Shows / Chemistry For Your Life
Chemistry For Your Life
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…
Episodes
- Chemistry For Your Life
What sparks the mystery of static electricity?
Melissa and Jam delve into the intricate phenomenon of static electricity. They discuss their own experiences with static shocks and static cling, particularly…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What to Use and Avoid in the Kitchen: 3 Tips From a Chemist
Melissa and Jam discuss the top three kitchen products and habits Melissa avoids and loves based on her expertise in chemistry. She advises against using…
- Chemistry For Your Life
How does Poo-Pourri prevent unpleasant smells?
Melissa and Jam discuss the chemistry behind Poopourri Toilet Spray. Melissa explains how the spray works by forming a non-polar oil layer on top of water…
- Chemistry For Your Life
How do odor absorbers work?
#072 Rebroadcast You know what they say, everyone's experienced odors, and 99.99% of all odors smell. We have room sprays, candles, air fresheners, etc. But…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Are your lips being tricked by chapstick?
Melissa and Jam delve into the science behind lip balm, investigating whether products like Chapstick and Burt's Bees are beneficial or if they could be…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Ask a Chemist: Why is glass clear? (and other questions)
Melissa and Jam tackle a range of fascinating chemistry questions from their audience in this episode of 'Chemistry For Your Life'. They discuss why glass is…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Does lotion really hydrate dry skin?
Melissa and Jam discuss the science behind moisturizers and how they help with dry skin. The conversation covers the role of occlusives like petroleum jelly…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What are shooting stars?
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…
- Chemistry For Your Life
How do glowsticks glow?
#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…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What makes fireflies glow?
Melissa and Jam delve into the fascinating chemistry behind fireflies' bioluminescence. They explore how fireflies produce light through a complex series of…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Ask a Chemist: What would be worse, drinking bleach or gasoline? (and other questions)
Melissa and Jam dive into a variety of listener-submitted questions. They discuss the science behind fluffy shave ice versus mainland shaved ice, the…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Why is sweat salty?
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…
- Chemistry For Your Life
How does sweat cool us down?
#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…
- Chemistry For Your Life
How does *color* film photography work??
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…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Ask a Chemist: Is Baking Soda and Vinegar a Cleaning Myth? (And other questions)
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…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What is the chemistry of film photography?
Melissa and Jam delve into the fascinating chemistry behind film photography. They reminisce about their childhood experiences with analog cameras and discuss…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What gives curly hair its curl?
#027 Rebroadcast Originally Published January 23, 2020 This week, Melissa and Jam dive into the chemistry of something that may not seem like chemistry at…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Are organic vegetables healthier for you?
Melissa and Jam dive into the definition and implications of organic foods. They explore what organic means according to USDA standards, dissect common…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Ask a Chemist: Explain it like I'm five?
This episode of 'Chemistry for Your Life' features Melissa and Jam tackling various chemistry questions sourced from the 'Explain Like I'm Five' subreddit…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Is it safe to use weed killer (Roundup)?
Melissa and Jam discuss the multifaceted debate surrounding the use of the widely known weed killer, Roundup, specifically its active ingredient, glyphosate…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Are we breathing recycled air on airplanes?
#212 Melissa and Jam explore the concept of ozone and its impact on air quality in airplanes. Melissa explains the chemical reaction of ozone, why it's…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What is the ozone layer?
#110 Rebroadcast Originally Published August 26, 2021 We've all heard about it. And most likely you've heard that it's in danger. But what is the ozone layer…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Ask a Chemist: What is heavy water? (and other questions)
Question and Response #67 Melissa and Jam dive into a series of chemistry-related questions from their audience. From understanding why wintergreen mints spark…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Why do airplanes make you gassy?
#211 Melissa and Jam delve into the chemistry behind increased flatulence on airplanes. They explore how changes in air pressure affect gas expansion in the…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Chemistry at Home: Chromatography
Chemistry at Home: Chromatography Rebroadcast Originally Published June 29, 2020 Here's another bonus episode dedicated to teaching a specific chemistry…
- Chemistry For Your Life
How do pregnancy tests actually work?
#210 Melissa and Jam dive into the science of home pregnancy tests. They explore the process in which these tests detect the presence of the hormone HCG, which…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Ask a Chemist: Are all food dyes bad? (and other questions)
Ask a Chemist #66 Melissa and Jam dive into a range of listener-submitted questions exploring everyday chemistry. Topics include the chemistry behind toasting…
- Chemistry For Your Life
How do plants defy gravity to "drink" water?
#209 Melissa and Jam dive into the fascinating chemistry behind how plants transport water from their roots to their leaves, effectively defying gravity. They…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What is the future of antihistamines?
#098 Rebroadcast Original Air Date: June 3, 2021 Could histamine and antihistamines do more than just affect our allergies? Actually yes. Today we discuss new…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Why are seasonal allergies the worst?
#097 Rebroadcast Most of us know the feeling. But what are we actually experiencing when we experience allergies? How does being around plants and pollen make…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Why is red food dye banned?
#208 Melissa and Jam dive deep into the topic of FDA regulations, particularly focusing on food additives like red food dye. They discuss the complexities of…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Chemistry Support: Where does a fart go? (and other questions)
Question and Response 65 Melissa and Jam delve into a variety of interesting chemistry-related questions sourced from Reddit. They explore why farts stop…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Can gasoline freeze?
#207 Melissa and Jam explore why gasoline doesn't freeze in extremely low temperatures while water and other substances do. They delve into the concepts of…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What's the chemistry of sticky stuff?
