Chemistry For Your Life

By Melissa and Jam, BleavScience Chemistry

Ranking
2nd
on Chemistry
Favorites
61
Followers
Typical duration
39 min
per episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

Chemistry For Your Life episodes

August 06 How does your AC actually make cold air?
Is your air conditioner secretly doing chemistry while you’re inside pretending summer doesn’t exist? How does it turn hot air into cool air, and why does part of the AC blow out even more heat? In this episode, Melissa and Jam crack open the mysterious black box of air conditioning to explore refrigerants, phase changes, energy transfer, and the surprisingly clever science keeping your house livable. Plus: frozen AC coils, summer survival drinks, and the beginning of Hibiscus Girl Summer.
Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife
Timestamps
00:00 — Could we survive a Texas summer without air conditioning?
01:52 — Opening the mysterious black box that is your AC
02:50 — Traditional air conditioners vs. swamp coolers
03:33 — The two chemistry concepts behind air conditioning
04:38 — Understanding energy transfer through human collisions
05:49 — Phase changes explained using a crowded theater
10:30 — How an AC removes energy from hot air
14:20 — What happens inside the refrigerant coils
15:46 — Cooling and recycling the refrigerant
18:50 — Do refrigerators work the same way?
23:19 — Why would ice form inside a broken AC?
28:42 — Our favorite treats and drinks for surviving hot weather
References from the Episode:
Thanks to our monthly supporters
Sara Hull
Dog Day Dan
Bri .
Summer Alden
Amanda Raymond
Kyle McCray
Justine
Ash
Vince W
Julie S.
Heather Ragusa
Autoclave
Dorien VD
Scott Beyer
Jessie Reder
J0HNTR0Y
Cullyn R
Erica Bee
Elizabeth P
Rachel Reina
Letila
Katrina Barnum-Huckins
Suzanne Phillips
Venus Rebholz
Jacob Taber
Brian Kimball
Kristina Gotfredsen
Timothy Parker
Steven Boyles
Chris Skupien
Chelsea B
Avishai Barnoy
Hunter Reardon
Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
39 min
July 30Why do diet coke and mentos do that thing?
#044 Rebroadcast
You know what we're talking about. That spectacular fizzy geyser. This week, Melissa and Jam explore what makes diet coke and mentos go crazy together. Is it love? Is it hate? Is it chemistry? Why diet coke specifically? Or more importantly, why mentos? Let's get into it.
Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife
References from this episode
Diet Coke and Mentos: What is really behind this physical reaction? - American Journal of Physics 76, 551 (2008)

Diet Coke and Mentos: What is really behind this physical reaction? - Tonya Coffey

Spurting Science: Erupting Diet Coke with Mentos - Scientific American - Science Buddies

Thanks to our monthly supporters
Sara Hull
Dog Day Dan
Bri .
Summer Alden
Amanda Raymond
Kyle McCray
Justine
Ash
Vince W
Julie S.
Heather Ragusa
Autoclave
Dorien VD
Scott Beyer
Jessie Reder
J0HNTR0Y
Cullyn R
Erica Bee
Elizabeth P
Rachel Reina
Letila
Katrina Barnum-Huckins
Suzanne Phillips
Venus Rebholz
Jacob Taber
Brian Kimball
Kristina Gotfredsen
Timothy Parker
Steven Boyles
Chris Skupien
Chelsea B
Avishai Barnoy
Hunter Reardon
Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
32 min
July 23Why do people hate organic chemistry?
#135 Rebroadcast
Well guess what, Melissa is a PhD Doctor now! And you know what that means? She gets to tell us more details about the research she did to get her PhD. Listen to hear what Melissa found as she dove deep into the question "Why do people hate organic chemistry?" for the past few years.
References from this episode
National Research Council, (2012), Discipline-based education research: Understanding and improving learning in undergraduate science and engineering, The National Academies Press.

Graulich N., (2015), The tip of the iceberg in organic chemistry classes: How do students deal with the invisible? Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 16(1), 9–21.

Xu X. and Lewis J. E., (2011), Refinement of a chemistry attitude measure for college students. J. Chem. Educ., 88(5), 561–568.

Gibbons R. E. and Raker J. R., (2019), Self-beliefs in organic chemistry: Evaluation of a reciprocal causation, cross-lagged model. J. Res. Sci. Teach., 56(5), 598–618.

Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Thanks to our monthly supporters
Sara Hull
Dog Day Dan
Bri .
Summer Alden
Amanda Raymond
Kyle McCray
Justine
Ash
Vince W
Julie S.
Heather Ragusa
Autoclave
Dorien VD
Scott Beyer
Jessie Reder
J0HNTR0Y
Cullyn R
Erica Bee
Elizabeth P
Rachel Reina
Letila
Katrina Barnum-Huckins
Suzanne Phillips
Venus Rebholz
Jacob Taber
Brian Kimball
Kristina Gotfredsen
Timothy Parker
Steven Boyles
Chris Skupien
Chelsea B
Avishai Barnoy
Hunter Reardon

Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
54 min
July 20What if the system needs fixing instead of the students? (BCCE 2026)
What if the biggest challenge in chemistry education isn’t helping students survive—but helping them thrive? In this final bonus episode of our BCCE Community Conversation series, Melissa talks with Dr. Leyte Winfield about creating learning environments where students feel like they belong. They discuss moving beyond “weed-out” culture, designing courses that maintain high standards while expanding opportunity, and why the future of chemistry depends on empowering talented students rather than simply filtering them out. It’s a fitting conclusion to a series all about rethinking how we teach and learn chemistry.

Important Links
Submit a Question for Community Conversations

bcce.divched.org/2026

YouTube.com/@chemforyourlife

chemforyourlife.com

Timestamps
0:00 – Introducing the final BCCE Community Conversation

2:40 – Meet Leyte Winfield and the vision behind “Shifting the Equilibrium”

4:25 – From “weed out” culture to empowering student success

9:30 – Success-oriented vs. deficit-oriented teaching

13:30 – Practical ways to help students thrive without lowering standards

16:00 – Open deadlines, accountability, and lessons from COVID

18:40 – Connecting chemistry to students’ everyday lives

20:00 – Why organic chemistry shouldn’t be about memorization

22:20 – Rethinking mentoring and preparing the next generation of chemists

27:40 – Wrapping up the BCCE series and looking ahead

Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
29 min
July 16What’s really happening when our hair gets damaged?
#028
This week, Melissa and Jam travel even further down the rabbit hole of hair chemistry. How does our hair get damaged? How do we curl, straighten, and perm our hair? What's going on there at the molecular level? Let's find out!
References from this episode
Biochemistry, Edition 4 - Garret and Grisham

Making waves: The chemistry of hair perms - Christine Herman, Chemistry & Engineering News

How Did the 80s Get Hair So Big? - American Chemical Society

The Chemistry of Hair - C. S. Whewell, Ph.D., F.R.I.C., F.T.I.

The Science of Curls - Leidamarie Tirado-Lee
Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Thanks to our monthly supporters
Sara Hull
Dog Day Dan
Bri .
Summer Alden
Amanda Raymond
Kyle McCray
Justine
Ash
Vince W
Julie S.
Heather Ragusa
Autoclave
Dorien VD
Scott Beyer
Jessie Reder
J0HNTR0Y
Cullyn R
Erica Bee
Elizabeth P
Rachel Reina
Letila
Katrina Barnum-Huckins
Suzanne Phillips
Venus Rebholz
Jacob Taber
Brian Kimball
Kristina Gotfredsen
Timothy Parker
Steven Boyles
Chris Skupien
Chelsea B
Avishai Barnoy
Hunter Reardon
Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
35 min
July 13What does neurodiversity mean for chemistry education? (BCCE 2026)
How do we build chemistry classrooms where more students can thrive? In this bonus BCCE Community Conversation preview, Melissa talks with Matt Mio about neurodiversity in chemistry education. They discuss why every student experiences learning differently, how understanding those differences can make us better teachers and colleagues, and why creating more accessible learning environments benefits far more people than we might expect. It’s a thoughtful conversation about curiosity, empathy, and what it means to teach the whole student.

Important Links
Submit a Question for Community Conversations

bcce.divched.org/2026

YouTube.com/@chemforyourlife

chemforyourlife.com

Timestamps
0:00 – Introducing the Community Conversation on neurodiversity

2:40 – Meet Matt Mio and why this topic matters to him

6:10 – What the BCCE session will explore: students and faculty

11:00 – Why more educators are thinking differently about neurodiversity

14:00 – Melissa’s ADHD journey and designing courses that help everyone

18:30 – Questions to bring back to your own teaching community

19:10 – Universal Design for Learning and meeting students where they are

24:00 – Why awareness is the best place to start

25:30 – ADHD “superpowers” and different ways of thinking

28:00 – Looking ahead to the Community Conversation at BCCE

Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
31 min
July 09What’s the chemistry behind hairspray?
Hairspray seems simple… until you actually stop and think about it.
How does it come out as a fine mist? Why doesn’t it dry up inside the can? How can it hold your hair in place without acting like glue? This week we’re unpacking the surprisingly clever chemistry behind one of the most common products in our homes—and discovering it’s far more complicated than either of us expected.
Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife
Timestamps
0:00 – A question inspired by our forensics episode: what is hairspray?

