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PODCAST

Orbitals

The American Chemical Society

From antibiotic resistance to Roaring Twenties poisonings to body farms, you can find chemistry—and a good story—anywhere. Every month writer and host, Sam Jones, PhD, takes on a chemistry tale you didn"t know you needed to know.

science chemistry

All Episodes

04:35

A Bittersweet Farewell and Enthusiastic Hello: A New...

Orbitals ·

2021/12/30

We have some bittersweet news: Orbitals is coming to a close. BUT there’s a new science podcast headed your way in 2022! It’s called Tiny Matters, and it's a show about things small in size but big in impact. Every other Wednesday, hosts Sam Jones and Deboki Chakravarti uncover the little stuff that makes the big stuff possible, answering questions like, “how does our brain form memories?” and “why haven’t we terraformed Mars yet?" The first full episode drops on Wednesday, January 26, 2022. Check

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11:49

🧪 Solutions 112 | The Sweet Chemistry of Vanilla...

Orbitals ·

2021/12/29

If there’s one flavor you can always count on, it’s vanilla. Sweet, creamy, and nostalgic, it comes from a creeping orchid vine. But with increased demand, scientists are finding new ways to make it, including starting from an unexpected plant…rice! Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Procter & Gamble, PPG, Royal DSM, SABIC, Solvay, and W. L. Gore & Associates, none of whom influenced any editorial

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14:52

🧪 Solutions 111 | A Walk Among the Sponges

Orbitals ·

2021/12/02

Think the science behind sponges must be boring? You’re so, so wrong. Shrink down to the microscopic level with us and take a walk among sponges designed to keep bacteria alive, clean with just water, and literally cut through your holiday cleaning. Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Procter & Gamble, PPG, Royal DSM, SABIC, Solvay, and W. L. Gore & Associates, none of whom influenced any editorial

en

14:57

Bacteria are cleaning up our toxic waste | Orbitals 410

Orbitals ·

2021/11/11

Bacteria often get a bad rap, which is fair—they are responsible for diseases like strep throat, pneumonia, and tuberculosis, and antibiotic resistance is a legitimate threat to humanity's existence. But some bacteria might actually save lives by cleaning up things like massive oil spills and radioactive waste. Featuring Dr. Cara Santelli.

en

16:21

🧪 Solutions 110 | What your raincoat and a hydrogen...

Orbitals ·

2021/10/28

Polymer membranes make everything from rain jackets to medical devices. But they’re also integral parts of hydrogen fuel cells, powering cars that give off nothing but water vapor. How do fuel cells work, and why aren’t you driving one yet? Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Procter & Gamble, PPG, Royal DSM, SABIC, Solvay, and W. L. Gore & Associates, none of whom influenced any editorial decisions.

en

12:52

The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 | Orbitals 409

Orbitals ·

2021/10/14

When you hear the word “molasses” you probably imagine super slow-moving, brown-colored sweet stuff that you add to a cookie recipe. And that is what molasses usually looks like, but under certain conditions and in large enough quantities, molasses can be dangerous. Just over a century ago, the North End of Boston learned just *how* dangerous. Featuring Alex Dainis, PhD and Nicole Sharp, PhD

en

14:16

🧪 Solutions 109 | No 5G Without Chemistry

Orbitals ·

2021/09/30

5G is coming… but can your phone handle it? Surprisingly, a lot of that comes down to the chemistry inside! Let’s crack open your phone to figure out how chemistry is making it smaller, faster, and a little more sticky! Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Procter & Gamble, PPG, Royal DSM, SABIC, Solvay, and W. L. Gore & Associates, none of whom influenced any editorial decisions.

en

17:20

Sweat: The Taboo Fluid That Keeps Us Alive | Orbitals...

Orbitals ·

2021/09/16

Sweat is this thing that many of us seem to loathe, but also pay a lot of money to do while being yelled at by professionals. So what is sweat? And why do we do it? And why are we often so embarrassed by it? This episode features writer Sarah Everts, who recently wrote a book called The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration.

en

14:17

🧪 Solutions 108 | Antiviral Fabric: From Less-Smelly...

Orbitals ·

2021/08/26

A team of researchers making workout gear that never stinks realized that their invention could actually have a bigger impact fighting a global pandemic. It all starts with a high-performance fabric found in your closet and a common mineral in your breakfast cereal. Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Procter & Gamble, PPG, Royal DSM, SABIC, Solvay, and W. L. Gore & Associates, none of whom influenced any

en

15:42

It's Raining PLASTIC?! | Orbitals 407

Orbitals ·

2021/08/12

In 2020, researchers discovered that more than 1,000 tons of plastic—that’s over 100 million plastic water bottles worth—rains down on National Parks and wilderness in the western U.S. every year. How is that possible? This week's episode features microplastics researcher Imari Walker. Check out her YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoiqwAaGW6-xANs3XOCO_Pg

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16:15

🧪 Solutions 107 | How Wood is Making Sunscreen More...

