Distillations | Science History Institute

We continue the three-part series A Day in the Life, spotlighting the common chemistry of morning, noon, and night. Today, a look at the mysterious ingredients in many kitchen staples and the reason why even so-called healthy sweeteners can be toxic. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:36 The Breakfast Club 01:18 Interview: Kitchen Staples 07:41 The Trouble With Fructose 14:27 Closing Credits CRED...

Today we begin the three-part series A Day in the Life , spotlighting the common chemistry of morning, noon, and night. First, a look at what's lurking in our bathroom products and what experts say about the controversy over fluoridated water. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:36 Pee-wee's Big Adventure 01:06 Interview: Bathroom Products 04:06 The Fluoridation Debate 13:05 Closing Credits CREDIT...

Treasure or toxin? Today we follow Teflon's rise from happy accident to indispensable tool at work, home, and even war. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:42 Introduction 01:24 The Origins of Teflon 08:46 Interview: Post-War Teflon 14:36 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Bob Kenworthy, Hilary Domush, Sarah Hunter-Lascoskie, and Amy Kraft for researching this show. Additional credits avail...

Today we welcome back author Sam Kean to discuss the secrets and surprises contained in our DNA. He talks to Distillations’ executive producer Jennifer Dionisio. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:33 Interview: The Violinist’s Thumb 11:44 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/disti...

On today's show a special conversation between two alchemy experts: James Voelkel, who curated CHF's exhibit The Alchemical Quest, and Lawrence Principe, author of The Secrets of Alchemy. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:36 Introduction 01:40 Interview: The Alchemical Quest 13:20 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to James Voelkel for researching this show. Additional credits available at c...

On today's show we track the evolution of smog from symbol of industrial progress to public health catastrophe. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:39 Introduction 01:23 Interview: A Sign of Progress 05:08 Donora 14:16 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Daniel Tkacik, Ellis Robinson, and Jacqueline Boytim for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillati...

On today's show we test your gag reflex. First an exploration of rank, funky cheeses made from your own body's bacteria. Then the history of how distaste evolved into disgust. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:50 Introduction 01:41 South By South Swab 11:40 Distaste and Disgust 14:45 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Lindsay Patterson and Jacqueline Boytim for researching this show. Addi...

Ahoy, mateys. Join us on the ocean floor. On today's show we look at sunken ships: how they are preserved, and what they can tell us about civilizations from the past. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:50 Introduction 01:35 Wrecked! 10:10 Undersea Time Capsules 14:49 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Diane Hope, Michal Meyer, and Anne Fredrickson for researching this show. Additional cre...

Good science takes time... or not? On today's show we explore the extremes. First the longest-running experiment in the world; then the near-instant chemical reaction that helps airbags protect you in a crash. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:50 Introduction 01:26 The Pitch-Drop Experiment 10:22 Airbags 15:05 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Michael Rhee and Stephanie Coleman for resea...

We bring you some of our favorite segments from past Distillations episodes this week: attempts to contact aliens in space and the secret behind the sweet sound of Stradivari violins. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:01 The Interstellar Rosetta Stone 08:02 Strad Secrets? 14:58 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Andrew Stelzer and Anne Fredrickson for researching this s...

We bring you some of our favorite segments from past Distillations episodes this week: animal communication in the Sonoran Desert and the toll of asbestos waste on a small Pennsylvanian town. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:15 Future of the Wild: Desert Communication 09:28 The Ambler Asbestos Waste Piles 14:21 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Diane Hope and Bob Kenw...

Today we wrap up the three-part series Blood, Sweat, and Tears. First how it feels to lose your ability to cry; then why onions bring on the waterworks. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:42 Introduction 01:33 Emotional Tears 09:35 Onion Tears 13:24 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Douglas Smith and Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. A Distillations Explainer produced by Josh K...

Today we continue the three-part series Blood, Sweat, and Tears. First the history of deodorants; then experiments on how perspiration might diagnose diseases like schizophrenia. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:43 Introduction 01:54 Antiperspirants 07:48 Sweat Diagnostics 15:40 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Gretchen Cuda-Kroen and Anne Fredrickson for researching this show. A Disti...

