Chemistry For Your Life

By Melissa and Jam, Bleav

A podcast that helps you understand the fascinating chemistry hidden in your everyday life.

Have you ever wondered why onions make you cry? Or how soap gets your hands clean? What really is margarine... more

4.7

283283 ratings

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about Chemistry For Your Life:

How many episodes does Chemistry For Your Life have?

The podcast currently has 342 episodes available.

Chemistry For Your Life episodes:

December 14, 2023Bonus: What's the chemistry of kombucha? (and other questions)
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 50
In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to your comments and questions about mosquitos, kombucha, coated cookware, and more!

Thanks to our monthly supporters
Ciara Linville

J0HNTR0Y

Jeannette Napoleon

Cullyn R

Erica Bee

Elizabeth P

Sarah Moar

Rachel Reina

Letila

Katrina Barnum-Huckins

Suzanne Phillips

Nelly Silva

Venus Rebholz

Lyn Stubblefield

Jacob Taber

Brian Kimball

Emerson Woodhall

Kristina Gotfredsen

Timothy Parker

Steven Boyles

Chris Skupien

Chelsea B

Bri McAllister

Avishai Barnoy

Hunter Reardon
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.
Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.
...more
40min
December 07, 2023What even is MSG? Is it bad for you?
#175

MSG! The ingredient many of us reference but few of us know anything about. What is it? Why does it make things taste so good? What's in it? Is it bad for us? If not, why does everyone think it is?
References from this Episode
https://youtu.be/VJw8r_YWJ9k

https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/08/25/msg/

https://www.nature.com/articles/1602526

https://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/glutamate/3005790.article

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/enterocyte

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10942912.2017.1295260
We want to give a special thanks to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for some episodes! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!
Thanks to our monthly supporters
Ciara Linville

J0HNTR0Y

Jeannette Napoleon

Cullyn R

Erica Bee

Elizabeth P

Sarah Moar

Rachel Reina

Letila

Katrina Barnum-Huckins

Suzanne Phillips

Nelly Silva

Venus Rebholz

Lyn Stubblefield

Jacob Taber

Brian Kimball

Emerson Woodhall

Kristina Gotfredsen

Timothy Parker

Steven Boyles

Chris Skupien

Chelsea B

Bri McAllister

Avishai Barnoy

Hunter Reardon
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.
Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.
...more
48min
November 30, 2023Why do onions make you cry?
#016 Rebroadcast
This week Melissa and Jam explore the chemistry of onion tears, the emotional reaction we all have, against our will, when cutting onions. Grab some tissues, this one's gonna burn.
References from this episode
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf60174a009

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acschembio.7b00336

https://www.nature.com/articles/419685a

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/science/onions-crying-chemicals.html

http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/pso/psov.htm

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170620122950.htm

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/scicurious-brain/ignobels-2013-the-tearless-onion/
Thanks to our monthly supporters
Ciara Linville

J0HNTR0Y

Jeannette Napoleon

Cullyn R

Erica Bee

Elizabeth P

Sarah Moar

Rachel Reina

Letila

Katrina Barnum-Huckins

Suzanne Phillips

Nelly Silva

Venus Rebholz

Lyn Stubblefield

Jacob Taber

Brian Kimball

Emerson Woodhall

Kristina Gotfredsen

Timothy Parker

Steven Boyles

Chris Skupien

Chelsea B

Bri McAllister

Avishai Barnoy

Hunter Reardon
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.
Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.
...more
35min
November 23, 2023Why does(n't) turkey make you sleepy?
#174

For many folks in the US, today is a day where we eat Turkey! And many times the factoid/rumor makes the rounds that eating turkey makes you sleepy... but does it? Let's get into it, and fair warning, it's not as simple as you think.
References from this Episode
Biochemistry, 4th edition, by Garrett & Grisham,

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-does-turkey-make-you-sleepy/

https://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/tryptophan/4010774.article
We want to give a special thanks to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for some episodes! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!
Thanks to our monthly supporters
Ciara Linville

J0HNTR0Y

Jeannette Napoleon

Cullyn R

Erica Bee

Elizabeth P

Sarah Moar

Rachel Reina

Letila

Katrina Barnum-Huckins

Suzanne Phillips

Nelly Silva

Venus Rebholz

Lyn Stubblefield

Jacob Taber

Brian Kimball

Emerson Woodhall

Kristina Gotfredsen

Timothy Parker

Steven Boyles

Chris Skupien

Chelsea B

Bri McAllister

Avishai Barnoy

Hunter Reardon
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.
Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.
...more
40min
November 16, 2023Bonus: Acronyms and Mom Memories (chemmunity style)
Bonus Episode: Chemmunity Style
For this month's bonus episode we don't have questions, so we're recording an episode in the style of our secret supporter-only podcast. Check it out and enjoy an extra episode.

