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PODCAST

Chemistry For Your Life

Melissa and Jam, Bleav

A podcast that helps you understand the fascinating chemistry hidden in your everyday life. Have you ever wondered why onions make you cry? Or how soap gets your hands clean? What really is margarine, or why do trees change colors in the fall? Melissa is a chemist, and to answer these questions she started a podcast, called Chemistry for your life! In each episode Melissa explains the chemistry behind one of life’s mysteries to Jam, who is definitely not a chemist, but she explains it in a way

science chemistry

All Episodes

00:44:52

Can leftovers be healthier than freshly cooked food?

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/10/01

Can cooking pasta, rice, or bread, and then cooling it down, actually make it healthier? Could yesterday’s leftovers affect your blood sugar differently than a freshly cooked meal, or is this just another nutrition “hack” invented by the internet? Melissa and Jam investigate starch, glucose, insulin, digestion, crystallization, and the surprising chemistry that happens while your food sits in the fridge. Plus, the whole thing somehow turns into a Lord of the Rings battle involving glucose, hobbits,

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00:25:39

Ask a Chemist: What is "natural gas?" (and other...

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/09/24

What’s actually flowing through the “natural gas” pipes connected to your home—and did we get something wrong in our air-conditioning series? Which careers can an organic chemistry student pursue, how do topical pain-relief gels work, and what could make a successful HIV medication suddenly stop working? Melissa and Jam answer listener questions, revisit past episodes, correct the record, and stumble into a genuinely fascinating pharmaceutical mystery. Plus, could more chemistry history and

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00:47:38

Is red light therapy real or a scam?

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/09/17

Can shining a red light on your face really improve acne, wrinkles, inflammation, or wound healing, or is red light therapy just an expensive skincare scam involving a slightly alarming mask? How could ordinary visible light affect cells beneath your skin, and should you trust the products filling your social media feed? Melissa and Jam investigate photobiomodulation, mitochondria, collagen, blue light, FDA clearance, and the research behind this increasingly popular wellness trend. The answer is

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00:24:00

What the heck is going on inside microwaves?

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/09/10

#007 RebroadcastMelissa finally explains to Jam how microwaves work after making him wait for an entire week. What the heck is going on inside microwaves? How does it do it's thing and make our food tasty? Is it magic? Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife Thanks to our monthly supporters Sara Hull Dog Day Dan Bri . Summer Alden Amanda

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01:14:21

Which chemistry lessons have stuck with us? (Happy...

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/09/03

What happens when a chemist and a non-chemist make a podcast together for seven years? Which chemistry lessons stuck, which episode ideas spectacularly refused to cooperate, and does Jam still count as a layperson after all this time? Joined by returning guest Claire, Melissa and Jam celebrate the seventh anniversary of Chemistry For Your Life with listener questions, behind-the-scenes stories, friendship reflections, favorite science facts, and one very large chemistry cookie cake. Come for the

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00:31:44

Can water air-condition your house?

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/08/27

What exactly is a swamp cooler, and why can it beat the heat in Arizona but leave you sweaty and betrayed in Houston? How can an air conditioner run on water, what does humidity have to do with its effectiveness, and could an icy new invention help prevent overloaded power grids? In the final installment of our air-conditioning series, Melissa and Jam explore evaporative cooling, ancient climate-control tricks, and some promising innovations for a hotter world. It turns out “It’s not the heat, it’s

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00:53:21

What’s the dark side of air conditioning?

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/08/20

Could a cheaper, more environmentally friendly refrigerant already exist, and could corporate lobbying be helping keep it out of American air conditioners? Why did the chemicals once hailed as safe alternatives become environmental villains, and are their replacements actually much better? Melissa and Jam follow the twisty history of Freon, ozone depletion, greenhouse gases, propane, and air-conditioning regulations to find out why choosing a refrigerant is never as simple as “this one works.” Grab

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00:46:18

Reddit Chemistry: Why do metals make...

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/08/13

What happens when a chemist ventures onto Reddit to answer the internet’s most pressing science questions? Why does carbon get its own entire branch of chemistry, what makes fireworks burn different colors, and can an invention work even when its inventor has no idea why? Melissa and Jam tackle those mysteries, plus laboratory disasters, stress recovery, wireless charging, and one surprisingly complicated “Am I the Jerk?” dilemma. It’s chemistry support for the internet, because Reddit clearly has

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00:38:50

How does your AC actually make cold air?

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/08/06

Is your air conditioner secretly doing chemistry while you’re inside pretending summer doesn’t exist? How does it turn hot air into cool air, and why does part of the AC blow out even more heat? In this episode, Melissa and Jam crack open the mysterious black box of air conditioning to explore refrigerants, phase changes, energy transfer, and the surprisingly clever science keeping your house livable. Plus: frozen AC coils, summer survival drinks, and the beginning of Hibiscus Girl Summer.Support

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00:31:09

Why do diet coke and mentos do that thing?

