Melissa and Jam explore the science behind shooting stars, unraveling the chemistry that turns space rocks into brilliant streaks of light in our night sky. They discuss how meteors heat up and glow as they enter Earth’s atmosphere, the difference between meteors, meteoroids, and meteorites, and share fun facts about colorful meteors and the surprising role of amino acids from space. The episode is filled with personal stories, space trivia, and thoughtful tangents about the ethics of asteroid mining and the wonder of the universe.

00:00 Stargazing and Summer Memories
03:20 Meet the Hosts
05:00 Chemistry for Your Life Merch
07:00 Camping Stories & Inspiration
10:00 Chemistry of Gases and Atmosphere
13:00 What Are Shooting Stars?
18:00 The Science of Meteor Glow
23:00 Fun Facts: Colors, Metals, and Amino Acids
30:00 Asteroid Mining & Space Ethics
36:00 Favorite Space Stories
43:00 Listener Shoutouts & Support
47:00 Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up

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References from this episode:

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#067 Rebroadcast (Originally Aired October 2020)

Guess what time of year it is. It's spooky time! One thing we see a lot of during this time of year, is things that glow. And you better believe that's chemistry. So how do glowsticks glow? How does bending the glowsticks start that process? What's mixing with what, and seriously how the heck does it glow? Let's find out.

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References from this episode

1. Organic Chemistry, Solomons 11e
2. Quantitative Chemical Analysis, Daniel C. Harris
3. Simple Glowmatography: Chromatographic Separation of GlowStick Dyes Using Chalk - Thomas S. Kuntzleman,* Kasey R. Bunker, and Ashlee A. Bartlett
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/fluorescence
5. https://ocw.mit.edu/high-school/chemistry/demonstrations/videos/anatomy-of-a-glowstick/glowstick.pdf
6. Glowmatography - Thomas S. Kuntzleman,* Anna E. Comfort, and Bruce W. Baldwin

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Melissa and Jam delve into the fascinating chemistry behind fireflies' bioluminescence. They explore how fireflies produce light through a complex series of chemical reactions involving specific molecules like luciferin and enzymes like luciferase. The discussion extends to how these mechanisms find applications in scientific research, such as identifying tumors in mice. The episode is interspersed with nostalgic summer stories, making it a blend of chemistry education and personal anecdotes.

00:00 Nostalgic Summer Evenings
00:33 Fireflies and Childhood Wonder
01:04 Introduction to Firefly Chemistry
02:22 Shoutout to Ash and Podcast Tips
03:58 Diving into Bioluminescence
04:52 The Chemistry Behind Firefly Light
11:17 Understanding Acid-Base Reactions
16:13 The Role of Luciferase
18:43 The Unstable Four-Membered Ring
28:39 Understanding Molecular Structures
29:33 The Instability of Molecular Rings
33:39 Fireflies and Bioluminescence
40:53 Applications in Medical Science
45:37 Nostalgic Summer Memories
52:48 Supporting the Show and Final Thoughts

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References from this episode:

1. https://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/luciferin/3005839.article
2. https://www.science.org/content/article/watch-chemistry-behind-how-fireflies-glow
3. https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.258103
4. https://youtu.be/pTPMwZK2-yM
5. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.5b03820
6. https://pubs-acs-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/10.1021/jp301910p
7. https://chemistry-europe-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/10.1002/cphc.201300330
8. https://chemistry-europe-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/10.1002/cphc.201200195
9. https://iubmb-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/10.1002/iub.134
10. https://chemistry-europe-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/10.1002/cbic.200500443
11. https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/rainbow-makers/3003381.article
12. https://www.acs.org/molecule-of-the-week/archive/f/firefly-luciferin.html

Thanks to our monthly supporters

• Kyle McCray
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• Jessie Reder
• Ciara Linville
• J0HNTR0Y
• Jeannette Napoleon
• Cullyn R
• Erica Bee
• Elizabeth P
• Rachel Reina
• Letila
• Katrina Barnum-Huckins
• Suzanne Phillips
• Venus Rebholz
• Lyn Stubblefield
• Jacob Taber
• Brian Kimball
• Kristina Gotfredsen
• Timothy Parker
• Steven Boyles
• Chris Skupien
• Chelsea B
• Avishai Barnoy
• Hunter Reardon

Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

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