Distillations: Science + Culture + History

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 Distillations Explainer produced by Josh Kurz. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 Special thanks to Sabiha Kahn and Audrey Quinn for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 Piles 05:33 Schenley High School 13:22 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Bob Kenworthy and Larkin Page-Jacons for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 to Sarah Hunter-Lascoskie and Mia Lobel for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 Special thanks to Megan Slater, Gigi Naglak, and Michal Meyer for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 Mangravite and Michal Meyer for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 thanks to Jeff Guin and Bob Kenworthy for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 thanks to Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 Lobel, and Ryan Carty for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 CREDITS Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Cheers! On today's episode of Distillations we belly up to the bar to learn about distilled spirits. Then we look ahead to the next morning to determine if our tried-and-true hangover cures have any scientific merit. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:30 Introduction 01:06 Tour of St. George Spirits 09:06 Hangover Science 12:47 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Catherine Girardeau and Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

On today's episode of Distillations we investigate if there's science behind the sweet sounds of a Stradivari violin and learn how chemistry influences the work of sound artist Susan Alexjander. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:33 Introduction 01:18 Strad Secrets? 08:13 Interview with Susan Alexjander 16:41 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Anne Fredrickson and Mia Lobel for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Step away from the sale rack! On today's episode of Distillations we examine your brain under the influence of shopping, as well as a potential health hazard found in receipts. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:17 Your Brain on Shopping 07:32 BPA in Receipts 11:02 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Sheri Quinn and Lindsay Patterson for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

How did we get here and who else is out there? These questions have nagged at humans for centuries. On today's episode of Distillations we explore early debate over the Big Bang Theory and find out what tools researchers are using to greet aliens. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:33 Introduction 01:19 Debating the Big Bang Theory 03:48 The Interstellar Rosetta Stone 11:35 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Andrew Stelzer and James Voelkel for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Trick or treat! On today's episode of Distillations we give you a taste of both. First, try to choke back our explanation of a Dutch candy that features ammonium chloride and carbon black. Then follow producer Mia Lobel on a tour of the Culinary Institute of America's candy kitchen. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:34 Introduction 01:39 Salt Licorice 05:29 Making Candy Corn at the CIA 12:46 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Mia Lobel and Ryan Carty for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Today's show explores two very different ways people hope to protect future harvests. First, follow us to the Doomsday Vault, which protects 700,000 seed families. Next, join farmer Miguel Santistevan as he revives his ancestors' agricultural practices. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:18 Doomsday Vault 05:12 Desert Harvest 11:37 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Sabiha Kahn, Bob kenworthy, and Mia Lobel for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Today's show goes back in time to try to pinpoint what exactly the dinosaurs were like. First, we reveal evidence that the oldest known bird might actually be a dinosaur. Then we follow a researcher attempting to reclassify many familiar dinosaurs. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:33 Introduction 01:36 Dinosaur Feathers 04:26 Dinosaur Sinking 11:04 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Lindsay Patterson, Andy Mangravite, and Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Today we wrap up the four-part series: Our Chemical Landscape. These shows look at how science has shaped the city, the suburb, the farm, and the wild. This episode is about the wild, and how its species-in-residence use chemistry to communicate.. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:32 History of the Wild: Lightening Bugs 04:26 Future of the Wild: Desert Communication 11:04 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Diane Hope, Hilary Domush, and Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.