Tiny Matters

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.

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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.

Chain Reaction is a new podcast from the American Chemical Society that links chemistry’s past to its future, revealing how this ever‑evolving science shapes the world around us, from the materials we use every day to the environment that we depend on. Each episode brings fresh perspectives and personal stories from chemists, engineers, and other scientists, as well as historians who guide us through pivotal moments in chemistry’s history. Together, we’ll uncover chemistry’s surprising connections, explore its interdisciplinary impact, and see how past discoveries set off the breakthroughs of today and the future. 

Whether you’re a student, an experienced scientist, or simply curious, Chain Reaction will show you how chemistry fits into the bigger picture — and why it matters now more than ever. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! acs.org/chainreaction

Exec producer: Sam Jones

Producer: Margot Wohl

Researcher: Bec Roldan

Production support: Michael David and Matthew Radcliff

Cover art: Joe Butera

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In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we go from nerdy house-party physics to the brutal realities of morning sickness (can you say range!). First, we unpack what 5D data storage is and debate what we’d personally toss into the “Memory of Mankind” salt mine in Austria. Then we tackle a listener’s question about whether science has any updates on what causes severe morning sickness. 

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.