Distillations | Science History Institute

Joe Palca is one of the best science storytellers out there. In his 20 years as an NPR science correspondent he’s covered all sorts of obscure topics, from soccer-playing robots and oyster glue to turtle paleontology. He finds the humor in the serious and the thoughtful in the funny, usually by focusing on the human elements of stories. “Stories are usually about people, those are the ones we reme...

How do you show what the inside of an atom looks like? Or how a scientist feels in the moment of discovery? We decided to approach the human stories of science in a new way: by visualizing them. First we visit author and illustrator  Jonathan Fetter-Vorm  in his studio. Then we stop in on a college animation class and hear from students creating cartoons about chemistry and fairies. Then we talk t...

Have you ever wondered how chicken nuggets are made? Or what propylene glycol monostearate, monocalcium phosphate, or other listed ingredients are doing in your favorite packaged snacks? Distillations hosts Michal Meyer and Robert Kenworthy certainly did, and they went to the corner deli to inspect some processed food themselves. They also spoke with experts Bryant Simon, a historian, and David Sc...

Thanks to modern technology most crimes these days can be neatly solved in under an hour. At least that's what fictional TV shows like  CSI  seem to suggest.  We wanted to address the so-called "CSI Effect," caused by the simplification of forensic science in popular culture. CSI and  likeminded TV shows–with their heroic investigators solving crimes in mere minutes–mislead viewers and affect real...

What can zombies teach us about our fears of survival? CHF's Michal Meyer and Bob Kenworthy talk to Deanna Day, a CHF fellow, and Robert Hicks, director of the College of Physicians’ Mütter Museum about what zombies can tell us about apocalyptic diseases and medical cures. With the popularity of post-apocalyptic storytelling at an all-time high, CHF decided to look into the science, history, and s...

Some say we are on the verge of a bright future in which nuclear power will play a major role in responding to climate change. Others say that we should expect more Fukushimas. Whichever way our nuclear future goes, there will be tradeoffs between energy and the environment.    Hosts Michal Meyer and Robert Kenworthy speak with nuclear historians Alex Wellerstein and Linda Richards. They discuss h...

Ancient Greek doctors knew about it, but could do nothing about the scourge we know as cancer. Producer Ed Prosser interviews historian Viviane Quirke about the development of chemotherapy drugs in the 20th century, drugs that for the first time offered hope to cancer patients. Next up producer Christine Laskowski goes on a very personal journey. Last year her father was among the more than 1 mill...

It’s that time of year again where we dive into our archives and bring back some of our favorite segments from the past year. First, meet Ian MacLeod from our show Shipwrecks , a man who spends much of his time with sunken ships and who knows about the chemistry that eats at them. Next, a 19th-century Philadelphia church designed by Frank Furness is crumbling. Can it be saved? Find out in this fea...

It’s that time of year again where we dive into our archives and bring back some of our favorite segments from the past year. First we travel to Austin’s South by Southwest Festival from the show  Hard to Stomach . Producer Lindsay Patterson takes a sniff at a public science experiment in which participants donated a few things they could do without. Say human cheese! Next, Mary Harris discovers t...

It’s hard to make decisions without information, that’s why some researchers in the San Francisco area are collecting carbon dioxide data at the neighborhood level. As producer Andrew Stelzer discovers, the BEACON project does more than gather data; it also brings home the effects of small-scale events, such as rush hour, and allows researchers to track pollution to its source. Then Eileen Fleming...

Join us for the third installment of The Stages of Life , spotlighting the chemistry found in childhood, adulthood, and old age. We start by looking at what happens to the brain as we move into old age, and then we investigate how some tiny technology can help as hearing fades.

Today’s episode centers on adulthood. First, Pennsylvania State University’s Suzy Scherf tells us what’s going on in the brains of adolescents. Then, Katrina Roi takes a look at a common consumer product, the condom, and those who want to make it better. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:26 Introduction 01:09 Interview: Inside the Brain 05:38 The Chemistry Behind the Condom 14:10 Closing Credits...

