When Science Makes History

So, what does the bark of the willow tree have to do with Hippocrates and World War II? What do wart remover and vinegar have in common? Or, what does a ubiquitous little white tablet produced by a pharmaceutical giant called Bayer and Heroin have to do with each other? Give this episode a listen to find the answer to these questions and more on When Science Makes History.

Photo Credits: Dan Smedley on Unsplash.

What do nutmeg and the island of Manhattan have in common, or how did the Hudson river acquire its name?  How did nutmeg essentially frame the geographical map we recognize today? Listen to this episode to discover how the quest for spices fueled the Age of Discovery and how aromatic hydrocarbons helped science make history. 

Photo by Ian Yeo on Unsplash

In this episode, we pick up where we left off in our previous episode on ethanol. The ubiquitous liquid that has shaped so much of history from its humble discovery to the driving force behind today's multimillion-dollar stock car racing industry.  So, what do Henry Ford and Hitler share in common? What is a whiskey-tripper and a revenuer, and what do brandy, booze, and bootleggers have in common? Find out the answers to these and more in this episode of When Science Makes History. 

Photo credit: Andrew Roberts

What do Babylonians, breakfast cereal, and booze have to do with NASCAR? What makes a substance an alcohol? What is an alcohol and how many are there? Find the answer to some of these questions and more in this episode. This episode is part one of two parts on ethanol - the ubiquitous liquid produced in the billions of gallons for everything from human consumption, hand sanitizer, cleaning solvents, and racing fuels. 

Photo by Charl Folscher on Unsplash

Most of us today do not fear polio due to a vaccine developed by Jonas Salk, yet truth be told, the vaccine was produced in large part due to a poor black woman who lived along the Mason Dixon line and died of cancer in 1951. So, what do Johns Hopkins University, Clover Virginia, a tobacco farmer's daughter, and polio have to do with each other? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this episode entitled, Immortal Cells, on When Science Makes History. 

Photo Credit: National Cancer Institute via Uplash

In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue, but it wasn't just a little gold he brought back to the European continent. He introduced Europe to history's most admired vegetable. This vegetable, in the same family as tomatoes and potatoes, carries an addictive plant alkaloid named after Jean Nicot de Villemain and was widely touted for its health benefits. Listen to this episode on the most admired vegetable that brings together Columbus, Cuba, Connecticut, and the cultivars Virginia, Burley, and Oriental.

Photo by Tim Stief on Unsplash

What do salaries, salads, salami, and taxes have to do with each other? Why were Roman soldiers paid in salt? What do Kikkoman soy sauce and Tabasco hot sauce in common?  The answer is ... well, salt.  Listen to find out how all of these science tidbits played out in history. 

July 4th in America, New Year's Eve around the world, and November 5th in England are just a few of the times we see countless fireworks detonated in celebratory fashion.  These all make use of the wonderous fire drug of Chinese invention known as gunpowder. This amazing compound has shaped history from three simple, humble, and occasionally repulsive components. Listen in to learn how gunpowder, the DuPont family, and Guy Fawkes all helped shape the course of history by the use of a nitrate-based compound. 

While his namesake lives on in Listerine mouthwash, Joseph Lister didn't set out in life to provide the world with an antiseptic mouthwash.  However, what he did provide is antiseptic all the same and has saved countless lives. How did a Scottish surgeon revolutionize medical practice, save lives, aid in the development of the Band-Aid, and all-in-all give us common sense, life-saving, wound care? Find out in this episode of When Science Makes History. 

Tsutomu Yamaguchi experienced firsthand the Hiroshima blast and in an effort to get back to his hometown traveled into the path of the Nagasaki blast.  He is one of only a few who experienced and survived both nuclear blasts. How does one survive not just one but two nuclear blasts? What effect did this have on his life and the lives of those around him? Find out in this episode of "When Science Makes History".

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