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/07/30

#044 RebroadcastYou know what we're talking about. That spectacular fizzy geyser. This week, Melissa and Jam explore what makes diet coke and mentos go crazy together. Is it love? Is it hate? Is it chemistry? Why diet coke specifically? Or more importantly, why mentos? Let's get into it. Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife References

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00:53:24

Why do people hate organic chemistry?

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/07/23

#135 RebroadcastWell guess what, Melissa is a PhD Doctor now! And you know what that means? She gets to tell us more details about the research she did to get her PhD. Listen to hear what Melissa found as she dove deep into the question "Why do people hate organic chemistry?" for the past few years. References from this episode National Research Council, (2012), Discipline-based education research: Understanding and improving learning in undergraduate science and engineering, The

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00:28:49

What if the system needs fixing instead of the...

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/07/20

What if the biggest challenge in chemistry education isn’t helping students survive—but helping them thrive? In this final bonus episode of our BCCE Community Conversation series, Melissa talks with Dr. Leyte Winfield about creating learning environments where students feel like they belong. They discuss moving beyond “weed-out” culture, designing courses that maintain high standards while expanding opportunity, and why the future of chemistry depends on empowering talented students rather than

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00:34:48

What’s really happening when our hair gets damaged?

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/07/16

#028 This week, Melissa and Jam travel even further down the rabbit hole of hair chemistry. How does our hair get damaged? How do we curl, straighten, and perm our hair? What's going on there at the molecular level? Let's find out! References from this episode Biochemistry, Edition 4 - Garret and Grisham Making waves: The chemistry of hair perms - Christine Herman, Chemistry & Engineering News How Did the 80s Get Hair So Big? - American Chemical Society The Chemistry of Hair - C. S

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00:30:58

What does neurodiversity mean for chemistry...

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/07/13

How do we build chemistry classrooms where more students can thrive? In this bonus BCCE Community Conversation preview, Melissa talks with Matt Mio about neurodiversity in chemistry education. They discuss why every student experiences learning differently, how understanding those differences can make us better teachers and colleagues, and why creating more accessible learning environments benefits far more people than we might expect. It’s a thoughtful conversation about curiosity, empathy, and

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01:01:58

What’s the chemistry behind hairspray?

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/07/09

Hairspray seems simple… until you actually stop and think about it. How does it come out as a fine mist? Why doesn’t it dry up inside the can? How can it hold your hair in place without acting like glue? This week we’re unpacking the surprisingly clever chemistry behind one of the most common products in our homes—and discovering it’s far more complicated than either of us expected. Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch

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00:33:07

How can chemistry teachers learn from each other?...

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/07/06

Great teaching doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens in community. In this bonus BCCE Community Conversation preview, Melissa talks with chemistry educator Dr. Joanne Stewart about communities of practice: groups of educators who come together to share ideas, solve problems, and help one another grow. They explore why teaching is hard to improve on your own, how these communities support both faculty and students, and why meaningful change in chemistry education depends on building relationships,

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00:35:50

Ask a Chemist: Is Silicone actually safe? (and other...

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/07/02

What happens when some listeners challenge one of our past episodes? This week we’re revisiting our silicone episodes after several listeners pointed us toward new research. Along the way we answer questions about mosquito wristbands, waterproof mascara, stubborn adhesives, and whether amino acids may have formed on the early Earth after all. It’s an Ask a Chemist episode full of updates, follow-ups, and a reminder that science is always a work in progress. Support this podcast on Patreon Buy

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00:34:30

How can we apply chemistry to real-world problems in...

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/06/29

What if chemistry classes were organized around real-world problems instead of chapters in a textbook?In this bonus BCCE Community Conversation preview, Melissa talks with Vicente Talanquer about helping students think like chemists rather than simply memorize chemistry. They explore why authentic, real-world problems can transform learning, how instructors can make meaningful changes without rewriting an entire course, and why teaching chemistry is about developing a way of thinking—not just

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00:54:42

How do forensic scientists find fingerprints?

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/06/25

There are a lot more ways to reveal a fingerprint than the black powder you see on TV.In this second part of our forensic chemistry series with Nicki Stewart, we explore the surprising chemistry behind fingerprints. From powders and iodine vapor to super glue fumes and chemical reactions, we break down how forensic scientists reveal invisible fingerprints—and why choosing the right method depends entirely on the surface, the chemistry, and the evidence they’re trying to preserve. Support this

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00:36:40

Are there new, improved ways to teach chemistry?...

Chemistry For Your Life ·

2026/06/22

What does it mean to teach chemistry like a scientist? In this BCCE Community Conversation preview, Melissa talks with chemistry education researcher Ellen Yezierski about scholarly teaching: making evidence-guided decisions about how we teach and how students learn. They discuss why content knowledge alone isn’t enough, how educators can improve their teaching without becoming full-time researchers, and why some of the best chemistry teaching ideas come from asking better questions about

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