In this episode, we dive into the murky, high‑stakes world of deep-sea mining — the practice of extracting valuable metals from the ocean floor. Deep-sea mining has been “just around the corner” for decades. So what’s the holdup? With the help of deep-sea ecologist Andrew Thaler and oceanography researcher Michael Dowd, we discuss what makes the deep ocean such a challenging place to operate, and unpack why polymetallic nodules have drawn so much interest, and why removing them could permanently alter ecosystems we barely understand. The episode also looks ahead, asking whether deep-sea mining is even necessary and what it could mean not just for Earth’s oceans, but for future resource extraction in places like Antarctica and the Moon. It’s a story about science, but also Victorian research ships, CIA cover stories, “shark potatoes,” and vast, untouched ecosystems. 

Check out Dreaming Against the Machine here or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!

All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we trace the history of Turner Syndrome — from early clinical observations to the discovery of its chromosomal cause — highlighting how scientists began connecting symptoms to genetics long before DNA was fully understood. Then we follow up on a listener note about lab safety by explaining, at a molecular level, why dimethylmercury and prions are so dangerous to the human body. Ending on something more hopeful, we explore new research showing how engineered yeast could help give honey bees the nutrients they need to thrive. Team bees!

Check out American Medieval here or wherever you listen to podcasts!

We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to [email protected] *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the heart of The Hague, Netherlands, the museum Mauritshuis displays some of the world’s most iconic art in its Royal Cabinet of Paintings, including ones from Rembrandt and Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. But there’s another oil painting by Vermeer that is also quite famous, called View of Delft — it's of his hometown, created around 1660.

The painting is a cityscape — the only one Vermeer ever painted — a snapshot of the Dutch city of Delft from across the Schie River. In it you see the city’s beautiful architecture on full display, including buildings with striking red roofs. Well, at least they used to be red. Today they have a pink-ish hue and if you looked at the painting up close, you’d see that they are covered in white spots. And what may come as a surprise is that they are, in fact, soap. In today’s episode of Tiny Matters, we’re going to talk about the weird chemistry of soap, what ancient soap was like, and why scientists are finding soap in old oil paintings.

Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!

All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we explore the strange world of camelid antibodies—tiny, heavy-chain-only immune molecules that turned out to be incredibly useful for research and medicine. Then we chat about archaeochemistry and how pristine white Greco-Roman statues were once "garishly" painted. Using modern chemical techniques, scientists are revealing traces of vivid pigments like Egyptian blue. But how definitive are these reconstructions? Drama!

Check out Wow if True here or wherever you listen to podcasts!

We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to [email protected] *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fertilizer… boring? Not on our watch! In this episode of Tiny Matters, we trace the history of fertilizer from the ‘Guano Wars’ to the invention of the Haber-Bosch process, one of the most impactful chemical breakthroughs in human history. Today, scientists and communities are rethinking how we handle nutrients, and asking: could our own urine help close the nutrient loop? We chat with chemist Leila Duman about why nitrogen is so hard to “fix,” how industrial fertilizer feeds billions (while unfortunately polluting waterways), and why the Haber-Bosch process is still essentially perfect. Then we head to Vermont’s Rich Earth Institute, where researchers are turning human urine into safe, effective fertilizer and reimagining waste as a resource.

Check out Pale Blue pod!

Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!

All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we explore a listener's experience with peanut allergy immunotherapy — what it is, how the therapy works, and the odd and fascinating history of allergy treatments, including a 19th‑century scientist who shoved grass pollen up his own nose. Then we chat about “reef balls” made of oyster shells and concrete. These mini artificial reefs are being used to restore marine habitats and, in some cases, also hold cremated remains.

Check out Simple and Clean here or wherever you listen to podcasts!

We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to [email protected] *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this special crossover episode, Tiny Matters welcomes Alexis Pedrick, host of Distillations from the Science History Institute. You’ll hear the Distillations episode “The Mothers of Gynecology” — a powerful investigation into the racist origins of gynecology and the ongoing maternal health care crisis that disproportionately affects Black mothers. Through interviews with historians, clinicians, midwives, doulas, and public health researchers, the episode traces how racist myths about Black bodies — especially beliefs about pain tolerance — continue to shape medical care and outcomes. Following the episode, we unpack some of what you’ll hear, from the horrific exploitation of enslaved women by J. Marion Sims, to modern-day disparities that affect even the wealthiest, most famous Black mothers, including Beyoncé and Serena Williams.

Check out Spirits here or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!

All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.