Reactions

Throughout the history of science, many major discoveries came accidentally. Sometimes they came from recognizing potential in an unexpected product or waste. Other times, discovery came out of pure desperation from a seemingly dead-end experiment. Here are some of those happy accidents that ended up changing the world.

As Carl Sagan famously said, “We are made of star stuff.” Whoa. It’s a mind-boggling thought, but what exactly did he mean? Nov. 9th is Sagan’s birthday. To celebrate, Reactions teamed up with the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT) and best-selling author Sam Kean to explain the chemistry behind this iconic quote. Watch the video to find out how many of the elements that make up you (and everything else) were forged in the nuclear cores of stars billions of years ago. Join AACT here: http://www.teachchemistry.org. Get Sam’s book the Disappearing Spoon here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Disappearing-Spoon-Periodic-Elements/dp/0316051632.

It's a spooky question, but it doesn't have to be: what happens to your body when you die? Even after you depart, there's a lot of chemistry that still goes on inside you. We teamed up with mortician and author Caitlin Doughty (@thegooddeath) to demystify death and talk about what happens postmortem. Check out Caitlin's awesome new book "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" here: http://bit.ly/Ootgdacs.

Ever wonder why your favorite sweets taste, well, sweet? Whether they’re made with sugar or artificial sweeteners, it all comes down to chemistry, and a very special shape known as the "sweetness triangle". Let Darcy Gentleman, who has a Ph.D. in chemistry and snappy dressing take you through the science of sweetness.

Special thanks to Professor Matt Hartings of American University for his help with this episode.

Whether it’s a plain cheese, a deep-dish stacked with meats or a thin-crust veggie delight, there’s just something about pizza that makes it delicious. There’s a lot of chemistry that goes into everything from dough to sauce to toppings to, of course, cheese. There’s also a very specific chemical reaction at work on every single slice, no matter what toppings you choose. It's called the Maillard Reaction, and it's what causes the browning of the dough and toppings, as well as the release of some delicious compounds.

It’s happened to many of us: Half asleep in the morning, you finish brushing your teeth and reach for your daily glass of orange juice. After taking a big swig, you spit it back out, making a face like you’ve just chewed on a lemon. Turns out, a specific chemical in your toothpaste is responsible for that nasty taste. This week, Reactions explains why toothpaste and orange juice don’t mix.

There’s nothing worse than reaching for a cold beer, taking that first sip and realizing your beer’s been skunked. Skunking is a chemical reaction that causes an awful, bitter taste. This week, Reactions explains why beers get skunky, and what you can do to keep your brews from going bad. Quick answer: it's all about light. Keep your beer in the dark, you won't have to worry about skunking.

It’s the first day of autumn and the telltale signs are here: Crisp weather, pumpkin spice lattes and most importantly, the leaves are changing colors. Ever wonder why some leaves turn red, others yellow and some just turn brown?

The iPhone 6 is almost here and the preorders are piling up. But what do you really know about the insides of the iPhone 6, or any smartphone for that matter? We've found the chemical elements lurking inside a smartphone with help from our friends at the Compound Interest blog.

A typical smartphone contains about 300 milligrams of silver and 30 milligrams of gold. Not to mention small amounts of extremely rare elements like praseodymium, gadolinium and terbium. And what's with this "ion-strengthened glass" that Apple is bragging about? It's all about the potassium bath your phone takes before it rolls off the assembly line.

Chemistry Life Hacks is back with new tips that can change your life, or at least the temperature of your beer. In this episode, you'll learn how to cool your brews quickly before the big game starts, get fruit flies out of your kitchen for good, how to cook the perfect patty on the grill and get a remedy for the dreaded "stinky sponge syndrome."