4:40 – The three ingredients inside a can of hairspray

10:40 – How the propellant turns liquid into a fine aerosol spray

18:30 – How polymers create an invisible “hairnet”

29:00 – Why designing hairspray is harder than you might expect

36:20 – How hairspray compares to gel and mousse

45:50 – Fun categories: movies, cast iron, and things that turned out to be more complicated than expected
References from the Episode:
Thanks to our monthly supporters
Sara Hull
Dog Day Dan
Bri .
Summer Alden
Amanda Raymond
Kyle McCray
Justine
Ash
Vince W
Julie S.
Heather Ragusa
Autoclave
Dorien VD
Scott Beyer
Jessie Reder
J0HNTR0Y
Cullyn R
Erica Bee
Elizabeth P
Rachel Reina
Letila
Katrina Barnum-Huckins
Suzanne Phillips
Venus Rebholz
Jacob Taber
Brian Kimball
Kristina Gotfredsen
Timothy Parker
Steven Boyles
Chris Skupien
Chelsea B
Avishai Barnoy
Hunter Reardon
Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
1 hr 2 min
July 06How can chemistry teachers learn from each other? (BCCE 2026)
Great teaching doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens in community. In this bonus BCCE Community Conversation preview, Melissa talks with chemistry educator Dr. Joanne Stewart about communities of practice: groups of educators who come together to share ideas, solve problems, and help one another grow. They explore why teaching is hard to improve on your own, how these communities support both faculty and students, and why meaningful change in chemistry education depends on building relationships, not just sharing resources.

Important Links
Submit a Question for Community Conversations

bcce.divched.org/2026

YouTube.com/@chemforyourlife

chemforyourlife.com

Timestamps
0:00 – Introducing the BCCE Community Conversation series

2:40 – Meet Joanne Stewart and her work in chemistry education

5:10 – What is a community of practice?

8:20 – How educators can get involved (even as a “lurker”)

11:50 – Sharing teaching resources and learning from one another

15:30 – Building a “community of communities” in chemistry

18:50 – What this year’s Community Conversation will explore

23:50 – Why lasting educational change requires strong networks

29:20 – BCCE events, communities to explore, and final invitations
Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
34 min
July 02Ask a Chemist: Is Silicone actually safe? (and other questions)
What happens when some listeners challenge one of our past episodes?
This week we’re revisiting our silicone episodes after several listeners pointed us toward new research. Along the way we answer questions about mosquito wristbands, waterproof mascara, stubborn adhesives, and whether amino acids may have formed on the early Earth after all. It’s an Ask a Chemist episode full of updates, follow-ups, and a reminder that science is always a work in progress.
Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife
Timestamps
0:00 – Revisiting our silicone episodes after new research

2:00 – Does silicone really leach into food, and should we be worried?

10:30 – What we know (and don’t know) about silicone safety

17:30 – Do mosquito patches and wristbands actually work?

23:30 – How does waterproof mascara stay waterproof?

27:20 – A chemistry detour: removing paint and stubborn adhesives

30:20 – The Miller–Urey experiment and the origin of amino acids

33:20 – Wrap-up + send us your chemistry questions
References from the Episode:
Thanks to our monthly supporters
Sara Hull
Dog Day Dan
Bri .
Summer Alden
Amanda Raymond
Kyle McCray
Justine
Ash
Vince W
Julie S.
Heather Ragusa
Autoclave
Dorien VD
Scott Beyer
Jessie Reder
J0HNTR0Y
Cullyn R
Erica Bee
Elizabeth P
Rachel Reina
Letila
Katrina Barnum-Huckins
Suzanne Phillips
Venus Rebholz
Jacob Taber
Brian Kimball
Kristina Gotfredsen
Timothy Parker
Steven Boyles
Chris Skupien
Chelsea B
Avishai Barnoy
Hunter Reardon
Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
36 min
June 29How can we apply chemistry to real-world problems in the classroom? (BCCE 2026)
What if chemistry classes were organized around real-world problems instead of chapters in a textbook?In this bonus BCCE Community Conversation preview, Melissa talks with Vicente Talanquer about helping students think like chemists rather than simply memorize chemistry. They explore why authentic, real-world problems can transform learning, how instructors can make meaningful changes without rewriting an entire course, and why teaching chemistry is about developing a way of thinking—not just delivering content.

Important Links
Submit a Question for Community Conversations

bcce.divched.org/2026

YouTube.com/@chemforyourlife

chemforyourlife.com
Free resources
Chemical Thinking Curriculum Structure: https://sites.google.com/site/chemicalthinking/structure
More on Chemical Thinking Curriculum: https://sites.google.com/site/chemicalthinking/
General Chemistry - CLUE textbook & activities: https://www.chemistry.msu.edu/clue/general-chemistry.aspx
Organic Chemistry OCLUE textbook & activities: https://www.chemistry.msu.edu/clue/organic-chemistry.aspx
Time Stamps
0:00 – Introducing the Community Conversation series

2:40 – Meet Vicente Talanquer and this year’s discussion topic

4:10 – What does “authentic phenomena” actually mean?

7:40 – Memorization vs. meaningful understanding

12:10 – The two big questions guiding the Community Conversation

16:25 – What an authentically engaged chemistry classroom looks like

21:40 – Where should instructors begin making changes?

24:30 – Formative vs. summative assessment

26:50 – Free teaching resources and curriculum examples

30:50 – Why Vicente is excited about this year’s BCCE conversations
Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
35 min