#011 Rebroadcast Why is honey sticky but salt isn’t? What’s the difference between things that stick and things that just feel sticky? In this episode, Melissa…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Can I trust the FDA? (from thalidomide to cough medicine)
#206 Melissa and Jam address a listener's question about the FDA's reliability in approving products. They discuss the intersection of chemistry, government…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Ask a Chemist: Does metal mess up sourdough? (and other questions)
Ask a Chemist #64 Melissa and Jam delve into intriguing chemistry questions posed by their listeners. They explore whether all salts are salty, the chemistry…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What is going on with science funding??
#205 Jam and Melissa discuss the complexities and consequences of recent executive orders surrounding science funding. Melissa provides insight into how these…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What is rust and is it kinda cool?
#047 Rebroadcast This week, Melissa and Jam explore the chemistry of rust. What even is it? Where does it come from? Is it bad? Is it reversible? Let's get…
- Chemistry For Your Life
How do Tums make us feel better? (And why do they make us burp?)
#114 Rebroadcast Tums, alka seltzer, and other antacids: they're simple, they've been around for a long time, but they're a tried and true method for helping…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What's the Chemistry Inside Sourdough Bread?
#204 In this episode Melissa and Jam delve into the fascinating biochemistry behind sourdough bread. They explore the role of microorganisms, including…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Ask a Chemist: Why do carrots cause hiccups? (and other questions)
Ask a Chemist #64 In this bonus edition of 'Chemistry for Your Life,' hosts Melissa and Jam tackle intriguing questions from listeners. They delve into why…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Why does Benadryl make us sleepy?
#203 In this episode, Jam recounts a humorous yet enlightening story of accidentally taking a dog-sized dose of Benadryl and the sleepy consequences that…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Ask a Chemist: How can fire have different colors? (and other questions)
Question and Response 63 In this episode Melissa and Jam embark on an 'Ask a Chemist' segment, delving into the ethics surrounding the field of chemistry and…
- Chemistry For Your Life
How do poinsettias detect pH levels?
#202 Melissa and Jam dive into a fun and educational holiday-themed activity using poinsettia plants. They explore the chemistry behind these festive plants…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What are LEDs and how are they different from other bulbs?
#075 Rebroadcast Happy holidays, we hope you have a wonderful season whatever you celebrate! We've got a holiday related episode for you: LEDs. Well I guess we…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What is canned air? (and should we use it?)
#201 Melissa and Jam dive into the chemistry behind air dusters. They explore the components inside these cans, and how the physical properties of these…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Chemistry at Home: Chocolate and Gum
Bonus Episode: Chemistry at Home 12 (Rebroadcast) Here's another bonus episode dedicated to teaching a specific chemistry experiment you can do at home. This…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What is gum? And what happens when you swallow it?
#200 In this episode Melissa and Jam delve into the fascinating world of chewing gum. They start by discussing awkward combinations of food and gum, leading to…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Ask a Chemist: Why are crystals rare? (and other questions)
Question and Response 62 New College-Style Sweatshirt! In this special bonus episode of Chemistry for Your Life, Melissa and Jam dive into listener-submitted…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Do carrots help us see better?
#199 In this episode of 'Chemistry for Your Life,' hosts Melissa and Jam explore the chemistry behind the popular belief that eating carrots improves night…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What makes honey crystallize?
#055 Rebroadcast Ever notice that honey crystalizes? Isn't that like super weird? Why does it do that? This week, Melissa and Jam risk getting stuck in this…
- Chemistry For Your Life
How do things glow in the dark?
#198 In this special Halloween episode Melissa and Jam explore the spooky yet fascinating world of glow-in-the-dark chemistry. The discussion delves into…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Ask a Chemist: Why do self-tanners smell weird? (and other questions)
Question and Response 61 New College-Style Sweatshirt! And Spooky Chemistry Shirts Are Back! In this episode of 'Chemistry for Your Life,' hosts Melissa and…
- Chemistry For Your Life
How does spray tan stain our skin?
#196 New College-Style Sweatshirt! And Spooky Chemistry Shirts Are Back! Melissa and Jam explore the fascinating chemistry behind self tanners. They take…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What makes jalapeños spicy, and what other crazy properties do they have?
#048 Rebroadcast New College-Style Sweatshirt! And the Ghost Halloween Design is Back! This week, Melissa and Jam dive into spiciness. What is it? Is it a…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Why does ibuprofen take so long to work?
#196 New College-Style Sweatshirt! Melissa and Jam delve into the science behind ibuprofen, exploring why it takes around 30 minutes to work. The discussion…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Ask a Chemist: Does raw milk have more bacteria? (and other questions)
Question and Response #60 New College-Style Sweatshirt! In this episode of 'Ask a Chemist' on the Chemistry for Your Life podcast, hosts Melissa and Jam tackle…
- Chemistry For Your Life
How do pain killers relieve pain?
#195 New College-Style Sweatshirt! In this episode of Chemistry For Your Life, hosts Melissa and Jam delve into the science behind ibuprofen, a common pain…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Why do we use fluoride on our teeth?
#060 Chances are you've heard the word "fluoride" said in reference to your teeth. At the dentists office, on your bottle of mouthwash, maybe you've heard it's…
- Chemistry For Your Life
What are dental fillings and how are they chemistry?
#194 In this episode of Chemistry for Your Life, Melissa and Jam delve into the chemistry behind modern dental fillings. They explore how dentists use a…