the Week: Aluminum 03:20 Leather Tanning in India 08:18 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Pantyhose 11:02 Robert’s Farewell 11:20 Quote: Mark Twain 11:33 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Erin McLeary, Jean Parker, and Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 34: Criminal Chemistry
We’re rather fond of chemistry here at Distillations, but even we have to admit that not everyone who’s interested in chemistry is inspired purely by a love of science. On today’s show we explore the uses of chemistry on either side of the law. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:08 Element of the Week: Arsenic 03:12 A Conversation with Jay Aronson 07:34 Review: Breaking Bad 10:58 Quote: Emma Goldman 11:09 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 33: Molecular Gastronomy
The term molecular gastronomy can sound pretentious, but food writer Harold McGee describes it as “the science of deliciousness.” Learn more about the science of food (and deliciousness) in this week’s episode. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:30 Introduction 01:14 Element of the Week: Bismuth 03:39 Mystery Solved! The Perfect Egg 06:28 Chemistry in the Kitchen: Making Mousse Without Dairy 11:04 Quote: Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin 11:19 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Chi Chan for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 32: Religious Experience
There’s an old stereotype that portrays science and religion as inevitably mired in conflict. On today’s show we look past the clichés—evolution and Galileo and all that—for some areas where the two have something constructive to say to each other. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:01 Element of the Week: Pneuma 03:00 A Conversation with Jackie Duffin 07:55 Mystery Solved! Zombies 10:42 Quote: Albert Einstein 11:02 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Robert Hicks for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 31: Motherhood
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Blogs, YouTube, Facebook, and wikis are just a few of so-called Web 2.0 technologies that are transforming the look and feel of science on the Web. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:04 Conversation with John Horrigan 05:00 Element of the Week 08:01 Science Education in the Era of No Child Left Behind 10:58 Quote: Mary Shelley 11:16 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Audra Wolfe for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.
Episode 21: Sound
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
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
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
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!
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
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
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
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
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
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.