Shows / Chat with Greg Fridman
Chat with Greg Fridman
I'm Greg Fridman, a PhD in Bioengineering and an expert in non-equilibrium plasmas. This channel is a space for direct chats about the things that actually matter: the future of biotech, the fascinating physics of plasmas, and the unfiltered reality of the scientific life. No jargon, no gatekeeping—just the science. Subscribe to join the conversation as we explore how bioengineering is reshaping our world and what it’s really like to work at the edge of discovery.
Episodes
Chat with Greg FridmanCan Plasma Treat Milk? The Honest Answer (Plus a Chocolate Bar Story)
Next in the "Can Plasma?" series: can plasma treat milk? Yes — and the result is sterile, green, smells like crap, and probably curdled. But there's an…
Chat with Greg FridmanElon Musk Told Me the Future. So I Read the Book.
Today's deviation from plasma (sort of): a meditation on the books that shape engineering visions. Elon Musk has been quietly telling the world what the future…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan Plasma Treat Seeds? Yes — Here's What It Does and Where It's Used
Next in the "Can Plasma?" series: can plasma treat seeds? Short answer: yes — for disinfection, germination, and early plant growth. But where this matters…
Chat with Greg FridmanWhy I Assume Everything Is Easy (And Why You Should Too)
A viewer left a comment that I wanted to respond to properly. They mentioned learning programming and machine learning, the "overwhelming amount of knowledge"…
Chat with Greg FridmanEvery Type of Plasma, Explained as a Sports Car
A viewer asked me to review every type of plasma — and to do it like analyzing a sports car: engine, transmission, fuel, cooling, the whole spec sheet. I loved…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan Plasma Be Scaled Up? Why "Just Make It Bigger" Doesn't Work
Next in the "Can Plasma?" series: can plasma be scaled up? You built it in the lab, it works beautifully — now turn it into an industrial process. I wrote down…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan Plasma Be Used Safely Around People? (Spoiler: It Depends on Everything)
Next in the "Can Plasma?" series: can plasma be used safely around people? Short answer: it depends on your definition of "safely," "used," and "people." Let…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan Plasma Make Plastic Stick Better? (And Can It Make It Stick Worse?)
Next in the "Can Plasma?" series: can plasma make plastic stick better? Yes — and the more interesting question is whether it can make plastic stick WORSE. We…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan Plasma Remove CO₂? No — But It Can Turn It Into Vodka (and Concrete)
Next up in the "Can Plasma?" series: can plasma remove CO₂? Short answer: no — but the longer answer is way more interesting. Plasma can take CO₂ and turn it…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan Plasma Help People With Hemophilia?
Can non-equilibrium plasma help coagulate blood in people with hemophilia? That is a much harder question than it first appears. Plasma can dry blood…
Chat with Greg FridmanCould Plasma Make Hospital Laundry Sterile?
Can plasma be added to hospital laundry systems to make sheets, gowns, towels, and clothing not just clean — but potentially sterile? In this video, I answer a…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan Plasma Coagulate Blood?
Can plasma coagulate blood? Yes — but the real answer depends on the kind of plasma, the kind of bleeding, and the medical situation. In this video, I talk…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan plasma surface treatment help with metal 3D printing?
Can plasma surface treatment help with metal 3D printing? In this video, I respond to a viewer question about whether plasma could be used as a DIY surface…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan Plasma Treat Cancer?
Can plasma treat cancer? The short answer is: maybe, but not yet as a standard medical treatment. Plasma oncology is a real and promising research field, but…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan You Control a Plasma Arc with a Magnetic Field?
Can you rotate or control a pulsed plasma using a magnetic field? And what happens if the pulse is only about 100 nanoseconds long? In this video, I respond to…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan You Make a Plasma Arc in Space?
Can you create a thermal plasma arc in space? And could that plasma be used to melt lunar regolith? A viewer asked a great question about using thermal plasma…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan Plasma Replace Laundry?
Can plasma replace your washing machine? Probably not. Dirt, oil, grass stains, and everyday grime are exactly what water, agitation, and modern detergents are…
Chat with Greg FridmanIs Nuclear Power Worth the Risk? A Friendly Science Chat
A viewer commented that nuclear power is important despite the risks, so let’s talk about it. In this video, I give my personal take on nuclear energy compared…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan Plasma Cut Metal?
