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 LifeWhy and how do Jellyfish sting?
#096 What's the chemistry of a jellyfish sting? Why do they feel so different from other stings? And what can we even do when we get stung? And what about the…
Chemistry For Your LifeHow do Venus flytraps trap flies?
#095 Venus flytraps: The plants that have fascinated and freaked many of us out since we were kids. How do they do what they do? Most plants just kinda sit…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat is the smell of fresh cut grass?
#094 What is that iconic smell? The smell that screams spring and summer? The smell so distinct, and yet so mysterious. Why does freshly cut grass have that…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhy does american chocolate taste different?
#093 - Chocolate Part 3 of 3 Now it's time to dive into one of chocolate's biggest mysteries. Which, depending on where you live, has been something you've…
Chemistry For Your LifeChemistry at Home: Chocolate and Gum
Bonus Episode: Chemistry at Home 12 Here's another bonus episode dedicated to teaching a specific chemistry experiment you can do at home. This month, we see…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhy does chocolate get that white film on it?
#092 - Chocolate Part 2 of 3 You know how when you were a kid, you'd sometimes find some old, forgotten halloween chocolate? But the chocolate would look a…
Chemistry For Your LifeBonus: Do dead leaves smell like tea? (and other questions)
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 19 In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about leaves, labs you can do at home…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat is chocolate and why is it delicious?
#091 - Chocolate Part 1 of 3 Well you've probably never heard of chocolate, and you've almost certainly never eaten it. But if you had you might wonder, what…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhy does cilantro taste horrible? (to some people)
#090 It's of the most puzzling (and heartbreaking) mysteries. Why does cilantro taste so good to some of us, but taste so bad to others of us? Is it in our…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat is ebonized wood?
#089 This question comes from a word-working listener of ours. Ebonized wood is a process that turns wood black... without burning it! But how? What's the…
Chemistry For Your LifeChemistry at Home: Crayons
Bonus Episode: Chemistry at Home 11 Here's another bonus episode dedicated to teaching a specific chemistry experiment you can do at home. This month, we see…
Chemistry For Your LifeHow do color changing markers change color?
#088 Remember those markers that would magically change colors when you marked over them with the right marker? Well while it seems very magical, it's actually…
Chemistry For Your LifeBonus: Does gunpowder explode? (and other questions)
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 18 In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about gunpowder, our wellbeing, food…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat is jam? (and jelly and preserves etc.)
#087 Jams, jellies, preserves, marmalade. So many kinds of fruit spreads, but how are they made? How do they go from fruit to gooey spread? How are they…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat and why is maple syrup?
#086 We all know that maple syrup is one of Canada's most popular gifts to the world, but what really is it? Why do maple trees (and other trees) even have…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhy do plants die in freezing weather?
#085 Well here in Texas, we just suffered through an intense freeze. And many a plant became a casualty of the cold, but why? What's going on at the molecular…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat are muscles and their cramps?
#084 Wait, muscles are biology right? Well they're also chemistry. And guess what, muscle soreness and cramps are also chemistry. And believe it or not, the…
Chemistry For Your LifeExtra Special Bonus: Time Warp!
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 18 In this month's bonus episode, we share a special old Q&R that we've had in our back pocket for almost a year! Enjoy!…
Chemistry For Your LifeHow do bath bombs fizz?
#083 This might be one of the best chances to both listen to AND experience chemistry at the same time. Grab a bath bomb, fill up the tub, and let's find out…
Chemistry For Your LifeChemistry at Home: Vinegar and Baking Soda (with Stephanie Ryan Ph.D.)
Bonus Episode: Chemistry at Home 10 We have a very special guest this month, Stephanie Ryan Ph.D. aka @letslearnaboutscience (on Instagram)! Stephanie leads us…
Chemistry For Your LifeHow do sunglasses protect us?
#082 Wow sunglasses sure are cool. What's the coolest thing about them? Is it how cool they make us look and feel? Or is it the chemistry inside them? We'll…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhy do things fade in the sun?
#081 The sun. It's nice, it's warm, it helps things grow, it helps us see, it helps us exist in the first place. But it's also a massive burning molten ball of…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat is a dryer sheet?
#080 Dryer sheets. They smell good. They make our clothes soft. They get rid of static. But how? How is one little sheet allowed to solve that many problems?…
Chemistry For Your LifeChemistry at Home: Pennies
Bonus Episode: Chemistry at Home 9 Here's another bonus episode dedicated to teaching a specific chemistry experiment you can do at home. This month, we see…
Chemistry For Your LifeIs glass a liquid?
#079 Glass. The more you look at it, the more clear it becomes that it holds some serious mysteries. So what really is glass? Is it a liquid? How is it…
Chemistry For Your LifeBonus: Why does my bread taste like a banana? (and other questions)
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 17 In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about salt, bread that tastes like…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhy do cornstarch and water do that thing?
#078 It's one of life's most head-scratchy questions, and one of the most popular chemistry mysteries for youtubers. So let's get to the bottom of this crazy…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat is iodized salt? And why?
#077 Who's doing what to our salt? What's iodine, do we need it, why, and how do they get it in there? This week Melissa and Jam dive head first into…
- Chemistry For Your Life
How do fireworks use chemistry to look awesome?