Today we begin a three-part series, The Stages of Life, spotlighting the chemistry found in childhood, adulthood, and old age. First, a look at the brains of children, followed by the colorful world of the crayon. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:27 Introduction 01:13 Interview: Inside the Brain 06:14 Colorful Chemistry, the World of Crayons 16:15 Closing Credits CREDITS The Three Stages of Lif...

On today's show we look at how delicate desert ecosystems are affected by climate change. Then the impact of toxic metals on Rocky Mountain streams. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:33 Introduction 01:10 Feature: Water Webs 09:10 Interview: Johanna Kraus 14:48 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Diane Hope and Jody Roberts for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemher...

On today's show we look at the modern power grid, on the brink of a new era. First, why the smart grid matters. Then, the critical mission of Caltech's Solar Army. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:34 Introduction 01:09 A Smarter Grid 10:11 The Solar Army 16:23 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Charlie Mintz and Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Video produced by Josh Kurz. Ad...

On today's show we look at questionable appearance enhancers. First The Beauty Historian shares some shocking beauty rituals of yore. Then a look at how Brazilian Blowouts are making salon workers sick. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:38 Introduction 01:10 Interview: The Beauty Historian 06:22 Brazilian Blowouts 14:48 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Stephanie Coleman, Audrey Quinn, M...

On today's show we investigate the science beneath our streets. First how a team of amateur speleologists is keeping Howe Caverns safe for future generations. Then a look at Philadelphia's historic sewer system. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:39 Introduction 01:24 Howe Caverns' Annual Cleanup 09:30 Interview: Adam Levine 16:02 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Amy Kraft,Adam Levine, M...

On today's show we learn how advances in urban agriculture are providing new access to fresh food. First how hundreds of tons of fishbones are cleaning up Oakland soil. Then tips on how to create your own backyard garden. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:30 Introduction 01:23 Fishbone Remediation 10:24 Interview: Alex Jones and Alice Edgerton 17:48 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Char...

On today's show we see old bones made new again. First the ongoing restoration of Philadelphia's 19th Street Baptist Church. Then a discussion about what makes some old buildings greener than new ones. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:28 Introduction 01:20 The 19th Street Baptist Church 09:31 Interview: Heather Blakeslee 16:35 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Alex Lewis, Heather Blakes...

On today's show chemistry takes center stage. First, why science and comedy make gut-busting bedfellows. Then the history of science as popular entertainment. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:36 Introduction 01:20 Science Comedy 08:51 Interview: Rebecca Onion 20:43 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Deanna Day, Rebecca Onion, and Daisy Rosario for researching this show. Additional credit...

During decades of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union over the course of the Cold War, both sides wielded science as a weapon. Find out how on today's show. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:31 Interview (Part I): Audra Wolfe 05:41 Oral History: Leslie Vadasz 10:36 Interview (Part II): Audra Wolfe 14:34 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush...

Just in time for Valentine's Day we explore the sexier side of alchemy. Historian Joel Klein explains how alchemists used passionate prose to disguise the details of their secret experiments. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:44 Introduction 02:07 Interview: Joel Klein 13:28 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Joel Klein for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemherita...

Today your taste buds take center stage. First,how super-tasters' genetic gift might afford them better health. Then the art of imitation flavors. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:41 'A World of Pure Imagination' 01:23 Super-Tasters 08:04 The Art of Imitation Flavors 15:40 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Mary Harris and Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits a...

On today's show we peel back our skin. First, an innovative technology that could provide early detection of osteoporosis. Then, a look at stone man syndrome–a rare disease that causes the body's connective tissue to turn into bone when damaged. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:27 Introduction 01:09 Written In Your Bones? 09:43 Harry Eastlack 16:00 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Dian...

We wrap up the three-part series A Day in the Life, spotlighting the common chemistry of morning, noon, and night. Today, how popular insomnia treatments work and the science behind our body's unique sleep cycles. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:35 Fight Club 01:01 Interview: Sleep Aids 05:33 The Midnight Sun 14:31 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Louisa Jonas, Mia Lobel, Jennifer Dio...