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Science

Orbitals

by The American Chemical Society
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Latest episodes

  • A Bittersweet Farewell and Enthusiastic Hello: A New Science Podcast Is Headed Your Way!

    December 30, 2021 · 5 min

    We have some bittersweet news: Orbitals is coming to a close. BUT there's a new science podcast headed your way in 2022! It's called Tiny Matters, and it's a show about things small in size but big in impact. Every other Wednesday, hosts…

  • 🧪 Solutions 112 | The Sweet Chemistry of Vanilla Memories

    December 29, 2021 · 12 min

    If there's one flavor you can always count on, it's vanilla. Sweet, creamy, and nostalgic, it comes from a creeping orchid vine. But with increased demand, scientists are finding new ways to make it, including starting from an unexpected…

  • 🧪 Solutions 111 | A Walk Among the Sponges

    December 2, 2021 · 15 min

    Think the science behind sponges must be boring? You're so, so wrong. Shrink down to the microscopic level with us and take a walk among sponges designed to keep bacteria alive, clean with just water, and literally cut through your holiday…

  • Bacteria are cleaning up our toxic waste | Orbitals 410

    November 11, 2021 · 15 min

    Bacteria often get a bad rap, which is fair—they are responsible for diseases like strep throat, pneumonia, and tuberculosis, and antibiotic resistance is a legitimate threat to humanity's existence. But some bacteria might actually save…

  • 🧪 Solutions 110 | What your raincoat and a hydrogen fuel cell have in common

    October 28, 2021 · 16 min

    Polymer membranes make everything from rain jackets to medical devices. But they're also integral parts of hydrogen fuel cells, powering cars that give off nothing but water vapor. How do fuel cells work, and why aren't you driving one…

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  • The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 | Orbitals 409

    October 14, 2021 · 13 min

    When you hear the word "molasses" you probably imagine super slow-moving, brown-colored sweet stuff that you add to a cookie recipe. And that is what molasses usually looks like, but under certain conditions and in large enough quantities…

  • 🧪 Solutions 109 | No 5G Without Chemistry

    September 30, 2021 · 14 min

    5G is coming… but can your phone handle it? Surprisingly, a lot of that comes down to the chemistry inside! Let's crack open your phone to figure out how chemistry is making it smaller, faster, and a little more sticky!  Solutions is made…

  • Sweat: The Taboo Fluid That Keeps Us Alive | Orbitals 408

    September 16, 2021 · 17 min

    Sweat is this thing that many of us seem to loathe, but also pay a lot of money to do while being yelled at by professionals. So what is sweat? And why do we do it? And why are we often so embarrassed by it? This episode features writer…

  • 🧪 Solutions 108 | Antiviral Fabric: From Less-Smelly Socks to Life-Saving Masks

    August 26, 2021 · 14 min

    A team of researchers making workout gear that never stinks realized that their invention could actually have a bigger impact fighting a global pandemic. It all starts with a high-performance fabric found in your closet and a common…

  • It's Raining PLASTIC?! | Orbitals 407

    August 12, 2021 · 16 min

    In 2020, researchers discovered that more than 1,000 tons of plastic—that's over 100 million plastic water bottles worth—rains down on National Parks and wilderness in the western U.S. every year. How is that possible? This week's episode…

  • 🧪 Solutions 107 | How Wood is Making Sunscreen More Effective

    July 29, 2021 · 16 min

    Many of us slather sunscreen on in the summer to keep sunburns at bay. But new materials can improve sunscreens without adding more of the sticky, greasy compounds we all hate. The surprising origin of those new ingredients? Wood!…

  • The Icepick Surgeon | Orbitals 406

    July 15, 2021 · 18 min

    Sam Kean's latest book, The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science, dropped earlier this week. It's about when knowledge becomes everything—the only thing. At whatever…

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About the show

From antibiotic resistance to Roaring Twenties poisonings to body farms, you can find chemistry—and a good story—anywhere. Every month writer and host, Sam Jones, PhD, takes on a chemistry tale you didn't know you needed to know.