#076 Happy New Years Eve! Let's all kiss 2020 a speedy (not speedy enough) goodbye and look at some beautiful exploding lights! And why not look at the…
Chemistry For Your LifeChemistry at Home: Diapers
Bonus Episode: Chemistry at Home 8 Here's another bonus episode dedicated to teaching a specific chemistry experiment you can do at home. This month, we see…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat are LEDs and how do they light up?
#075 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 use them…
Chemistry For Your LifeBonus: Enzymes eat plastic? (and other questions)
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 16 In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about enzymes that eat plastic, super…
Chemistry For Your LifeHow do we see our breath in the air?
#074 This time of year, it's a common occurrence, something so common that we might not even wonder about it anymore. But really, why do we see our breath in…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat is silver tarnish?
#073 Well if you haven't experienced silver tarnish yourself, then you've almost certainly heard people complain about it. Can anything last? These sparkly…
Chemistry For Your LifeHow do odor absorbers work?
#072 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 how can we…
Chemistry For Your LifeChemistry at Home: Leaf Pigments
Bonus Episode: Chemistry at Home 7 Here's another bonus episode dedicated to teaching a specific chemistry experiment you can do at home. This month, we see…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat happens to eggs when we cook them? (with Jason Cress)
#071 It's time to crack into one of life's great mysteries: eggs. So what happens when we cook them?! How do they go from clear goo to white jiggle? This is a…
Chemistry For Your LifeBonus: Can equilibrium occur in any state of matter? (and other questions)
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 15 In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about equilibrium, recycling on a…
Chemistry For Your LifeHow do diapers absorb liquid?
#070 Ok parents. It's time to explore the chemistry of something we rely on every hour of every day: diapers. What the heck is going on inside there? How do…
Chemistry For Your LifeHow is nail polish chemistry?
#069 There's this stuff, you've probably heard of it, that you can put on 10-20 specific places on your body, and it stays there, and it can be different…
Chemistry For Your LifeIs science always right?
#068 This week we issue a correction, joining other science publications issuing the same correction. That's kind of an obvious answer to the question of "Is…
Chemistry For Your LifeHow do glowsticks glow?
#067 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 For Your LifeChemistry at Home: Cabbage Juice
Bonus Episode: Chemistry at Home 6 Here's another bonus episode dedicated to teaching a specific chemistry experiment you can do at home. This month, we see…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat IS lavender oil?
#066 This week we take a teeny tiny step into the vast, intimidating sea of essential oils. Not to worry, we're sticking to the chemistry. And we're exploring…
Chemistry For Your LifeBonus: How do you remove superglue from your fingers? (and other questions)
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 14 In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about buying renewable items, missed…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhy do leaves change color in the fall?
#065 It's Fall! You know why they call Fall Fall? Well because the leaves fall. But before that, the leaves change color. Why do they do that? How? Is there…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat's the future of recycling?
#064 Part 3 of 3 on plastic! This week we look to the future. Is there hope to overcome our piles of plastic? What new ways of recycling are coming down the…
Chemistry For Your LifeIs plastic really recyclable?
#063 This is part 2 of 3 on plastic, so check out last week's episode if you haven't yet! This week, Melissa and Jam dive into one of the weightiest questions…
Chemistry For Your LifeChemistry at Home: Slime
Bonus Episode: Chemistry at Home 5 Here's another bonus episode dedicated to teaching a specific chemistry experiment you can do at home. This month, we see…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat is plastic?
#062 Think about it for a second, plastic is everywhere. What plastic things are around you right now? What plastic things do you use everyday? This week…
Chemistry For Your LifeBonus: Why doesn’t superglue harden in the tube? (and other questions)
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 13 In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about gasoline, super glue, smells…
Chemistry For Your LifeHow does super glue glue things?
#061 Be honest. Have you ever glued yourself with super glue? Everyone should accidentally make that mistake at least once, so you can literally feel the…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhy 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 LifeHow does caffeine make you not sleepy?
#059 Ok so, caffeine. Some of us live on the stuff, and others of us want nothing to do with it. There's a lot of things caffeine can do to our bodies, but of…
Chemistry For Your LifeChemistry at Home: Density
Bonus Episode: Chemistry at Home 4 Here's another bonus episode dedicated to teaching a specific chemistry experiment you can do at home. This month, we see…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat makes fruit ripen?
#058 Fruit. You eat it too early? It tastes bland and tart. You eat it too late? And it's rotten. You eat it when it's ripe? It's perfect, sweet, and juicy…
- Chemistry For Your Life
Bonus: Do mosquitos care about blood-type? (and other questions)
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 12 In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about mosquito repellents, mosquitos…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat's up with alcohol(s)?
#057 So we all know what we think of when we hear the word "alcohol," but what if that's not really the whole picture? There's actually many kinds of alcohol…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat IS fire? (and what happened in Beirut?)
#056 Seriously. What is fire? This week Melissa and Jam hop out of the frying pan. What are those warm orange wisps? We all sort of know what fire is but also…
Chemistry For Your LifeWhat makes honey crystallize?
#055 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 question…