Thanks to our monthly supporters
Ciara Linville

J0HNTR0Y

Jeannette Napoleon

Cullyn R

Erica Bee

Elizabeth P

Sarah Moar

Rachel Reina

Letila

Katrina Barnum-Huckins

Suzanne Phillips

Nelly Silva

Venus Rebholz

Lyn Stubblefield

Jacob Taber

Brian Kimball

Emerson Woodhall

Kristina Gotfredsen

Timothy Parker

Steven Boyles

Chris Skupien

Chelsea B

Bri McAllister

Avishai Barnoy

Hunter Reardon
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.
Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.
...more
27min
November 09, 2023Why do we stir things to dissolve them?
#173

What is freeze-drying? How can something be both frozen and dried? How does it differ from just freezing, or just drying? And is it just for astronauts? Let's get into it!
References from this Episode
https://www.acs.org/middleschoolchemistry/lessonplans/chapter5/lesson6.html#:~:text=The%20added%20energy%20in%20the%2Csucrose%20molecules%20to%20vibrate%20faster.
We want to give a special thanks to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for some episodes! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!
Thanks to our monthly supporters
Ciara Linville

J0HNTR0Y

Jeannette Napoleon

Cullyn R

Erica Bee

Elizabeth P

Sarah Moar

Rachel Reina

Letila

Katrina Barnum-Huckins

Suzanne Phillips

Nelly Silva

Venus Rebholz

Lyn Stubblefield

Jacob Taber

Brian Kimball

Emerson Woodhall

Kristina Gotfredsen

Timothy Parker

Steven Boyles

Chris Skupien

Chelsea B

Bri McAllister

Avishai Barnoy

Hunter Reardon
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.
Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.
...more
44min
November 02, 2023Why does water form droplets?
#020 Rebroadcast
This week Melissa and Jam explore the chemistry of water and intermolecular forces. Why does it form into droplets? Why can you fill a glass of water just above the rim and it not spill over? How are some things water proof or water resistant?
References from this episode
General Chemistry: Principles, Patterns, and Applications - Saylor foundation

Chemistry, Edition 2 - Flowers, Theopold, Langley, Robinson

Lotus Leaf Inspires Waterproofing Scheme, Scientific American - Laura Wright

Melissa's Previous Knowledge

Thanks to our monthly supporters
Ciara Linville

J0HNTR0Y

Jeannette Napoleon

Cullyn R

Erica Bee

Elizabeth P

Sarah Moar

Rachel Reina

Letila

Katrina Barnum-Huckins

Suzanne Phillips

Nelly Silva

Venus Rebholz

Lyn Stubblefield

Jacob Taber

Brian Kimball

Emerson Woodhall

Kristina Gotfredsen

Timothy Parker

Steven Boyles

Chris Skupien

Chelsea B

Bri McAllister

Avishai Barnoy

Hunter Reardon
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.
Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.
...more
34min
October 26, 2023What is freeze drying?
#172

What is freeze-drying? How can something be both frozen and dried? How does it differ from just freezing, or just drying? And is it just for astronauts? Let's get into it!
References from this Episode
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.5b05841

https://cen.acs.org/articles/86/i39/Instant-Coffee.html

https://www.rsc.org/publishing/journals/prospect/ontology.asp?id=CMO:0001553&MSID=b501961c

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7603155/#:~:text=Freeze%2Ddrying%2C%20also%20known%20as,high%20quality%20food%20and%20pharmaceuticals.
We want to give a special thanks to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for some episodes! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!
Thanks to our monthly supporters
Ciara Linville

