In this podcast, Mark and Jack discuss the great American chemist, Linus Pauling. With an emphasis on his life and work, listeners will catch a glimpse as to what it takes to be a successful scientist as well as gain an understanding concerning one of the fundamental "big ideas" in chemistry -- chemical bonding. Spanning 7 decades, Pauling's prolific career had impacts both scientifically and socially. Learn why Linus Pauling has the historical distinction of being the only person to ever win two unshared Nobel Prizes: one for chemistry and one for peace.

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In this podcast, Jack and Mark review the concept of inertia and it's modern conceptual introduction by German scientist, Johannes Kepler. Kepler's life was a fascinating blend of interests, including astronomy, mathematics, and astrology. Learn about the overlap between the ordinary, everyday use of the concept of inertia (particularly in a very famous movie released in 1999) and the specific way it is defined in science. Along the way, you will also hear about the ideas Aristotle, Galileo, and Newton.

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In this podcast, Mark and Jack share stories about the "hard-luck" Swedish chemist, Carl Scheele. Not given the accolades of scientists like Antoine Lavoisier and Joseph Priestly (the two scientists generally given credit for the discovery of oxygen) Scheele's contributions can be shown to be perhaps even more significant in the discovery of this life-giving element. Discussions concerning the role of oxygen in burning add to the story told so that listeners will come away with a good understanding of the chemical process called combustion. 

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In this podcast, Jack and Mark discuss the scientific meaning of the term "energy". Although it is a commonly used concept in everyday language today, its clear definition in physics took many years to develop and was associated with the work of a large number of scientists. However, the contributions of James Joule stand out as an example of how science makes progress even though there are formidable obstacles in the way. We owe our understanding of the relationship between motion and heat to the amazing insights and hard work of this nineteenth century British scientist.

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In this podcast Mark and Jack have a conversation about the Dutch chemist Jakobus van't Hoff. His contributions toward a swath of foundational chemical principles is so noteworthy that it should be of no surprise that he received the very first Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1901. Listeners to the podcast will learn about his efforts in both the organic and inorganic chemical fields. In organic chemistry, he pioneered the branch now called stereochemistry. In inorganic chemistry, he developed significant theories shedding light on the properties of solutions. Although his name may not be as familiar as other famous scientists, his influence compares to any.

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In this podcast, Jack and Mark discuss the contributions that Benjamin Franklin made to our understanding of lightning as a discharge of static electricity. While seemingly obvious to contemporary students, the scientific insights that Franklin provided in the mid-1700's are lasting testaments to the power of creativity, ingenuity, and the importance of community service. Franklin is arguably the best example in American history of the social benefits of a single curious mind.

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In this "explosive" podcast, Mark and Jack discuss nitroglycerin and the man responsible for inventing dynamite, Alfred Nobel. Listeners will get a bang out of learning what differentiates high explosives from low explosives and how these molecules "do what they do" from a chemical and physical perspective. So sit back and have a blast listening about why Nobel founded the prestigious international prizes that bear his name.

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In this podcast, Jack and Mark discuss the idea that unbalanced forces in the nucleus of an atom cause radioactivity, a phenomena first explored by the great Polish scientist, Marie Curie. Her life was a testament to the value of persistence and hard work. She not only had to spend countless days manually refining uranium ore, but also dealing with the systemic sexism of the scientific community in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Unfortunately, that marginalization still exists today...but hopefully to a lesser extent, due, in part, to the accomplishments of Marie Curie and her daughter, Irene.

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