Can plasma cut metal? Absolutely — and it is one of the most common industrial uses of thermal plasma. In this video, I explain how plasma cutters work, why…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan plasma make fertilizer?
The “Magic Water” Story That Led Me to Plasma Agriculture Today, most nitrogen fertilizer is made using the Haber-Bosch process: nitrogen from air, hydrogen…
Chat with Greg FridmanCan Plasma Wash Fresh Produce?
Can plasma wash fresh produce? Surprisingly, yes — and there are several ways to do it. In this video, I kick off a new “Can Plasma?” series by looking at how…
Chat with Greg FridmanCarbs, Calories, and the Tomato Trick That Helped Me Lose 70 Pounds
A viewer asked why some people avoid carbohydrates but still drink carbonated energy drinks — and whether our digestive system is meant to handle solid food…
Chat with Greg FridmanThe Hardest Things in Life Can Lead to Something Better
A viewer asked me about my life journey, adversity, and my vision for the future. I did not try to tell my whole life story here. Instead, I answered with…
Chat with Greg FridmanOne Viewer Asked 5 Plasma Questions. Here Are My Answers
In this video, I respond to a viewer @anonymouscomment5722 who packed five plasma questions into one comment. We talk about: * antimicrobial and antibacterial…
Chat with Greg FridmanPlasma TV vs LED TV: What Happened to Plasma?
Why did plasma TVs vanish if the picture looked so good? In this video, I answer a viewer question about plasma TVs vs LED TVs: what made plasma screens look…
Chat with Greg FridmanWater Is Way Stranger Than Most People Realize
This is the third video in my mini-series on plasma surface modification, water contact angle, and water itself. We use water every day, so it feels ordinary…
Chat with Greg FridmanHow Water Contact Angle Measurement Works
This is the second video in my 3-part mini-series on surfaces, plasma treatment, and water. In the first video, I talked about plasma surface treatment. In…
Chat with Greg FridmanHow Plasma Surface Treatment Works
In this video, I kick off a 3-part mini-series by explaining plasma surface modification: what it is, how it works, and why it matters. The key idea is simple…
Chat with Greg FridmanIs LED the Same Thing as Plasma?
A colleague asked me a simple question: if LEDs and plasma both make light when electricity is applied, are they basically the same thing? In this video, I…
Chat with Greg FridmanA Viewer Asked: Could Antimatter Power Fusion?
A viewer asked a great question: if scientists can now trap and transport tiny amounts of antimatter, could it ever be used to trigger nuclear fusion for…
Chat with Greg FridmanAre Corona Treaters Actually Plasma Treaters?
What’s the real difference between a corona treater and a plasma treater? In this video, I break down a question that comes up surprisingly often in surface…
Chat with Greg FridmanIs the Moon Made of Plasma?
A viewer asked me a deceptively simple question: is the Moon made from plasma? In this video, I answer that directly, but I also use it as a chance to talk…
Chat with Greg FridmanIs the Scientific System Broken? (An Honest Answer)
Is the scientific system broken? You’ve probably heard criticisms about “publish or perish,” lack of reproducibility, and misaligned incentives. But what’s…
Chat with Greg FridmanPlasma art? (answering viewer's question)
Why are transient luminous events so rare? In this video, I respond to a question from @giangnguy1 and dig into the physics behind sprites, jets, elves, and…
Chat with Greg FridmanThe Real Future of Medical Devices (Not What You Think)
What is the future of medical devices? Most discussions focus on hype — AI, robotics, or breakthrough technologies. But real progress in medical devices is…
Chat with Greg FridmanHow to Read a Scientific Paper Like a Real Scientist
Scientific papers are often treated as final answers. But real scientists read them very differently. In this episode, I explain how researchers actually…
Chat with Greg FridmanThe Viral Lightning Photo Is Misleading (Here’s What They Actually Measured)
A recent Smithsonian Magazine article claims scientists captured “ultraviolet sparkles” coming from treetops during thunderstorms — and the image used is…
Chat with Greg FridmanAm I a Scientist? (A Viewer Asked Me This…)
A viewer asked me a simple question: “Are you a scientist?” It turns out, the answer isn’t as straightforward as it seems. In this video, I explore what it…
Chat with Greg FridmanA Viewer Asked: Do Pressurized Plasmas Exist?
