C&EN

Inflection Point

Science EN ↓ 14 episodes

Inflection Point traces emerging ideas in science to their surprising roots. With help from C&EN's vast, 100-year archive, we find the origins of modern breakthroughs, and tease out three different pieces of the puzzle that lead to our current moment.

Author

C&EN

Category

Science

Podcast website

sites.libsyn.com

Latest episode

Jul 1, 2026

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Episodes

Sorting out the controversial history of plastics recycling 01.07.2026

In this episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale take the time machine back to the colonial US and also relive   the revolutionary 1970s to understand the origins of plastics recycling. They also bring in C&EN reporter Alex Tullo to explain the different types of plastics recycling, how much plastic actually gets recycled, and the consequences of just tossing something in your recycling bin a...

Nuclear fusion stumped us for a century. Can it fuel the future? 17.06.2026

In this episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale take the time machine as far back as it will go to understand the primordial origins of nuclear fusion. They also bring in C&EN reporter Prachi Patel to untangle the current state of fusion technology and predict whether fusion will power our future. C&EN's award-winning podcast  Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline...

Can we carbon-capture our way out of climate change? 03.06.2026

In this episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel back in time to understand how we are capturing carbon at the source and removing existing CO 2 from our atmosphere. They also bring in C&EN reporters Alex Scott and Fionna Samuels to explain how CO 2 -scrubbing technology from a 19th-century submarine is still basically used today and how making the ocean more basic might help us mitiga...

Retinol: The magical molecule's bizarre history 20.05.2026

In this episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel as far back as ancient Egypt to unearth the wide-ranging uses of retinol. They also bring in C&EN reporter Craig Bettenhausen to discuss why retinol is such a powerhouse molecule for skin care, and they hear from a contraceptives researcher about how an early candidate for a birth control pill for men affected the retinol pathway. C&EN's...

Inflection Point: A time-traveling science history podcast 04.05.2026

Take a trip through chemical space and time with C&EN's award-winning podcast: Inflection Point. Our show leans on C&EN's 100-year archive to trace today's headline topics back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, David and Gina explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this...

Bonus: Celebrating 1 year of Inflection Point! 23.03.2026

Exactly one year ago, co-hosts David and Gina embarked on their time-traveling journey thorugh science history. Along the way they've traced the unlikely origins of microplastics, relived the nauseating experiment behind the first battery, and fished for the surprising creatures that helped scientists develop GLP-1 drugs. Join them as they surprise each other with their favorite moments from the s...

The electric innovations that brought lithium-ion batteries online 17.12.2025

C&EN's award-winning podcast Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our presen...

The ancient, 'juicy' origins of antibiotic resistance 03.12.2025

C&EN's award-winning podcast  Inflection Point  leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our pres...

The era-spanning epiphanies that enabled gene editing 19.11.2025

Hosts David and Gina explore how scientists over the centuries unlocked the ability to edit our genes C&EN's award-winning podcast Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With he...

How under-appreciated critters inspired GLP-1 drugs 05.11.2025

In the first episode of our second season, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel back in time to relive three historical moments that led to blockbuster drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. They also talk with C&EN reporter Aayushi Pratap about how future GLP-1 drugs may expand on the current slate of options. C&EN's latest podcast,  Inflection Point, leans on our 100-year archive to trace headlin...

The many materials that made microplastics possible 06.05.2025

This episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel back in time to relive three historical moments that were pivotal in the evolution of microplastics. They also  bring in C&EN reporter Bri Barbu to discuss how biodegradable plastics, if employed responsibly, may offer a glimmer of hope.   C&EN ' s Inflection Point, leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today bac...

The mind-bending innovations that built quantum computing 22.04.2025

In this episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel back in time to relive three historical moments that were meaningful to the development of quantum computers. They also bring in C&EN reporter Mitch Jacoby to discuss scientific advances enabled by quantum chemistry.   C&EN ' s   Inflection Point  leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their dispa...

The serendipitous origins of 'forever chemicals' 07.04.2025

C&EN's latest podcast Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this new show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our present a...

Inflection Point: The strange history of green hydrogen 24.03.2025

Inflection Point is a podcast that leans on C&EN's 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to breakthroughs like quantum computing and green hydrogen. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this new show will examine how discoveries from o...

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