Tiny Matters

In today’s episode, we chat with author Sam Kean about his new book Dinner with King Tut and learn how researchers and citizen scientists are recreating ancient recipes, tools, and technologies — from wound remedies with pennies to inventive pottery glazed in blood — and how experimental archaeology is changing our understanding of the past. Most of us know the story of the Titanic. In 1912, the massive — supposedly indestructible — steamship sank after hitting an iceberg on its first and only journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Titanic remained undiscovered on the seafloor, somewhere in the North Atlantic Ocean, for 73 years, until it was found nearly two miles beneath the surface. But now the ship might be disappearing again, this time for good. And the culprit is not another iceberg — it’s something much, much smaller.Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Explore bold ideas and big solutions with Alex Honnold on Planet Visionaries, a podcast in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. I have become a regular listener this season and hope you enjoy it too!

Discover the fascinating process of transforming pennies into vibrant colors, from golden hues through zinc plating to a rainbow through oxide films. Hear how heating copper creates stunning color sequences and the practical tips for safe experimentation. Dive into NASA's Parker Solar Probe mission, designed to study the sun's corona and solar wind. Learn about the probe's remarkable speed and heat shielding technology, and explore how space weather impacts our planet with valuable insights gleaned from this groundbreaking mission.

Most of us know the story of the Titanic. In 1912, the massive — supposedly indestructible — steamship sank after hitting an iceberg on its first and only journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Titanic remained undiscovered on the seafloor, somewhere in the North Atlantic Ocean, for 73 years, until it was found nearly two miles beneath the surface. But now the ship might be disappearing again, this time for good. And the culprit is not another iceberg — it’s something much, much smaller.Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Reflecting on nearly four years of collaboration, the hosts dive into their journey from co-hosting to tackling complex scientific topics. They share insights on interviewing styles and the surprising benefits of being non-experts. Deboki reveals her unexpected passion for evolution, while Sam highlights impactful episodes on safety in science. With anecdotes about listener interactions and their evolution as a show, they discuss their future plans, including exciting themes for upcoming content and potential bonus episodes.

Join John Amory, a distinguished professor of medicine specializing in family planning, as he dives into the world of male contraceptives. He discusses the pressing need for more options, revealing the current landscape dominated by just three methods. The fascinating NEST-T trial is highlighted, showcasing a promising hormonal gel that could soon revolutionize male contraception. Amory also explores biological hurdles and insights, making a compelling case for why men need more equitable options in family planning.

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, a listener writes in to tell us about being born 3 months premature likely due to their mom having HELLP syndrome, a variant of preeclampsia, and taking part in early trials for surfactants. Then we discuss why horseshoe crab blood is blue and the exciting generation of a one-electron bond between carbon atoms. We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kantha Schelke, a food-chemistry expert and senior lecturer at Johns Hopkins University, dives into the captivating world of spices. She discusses the overlooked potential of food bioactives compared to marine compounds. Kantha shares her personal memories of saffron harvesting and reveals exciting research on saffron's neuroprotective properties. The chemistry behind ginger's various forms and capsaicin’s pain-relief mechanisms also gets attention. Plus, they explore the antimicrobial benefits of cinnamon and cumin's practical applications in health.

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we get to the bottom of if glass is a liquid or a solid and why riboflavin makes milk fluorescent. Then we talk about the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) — the first space-based observatory that NASA scientists and their collaborators are sending up into space to detect and study gravitational waves, better known as “ripples in spacetime.” We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 1856, after yet another day of disappointing experiments, a chemist named William Henry Perkin was cleaning up his glassware when he made a discovery that would harken a new — and colorful — era of science and industry. Just 18 years old, Perkin was a promising young student in a prestigious lab at the Royal College of Chemistry in London and he was supposed to be figuring out a way to make a chemical compound called quinine. Despite his best efforts, Perkin was coming up empty — or rather — producing a lot of dirty dishes with little to show for it. But he did notice that there was a curious goop in one of his flasks, and it turned a brilliant shade of purple in the wash. Intrigued, Perkin decided to try dyeing a swatch of silk with his serendipitous solution. Although he had failed yet again to produce quinine, Perkin had created the very first synthetic dye and launched a scientific industry that is still bringing new drugs and dyes to market today.Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter!Links to the Tiny Show and Tell stories are here and here. All Tiny Matters transcripts and references are available here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.