J0HNTR0Y

Jeannette Napoleon

Cullyn R

Erica Bee

Elizabeth P

Sarah Moar

Rachel Reina

Letila

Katrina Barnum-Huckins

Suzanne Phillips

Nelly Silva

Venus Rebholz

Lyn Stubblefield

Jacob Taber

Brian Kimball

Emerson Woodhall

Kristina Gotfredsen

Timothy Parker

Steven Boyles

Chris Skupien

Chelsea B

Bri McAllister

Avishai Barnoy

Hunter Reardon
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.
Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.
...more
28min
October 19, 2023Bonus: Can geckos stick to teflon? (And other questions about PFAS)
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 49
In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to your comments and questions all about PFAS aka Forever Chemicals!
References
https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/hazardous/docs/pfas/pfasgardproduce.pdf

https://www.acs.org/education/outreach/celebrating-chemistry-editions/2020-ncw/gecko.html#:~:text=The%20non%2Dstick%20coating%20used,the%20spatulae%20of%20a%20gecko.

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/19/1150023002/thinx-period-underwear-lawsuit-settlement

https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/hazardous/docs/pfas/pfasgardproduce.pdf
Thanks to our monthly supporters
Ciara Linville

J0HNTR0Y

Jeannette Napoleon

Cullyn R

Erica Bee

Elizabeth P

Sarah Moar

Rachel Reina

Letila

Katrina Barnum-Huckins

Suzanne Phillips

Nelly Silva

Venus Rebholz

Lyn Stubblefield

Jacob Taber

Brian Kimball

Emerson Woodhall

Kristina Gotfredsen

Timothy Parker

Steven Boyles

Chris Skupien

Chelsea B

Bri McAllister

Avishai Barnoy

Hunter Reardon
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.
Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.
...more
25min
October 12, 2023Are learning styles real?
#171

What ways do you like to learn? Have you ever thought that you're more of a visual learner? Or what about an auditory learner? Why do you think that? What if we told you that whatever way you prefer to learn, might not actually make a notable difference in your learning. It's a touchy topic with some spicy science. Let's get into it!
References from this Episode
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x

https://career.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra2771/f/Article%20UCSF%20SEJC%20January%202017.pdf

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00424

http://www.vark-learn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Educational-Developments.pdf

https://youtu.be/rhgwIhB58PA

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24823519/
We want to give a special thanks to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for some episodes! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!
Thanks to our monthly supporters
Ciara Linville

J0HNTR0Y

Jeannette Napoleon

Cullyn R

Erica Bee

Elizabeth P

Sarah Moar

Rachel Reina

Letila

Katrina Barnum-Huckins

Suzanne Phillips

Nelly Silva

Venus Rebholz

Lyn Stubblefield

Jacob Taber

Brian Kimball

Emerson Woodhall

Kristina Gotfredsen

Timothy Parker

Steven Boyles

Chris Skupien

Chelsea B

Bri McAllister

Avishai Barnoy

Hunter Reardon
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com
Watch our episodes on YouTube
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.
Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.
...more
1h 1min

FAQs about Chemistry For Your Life:

How many episodes does Chemistry For Your Life have?

The podcast currently has 342 episodes available.

More shows like Chemistry For Your Life

Big Picture Science by Big Picture Science

Big Picture Science

931 Listeners

The Science of Everything Podcast by James Fodor

The Science of Everything Podcast

619 Listeners

Universe Today Podcast by Fraser Cain

Universe Today Podcast

533 Listeners

Ask a Spaceman! by Paul M. Sutter

Ask a Spaceman!

802 Listeners

Quanta Science Podcast by Quanta Magazine

Quanta Science Podcast

449 Listeners

Science Vs by Spotify Studios

Science Vs

11,890 Listeners

SpaceTime: Your Guide to Space & Astronomy by Stuart Gary

SpaceTime: Your Guide to Space & Astronomy

312 Listeners

Ologies with Alie Ward by Alie Ward

Ologies with Alie Ward

23,381 Listeners

The Episodic Table of Elements by T. R. Appleton

The Episodic Table of Elements

293 Listeners

Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe by iHeartPodcasts

Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

2,278 Listeners

SciShow Tangents by Complexly

SciShow Tangents

1,502 Listeners

The Supermassive Podcast by The Royal Astronomical Society

The Supermassive Podcast

284 Listeners

Unexplainable by Vox

Unexplainable

2,139 Listeners

The Joy of Why by Steven Strogatz, Janna Levin and Quanta Magazine

The Joy of Why

458 Listeners

Crash Course Pods: The Universe by Crash Course Pods, Complexly

Crash Course Pods: The Universe

293 Listeners