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.