Distillations | Science History Institute

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...

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 s...

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 Ti...

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. Add...

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 av...

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. Addition...

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 t...

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 che...

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 chemheri...

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 thank...

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 Conversat...

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 Man...

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 availab...

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, Audr...

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 Dy...

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 res...

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...

Distillations takes a look at the history and chemistry of dentistry. We find out how baking soda cleans your teeth and lidocaine numbs your gums. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:15 Chemical Agent: Sodium Bicarbonate 03:15 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: DIY Dental Care 06:00 Feature: Lidocaine to Numb the Pain 10:32 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Ari Daniel Shapiro,...

Laboratory science can be a risky business. While some of these substances’ dangers are easily mitigated by following proper safety procedures, others have risks that increase with extended exposure—a lesson unfortunately learned by many chemists in previous centuries, which we explore on today’s show. Chemical Agent: Lead. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:02 Chemical Agent:...

This year is the 50th anniversary of the integrated circuit! The IC is an important part of many electronic technologies we use today, from your iPod to your GPS. Chemical Agent: Chemically Amplified Photoresists. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:15 Chemical Agent: Chemically Amplified Photoresists 03:43 Mystery Solved! Crystal Puller 06:27 A conversation with Hyungsub Choi 1...

After several long, cold months baseball season has finally begun! From Philadelphia, the home of 2008 World Series Champions, we bring you a show straight from the ballpark. Chemical Agent: Anabolic steroids. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:02 Chemical Agent: Anabolic Steroids 03:24 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Hot Dogs 06:04 Feature: Is That Nanotechnology in Your Bat? 10:4...

It is officially spring — time to open the windows, let the fresh air in, and sweep those winter blues away! Learn about acetic acid and its cleaning power. Then find out how hard water can make cleaning more difficult, and what you can do about it. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 00:59 Chemical Agent: Acetic Acid 03:05 Mystery Solved! Hard Water 06:05 Feature: Green Dry Cleani...

Nearly 60% of American households have at least one pet, and nearly two-thirds of pet owners had more than one. That’s a lot of dogs, cats, turtles, birds, hamsters and iguanas. On today’s episode we turn our scientific lens to the relationship between humans and their furry friends. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:51 Chemical Agent: Histamines 03:04 Mystery Solved! Cancer-s...

Plants are not the silent, stationary creatures we imagine them to be. They drift, stretch, and dance in search of nutrients, water, and sunlight. Inspired by sLowlife, a dynamic multimedia exhibit now on display in the Clifford C. Hach Gallery at the Chemical Heritage Foundation, today’s show looks at the chemistry behind plant growth and movement. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduct...

Fossil fuel has gotten us into all sorts of trouble lately. Gas production and consumption has caused international conflict, wrecked havoc on our planet, and lightened our wallets at the gas pump. Why not turn to plants? They get their energy from the sun; and with a little smart science, they can pass on their clean green energy to our cars. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01...