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

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Melissa and Jam dive into a variety of listener-submitted questions. They discuss the science behind fluffy shave ice versus mainland shaved ice, the effectiveness and safety of ozone treatments for smoke smells, and the potential impact of glyphosate on human health. They also explore the chemistry of everyday items like rinse aid in dishwashers, different types of soap, and even hypothetical scenarios involving bleach and gasoline. Melissa provides insights based on her knowledge as a chemist, offering a fascinating look into the chemistry of our everyday life.

00:00 Introduction and Listener Questions
00:29 Chemistry of Shave Ice
06:58 Ozone Treatment for Cigarette Smell
12:15 Glyphosate and Its Effects
21:32 Rinse Aid in Dishwashers
24:02 Concerns About Rinse Safety
24:24 Exploring Cleaning Products
26:26 Differences in Soaps and Shampoos
27:27 Chemistry of Hair and Skin Products
32:59 Hypothetical: Bleach vs. Gasoline
37:17 Listener Shoutouts and Anniversary
42:27 Chemistry of Erasable and Invisible Inks
45:22 Supporting the Podcast

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Melissa and Jam explore the science behind why sweat is salty. They discuss personal experiences with sweating, the types of sweat glands, and the chemical processes involved in sweat production. The episode explains how osmosis, ion channels, and salt concentrations contribute to the movement of sweat through sweat glands to the skin's surface. They also touch on evolutionary aspects and the role of sweat in cooling the body. For anyone curious about the chemistry of everyday life, this episode offers an accessible and intriguing explanation.

00:00 Introduction: Why is Sweat Salty?
00:27 Personal Experiences with Sweat
01:32 The Science Behind Sweat
02:00 Meet the Hosts
02:20 Types of Sweat Glands
04:30 How Sweat Reaches the Skin
07:31 The Role of Salt in Sweat
14:20 Health Indicators in Sweat
17:01 Understanding Osmosis and Interstitial Fluid
17:39 Evolutionary Perspective on Sweating
20:01 Mechanism of Sweat Glands
22:41 Sweat Composition and Function
27:39 Personal Sweating Experiences
33:47 Supporting the Show and Community

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References from this episode:

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6773238/
2. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2024/lc/d3lc00874f#cit23
3. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsnano.4c10344

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#050

This week, Melissa and Jam once again look under the armpits of society, this time to explore sweat. Is it cool? Well does it keep us cool? How? At what cost? Is there more to sweat than meets the eye? Can you drink it? Grab your sweat bands and let's hit the track Paulie Bleeker.

References from this episode

1. Flexible and Superwettable Bands as a Platform toward Sweat Sampling and Sensing - Analytical Chemistry - Xuecheng He, Tailin Xu, Zhen Gu, Wei Gao, Li-Ping Xu, Tingrui Pan, and Xueji Zhang
2. A Fully Integrated and Self-Powered Smartwatch for Continuous Sweat Glucose Monitoring - ACS Sensors - Jiangqi Zhao, Yuanjing Lin, Jingbo Wu, Hnin Yin Yin Nyein, Mallika Bariya, Li-Chia Tai, Minghan Chao, Wenbo Ji, George Zhang, Zhiyong Fan, and Ali Javey
3. General Chemistry, Edition 2 - Flowers, Theopold, Langley, Robinson

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In this continuation of our two-part series, Melissa and Jam dive into the intriguing chemistry behind color film and Polaroid photography. The episode picks up from the previous discussion on black and white film, focusing on color theory and how it applies to both traditional and instant photography. Listeners will learn about the science of additive and subtractive colors, how multiple layers of dye-sensitized silver halide work together to capture images, and the unique processes involved in developing these images. For those fascinated by the intersection of chemistry and photography, this episode is a must-listen.

00:00 Introduction and Recap
01:42 Understanding Color Theory
05:08 Additive and Subtractive Colors
07:00 Color Photography Basics
08:45 Film Development Process
13:03 Negative and Positive Images
17:33 Practical Applications and Examples
23:28 Understanding Negative Images in Photography
24:26 Principles of Color Photography
25:22 Exploring Color Negatives and Filters
27:14 Layers and Sensitizers in Color Film
29:51 The Development Process of Color Film
34:22 Introduction to Polaroid Photography
35:20 The Chemistry Behind Polaroid Development
40:06 Fascination with Photography and Color Theory
40:50 Favorite Black and White TV Shows
44:12 Closing Remarks and Community Shoutouts

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References from this episode:

1. https://pubs-acs-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/epdf/10.1021/ed052p622?ref=article_openPDF
2. https://pubs-acs-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00400
3. https://pubs-acs-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/10.1021/ed081p694
4. https://edu.rsc.org/experiments/making-a-photographic-print-using-silver-chloride/454.article
5. https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/articlesbytopic/metals%20and%20nonmetals/chemmatters-feb2006-digital-photo.pdf
6. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rolf-Steiger/publication/279964154_CHEMICAL_SENSITIZATION_OF_SILVER_BROMIDE/links/5a7d8b55aca272341aef2f6f/CHEMICAL-SENSITIZATION-OF-SILVER-BROMIDE.pdf
7. https://www.acs.org/education/celebrating-chemistry-editions/2024-ncw/chemistry-of-polaroids.html
8. https://cen.acs.org/articles/87/i12/Instant-Film.html
9. https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/land-instant-photography.html
10. https://pubs-acs-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/epdf/10.1021/ed051p72?ref=article_openPDF

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Melissa and Jam tackle a variety of questions and corrections from their listeners. They dive into topics such as the effectiveness of baking soda and vinegar as cleaning agents, the science behind kombucha carbonation, the structural differences in Panko breadcrumbs, and how polymer clays harden in the oven versus air dry clay. They also explore fun anecdotes from the community about glow-in-the-dark items and discuss how Monster energy drinks can explode when frozen. The episode provides valuable insights into everyday chemistry while addressing common myths and misconceptions.

00:00 Introduction and Teasers
00:34 Corrections and Community Feedback
02:14 Kombucha Fermentation Discussion
10:31 Baking Soda and Vinegar Cleaning Debate
15:45 Adhesives for Panko Breadcrumbs
16:59 Greek Yogurt and Panko Breadcrumbs Recipe
18:02 The Science Behind Panko Breadcrumbs
19:10 Ozone Layer and COVID-19 Impact
21:43 Exploding Monster Energy Drinks
23:44 Mel's Research and Published Articles
25:23 Polymer Clays and Air Dry Clays
26:50 Alternative Career Choices
31:30 Listener Anecdotes and Community Engagement
34:51 Supporting the Show and Final Thoughts

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