Today we begin the three-part series Blood, Sweat, and Tears. First how one man solved the mystery of blood function; then how researchers will bust blood-doping athletes at the Olympic games. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:48 Introduction 02:10 Blood Puzzle 07:34 Blood Doping 19:19 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hannah Hoag and James Voelkel for researching this show. A Distillati...

On today's episode we cross the Atlantic to learn what makes a perfect cuppa. Then we learn about the surprising health benefits of Marmite, a spreadable food item people love to hate. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:20 The Perfect Cuppa 09:40 Marmite 14:46 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Nina Perry and Rachel Dornhelm for researching this show. Additional credits...

Big eyes, soft skin, squeezable cheeks. No doubt, babies are adorable. But on today's show we take a break from our cooing to examine some more serious aspects of parenthood. First how formula has waxed and waned in popularity. Then how embryos wreak havoc in the womb. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:26 Introduction 02:19 Breast vs. Bottle 05:47 Parasitic Babies 13:12 Closing Credits CREDITS S...

Sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose? We all know what that means: allergies. On today's show we look at pet dander, a common cause. Then we talk to a researcher dissecting the makeup of dust. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:26 Introduction 02:19 Allergen-Free Pets 05:47 Parasitic Babies 13:12 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Sarah Hunter-Lacoskie and Gretchen Kuda-Croen for researching t...

Asbestos, once a miracle product, is now a plague on the aging infrastructure to which it's bound. Today we explore a Pennsylvania town where a wide swath of asbestos-contaminated land stands capped and unusable. Then we visit a historic high school that is now dormant due to the expense of asbestos remediation. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:53 The Ambler Asbestos Waste Pi...

On today's episode we look at the diverse history of mass spectrometry, starting with a single question: exactly what is it? Then we dip into our oral history collection to show the breadth of mass spec's reach, including the Manhattan Project. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:33 Introduction 01:12 What is Mass Spec? 04:22 Oral History: Alfred Nier 12:18 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks t...

On today's episode we travel back in time to the Victorian era, when innovative teachers used fairies to convey complicated ideas in chemistry. We adapted one of these whimsical lessons into Distillations' first-ever podcast play. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:35 Introduction 01:11Fairies and Victorian Science 03:41 Podcast Play: The Fairyland of Chemistry 09:22 Closing Credits CREDITS Speci...

On today's episode we look at the real and imagined implications of genetic modification in the middle of the 20th century. First, the early promise of plant modification. Then how this science inspired classic sci-fi films. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:42Interview with Helen Curry 09:48 Hollywood and the Atomic Age 13:40 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Andy Man...

On today's episode we look at how environments recover after natural and manmade disasters. First, we hear about how ecosystems repair themselves after hurricanes. Then we see how the Gulf of Mexico is faring after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:18 Ecological Succession 04:13 Interview with Helen White 12:56 Closing Credits CREDITS Special t...

Pucker up! On today's episode we investigate the kiss. First, what's in the saliva we share with each other? Then we interview Sheril Kirshenbaum, author of The Science of Kissing, to find out why our ancestors starting locking lips in the first place. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:29 Saliva 04:33 Interview with Sheril Kirschenbaum 12:03 Closing Credits CREDITS Special tha...

On today's episode of Distillations we're gearing up for this weekend's playoff games with a look at the science of sports. First, we learn how athletes go the distance. Then we look into the brain of a fan. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:30 Introduction 01:00 An Athlete's Chemistry 07:31 The Science of Watching Sports 10:57 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Lindsay Patterson, Mia Lob...

On today's episode of Distillations we go straight to the source ... your DNA. First, we learn how technological advances are putting the dream of a $1,000 genome within reach. Then we discuss the implications of having genetic information at our fingertips. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:36 The $1,000 Genome 04:56 Interview with Michael Christman 12:57 Closing Credits CRED...