Orbitals ·

2021/07/29

Many of us slather sunscreen on in the summer to keep sunburns at bay. But new materials can improve sunscreens without adding more of the sticky, greasy compounds we all hate. The surprising origin of those new ingredients? Wood! Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Procter & Gamble, PPG, Royal DSM, SABIC, Solvay, and W. L. Gore & Associates, none of whom influenced any editorial decisions.

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18:02

The Icepick Surgeon | Orbitals 406

Orbitals ·

2021/07/15

Sam Kean's latest book, The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science, dropped earlier this week. It’s about when knowledge becomes everything—the only thing. At whatever the cost. You'll hear about what made Sam want to write the book, and about a couple of the characters within its pages. You can find the book here: https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/sam-kean/the-icepick-surgeon/9781549102929/

en

15:08

🧪 Solutions 106 | Fermenting Pheromones and Phytases

Orbitals ·

2021/06/25

How do you keep moths from munching on apples? By confusing them with a field full of mating pheromones brewed in a lab. The same fermentation strategy can also make enzymes to help chickens digest their feed and keep their farmyards a little less… sticky. Today we’ll talk about the biochemistry that helps food make it from the field to your fridge without getting eaten first! Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow,

en

20:02

Pretzel Perfume, Egg Foam, and the Number of Bubbles...

Orbitals ·

2021/06/11

A lot has happened in the last year (understatement of the millennium), so we wanted to bring our listeners something a bit sillier than usual. In this episode we’re talking food and drink chemistry—just fun bits of trivia that you can take with you as you venture back out to bars and restaurants this summer. Sam's joined by Orbitals executive producer George Zaidan (as promised in the episode, you can see his hot pepper struggle here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R98O29Fs7s) Featuring Matt

en

17:37

🧪 Solutions 105 | The New Molecules Making Vaccines...

Orbitals ·

2021/05/27

Vaccines help our immune system to learn to recognize invading pathogens before we ever get infected. But some vaccines include molecules that act like an extra alarm system, alerting our immune cells to pay attention! These molecules are called adjuvants, and scientists are working on creating new ones that could help create vaccines against pandemics that haven’t even happened yet! Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF,

en

14:56

Why Are Doctors Still Prescribing Opioids? | Orbitals...

Orbitals ·

2021/05/13

Over half a million people in the US have died from an opioid overdose over the last 20 years, and a lot of the time they were prescribed those opioids by a doctor. So what makes these drugs so dangerous? And if we know they can be this dangerous, why are they still prescribed? This month’s episode is about opioids—their history, their use, and the research that might help us emerge from this epidemic. Featuring opioid researcher Kelly Dunn, PhD

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16:29

🧪 Solutions 104 | How Omega-3s from Algae Could Help...

Orbitals ·

2021/04/29

In this episode of Solutions, we’re going to travel from mangrove coasts to outer space, to the middle of Nebraska, and even to Norway to answer the question of how microscopic algae could help save our oceans from overfishing by making literal tonnes of omega-3 fatty acids. Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Procter & Gamble, PPG, Royal DSM, SABIC, Solvay, and W. L. Gore & Associates, none of whom

en

17:45

Combating The Climate Crisis: From Blackout Curtains...

Orbitals ·

2021/04/19

April 22nd is Earth Day, so this month’s episode is all about our warming planet--what the data are telling us about our planet's future, how scientists are working to find solutions to deal with it, and how you the listener can actually make a difference.

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18:50

🧪 Solutions 103 | Boats Floating on Air and Solar...

Orbitals ·

2021/03/24

We humans are pretty smart, but sometimes our best solutions to big problems are inspired by nature! We’re talking to scientists about how deep-sea diatoms can inspire more efficient solar panels and how tiny marine plants can lead to boats that float on air… literally. Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Procter & Gamble, PPG, Royal DSM, SABIC, Solvay, and W. L. Gore & Associates, none of whom influenced any

en

15:21

Does Life Exist Beyond Earth? How Would We Know? |...

Orbitals ·

2021/03/11

In today’s episode, we’re talking about life. What it is, how it started here on Earth, and how we’re trying to find it in other parts of the universe. Featuring NASA astrobiologist Dr. Jason Dworkin and MIT astrophysicist Dr. Sara Seager.

en

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