Raise your glass, and your curiosity. In this Math! Science! History! Flashcard Friday, Gabrielle Birchak takes you into a haunted pub where chemistry and folklore share the same barstool. You'll uncover how distillation mirrors transformation, why vapor behaves like a ghost, and how the energy that fuels both whiskey and legend never truly disappears.

This is science told by firelight, a story of matter, energy, and the invisible bonds that tie us to everything that changes form.

Three Ponderable Things

1. How spirits are born: The chemistry of distillation, evaporation, condensation, and the poetic process of capturing a "spirit."
2. Why nothing truly disappears: The physics of latent heat and energy conservation that mirror our fascination with ghost stories.
3. How aroma tells a story: The role of volatile compounds that give whiskey its scent, and make chemistry feel almost supernatural.

Resources & References

• Hornsey, Ian S. A History of Beer and Brewing. Royal Society of Chemistry, 2003.
• Forbes, R. J. Short History of the Art of Distillation. Brill, 1970.
• Atkins, P. W., and Julio de Paula. Atkins' Physical Chemistry. Oxford University Press, 2018.
• Royal Society of Chemistry – The Chemistry of Distilling Spirits
• American Chemical Society – How Distillation Works

If this episode left you thinking differently about what lingers after a toast, follow Math! Science! History! wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with a friend who loves science, storytelling, or a good glass of whiskey.

For transcripts, references, and more stories that mix curiosity with chemistry, visit MathScienceHistory.com.

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