Distillations: Science + Culture + History

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 Schleifer, a sociologist, about how trans fats and chicken nuggets arrived on the food scene as the healthier options, but have since turned into villains. Both Simon and Schleifer suggest that when it comes to deciding what we eat, we might have less choice than we think. Class, geography, and convenience (for both food makers and food eaters) all play a role. SHOW CLOCK: 00:03 Introduction 00:36 Michal Meyer tries her first Tastykake 03:39 Interview with Bryant Simon and David Schleifer LINKS TO CONTENT: "Afternoon Snack" - A video starring Michal Meyer and Bob Kenworthy.  CREDITS: Hosts: Michal Meyer and Robert Kenw

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 court cases. The reality of investigation is much slower and more complex, but no less fascinating. Hosts Michal Meyer and Robert Kenworthy speak with experts Anna Dhody, a physical and forensic anthropologist, and Lisa Rosner, a historian. They discuss the early days of solving crime and the on-going chemistry of the human body throughout life and death. SHOW CLOCK: 00:03 Introduction 02:03 Past and present: the "CSI Effect"   05:00 Forensic science: its beginnings 06:40 Burke and Hare: the not-quite body snatchers 09:34 Digging up the bodies: mass murder in Peru 11:11 The chemistry of bodies 12:44 Skulls, phrenology

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 sociology behind these fears.  SHOW CLOCK: 00:20 Introduction 01:55 Interview with Deanna Day and Robert Hicks 28:48 Reflections with Michal Meyer and Bob Kenworthy 34:48 Closing Credits CREDITS: Hosts: Michal Meyer and Bob Kenworthy Guests: Deanna Day and Robert Hicks Editor: Mariel Carr   Check out Distillations magazine at distillations.org, where you'll find articles, videos, and our podcast.   

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 how our turbulent nuclear past has shaped, for better and for worse, our current attitudes.  

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 million Americans diagnosed with cancer. Along with radiation, his treatment included a drug called cisplatin. Cisplatin has nasty side effects, so why is a drug first used to treat cancer in the 1970s still used for many cancers? Show Clock 00:00 Opening Credits 00:33 Introduction 01:08 Interview: Viviane Quirke 06:58 Chemotherapy: Cisplatin 17:00 Closing Credits Credits Our theme music is composed by Andrew Chalfen. Additional credits may be found at http://chemheritage.org/distillations. 

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 feature from our show Neighborhood Preservation. Show Clock 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:01 Shipwrecks: Wrecked! 09:33 Neighborhood Preservation: The 19th Street Baptist Church 17:51 Closing Credits Credits Our feature producer is Diane Hope. www.dianehope.com Western Australia’s Maritime Museum in Fremantle http://museum.wa.gov.au/museums/shipwrecks Pearl Harbor National Park Service http://www.nps.gov/valr/index.htm Our theme music is composed and performed by Andrew Chalfen. Additional music includes “Ray – A Life Underwater,” by junior85; “Ghost Science,” by Teeth Mountain; “The Mollusk,” by Ween.

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 that taste cells don’t just live on tongues. What do these cells get up to in the rest of the human body? Find out in this feature from our show, In Good Taste. Show Clock 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:03 Hard to Stomach: Armpit Cheese 08:45 In Good Taste: Super-Tasters 15:04 Closing Credits Credits Our theme music is composed and performed by Andrew Chalfen. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 discusses DIY monitoring with Shannon Dosemagen from the Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science. Show Clock 00:00 Opening Credits 00:44 Introduction 01:44 Air Monitoring 09:02 Interview: Shannon Dosemagen 14:41 Closing Credits Credits Link to BEACON project: http://beacon.berkeley.edu/ Public Lab - http://publiclab.org/  Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 CREDITS Special thanks to Tori Indivero for interviewing the scientists in this series. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 Life is part of CHF’s Thanks to Chemistry project, sponsored by BASF Corporation, The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, DuPont, and ExxonMobil. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 chemheritage.org/distillations.

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. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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, Mia Lobel, and Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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, Mia Lobel, and Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 Charlie Mintz, Alex Jones, Alice Edgerton, and Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 Blakeslee, and Jennifer Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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, Mat Savelli, and Audra Wolfe for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

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 chemheritage.org/distillations.