A viewer asked a great question: “You mentioned atmospheric plasmas and plasmas in vacuum. Do people research pressurized plasmas?” 00:00 Intro 00:35 Question…
Chat with Greg FridmanThe Science of Sterilization: Heat, Radiation, Chemicals, and Plasma
Sterilization is fundamental to modern medicine, but most people don’t realize how complex it really is. In this episode, I break down how sterilization…
Chat with Greg FridmanPlasma Bioengineering Myths
Bioengineering is full of oversimplifications. In this episode, I break down common myths that show up in research papers, startups, and even academic labs: •…
Chat with Greg FridmanFrom Lab to Prototype: The Ugly Middle of Innovation
Most technologies don’t fail in the lab. They fail in the messy middle — between promising data and a working prototype. In this episode, I talk about: • Why…
Chat with Greg FridmanReactive Oxygen & Nitrogen Species: What They Really Are (And Why They Matter)
Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species (RONS) are central to plasma medicine, sterilization science, and environmental remediation. But what are they really? In…
Chat with Greg Fridman4 Plasma Questions You Should Be Asking
In this chat, I answer 4 big questions about plasma physics inspired by a thoughtful viewer comment: 1. Should plasma appear on phase diagrams? 2. Does plasma…
Chat with Greg FridmanHow Science Really Gets Funded in the U.S.
How does science really get funded in the United States? In this episode, I break down: • How federal agencies allocate research funding • What reviewers…
Chat with Greg FridmanPFAS: What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t) — An Engineer’s Perspective
PFAS are often called “forever chemicals.” But what does that really mean? In this episode, I break down PFAS from an engineering perspective: • Why…
Chat with Greg FridmanBioengineering vs. Med School: Which is harder?
I get asked this a lot: "Greg, with your background, why didn't you just go to Medical School?" In this video, I’m sharing the personal reason I chose the lab…
Chat with Greg FridmanAtmospheric Plasma Surface Modification of Textiles Explained
Plasma isn’t just for rockets or fusion research — it’s used to treat fabrics for clothing every day. In this episode, I explain how atmospheric pressure…
Chat with Greg FridmanThe End of Food Recalls? Plasma-Activated Water Explained
What if the secret to safer, fresher food wasn't a new chemical, but just a different kind of water?
Chat with Greg FridmanThe Reality of Plasma Weapons: Physics vs. Video Games
We see plasma weapons everywhere in gaming—especially in the Final Fantasy universe—but how would they work in our world? In this video, we analyze the energy…
Chat with Greg FridmanWhat is Plasma? The 4th State of Matter Explained
What is plasma? Most people think of blood or TV screens, but in physics, plasma is a high-energy "soup" of charged particles. From lightning bolts to the…
Chat with Greg FridmanAdvice to My 17-Year-Old Self: 3 Lessons in Engineering & Life
I recently had the opportunity to speak with three cohorts of seniors at Bexley High School in Columbus, OH, about my journey in plasma physics and…
Chat with Greg FridmanThe Molecule That Protects Your Blood and Poisons Your Air
What if I told you there’s a molecule inside you right now acting as a microscopic assassin? In this video, we explore the strange world of Peroxynitrite.
Chat with Greg FridmanIs the "Lightning Pen" the End of Acne?
Tired of harsh chemicals and endless plastic bottles in your skincare routine?
Chat with Greg FridmanWhy Physics Might Be the Future of Cancer Treatment
What if we could treat cancer without the "sledgehammer" approach of traditional chemotherapy?
Chat with Greg FridmanOrgan-on-a-Chip: The End of Animal Testing
What if we could test a new drug on a human heart or lung without ever putting a patient at risk?
Chat with Greg FridmanThe End of Chronic Wounds? Cold Plasma Explained.
Imagine a wound that hasn't healed for months, or even years. For millions of people dealing with chronic ulcers and "superbug" infections, this is a daily…
Chat with Greg FridmanPhysics, Biology, and the Illusion of Chaos
I recently received a great question from a viewer about how studying non-equilibrium plasmas—what I call "cold lightning"—changes the way I look at the world.
Chat with Greg FridmanThe End of the Antibiotic Crisis
Let's talk about what happens to us when antibiotics stop working...
Chat with Greg FridmanI’m a Bioengineer. Let’s chat.
I’m Greg Fridman, a PhD in Bioengineering. For a long time, I’ve used this channel to review technical papers. Today, I’m changing things up. I’m moving away…