Distillations | Science History Institute

We are marking the one year anniversary of Distillations this week! To celebrate we’re looking back at the year 2008 and its noteworthy occasions: first, boron, whose 200th birthday was this year, then, the Nobel Prize. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:07 Element of the Week: Boron 03:20 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry 06:49 The Most Significant Chemical Moment of 2008 10:20 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Eleanor Goldberg and Chi Chan for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Thanks to J. J. Thomson‘s plum pudding model of the atom, chemistry will be forever associated with 19th-century British Christmas traditions. His model was soon discarded, but it remains a staple of high school chemistry textbooks. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:10 Element of the Week: Tin 02:47 Tools of the Trade: Plum Pudding 05:41 Feature: Ham 10:47 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush, Anke Timmermann, and Eleanor Goldberg for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

The truth behind the fake—this week Distillations explores the science of forgery. Some forgery is known and expected, such as fake meat products for vegetarians, while other fakes are meant to deceive…think imitated artists. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:31 Update: The Electric Car 03:49 Update: Cleaning Up Oil Spills 09:27 Update: A Planet in Peril 13:00 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Erin McLeary, Audra Wolfe, and Rebecca Sheir for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Americans are still relatively new to consuming wine—but they do so with gusto during the holiday season. On today’s show we take a look at the chemistry of this intoxicating substance: its aroma, its flavor, and its sometimes unwanted side effects. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:52 Element of the Week: Oxygen 02:54 Mystery Solved! Sulfites and Hangovers 05:35 Feature: Organic Wines 10:11 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush and Eric Mack for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Monday, December 1, is the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. In honor of this campaign, Distillations is considering global health. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 00:58 Element of the Week: Silver 02:59 A Conversation with Seema Shah 07:54 Mystery Solved! Affordable Vaccines 11:27 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Dominique Tobbell for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Nothing is more important to parents than the health of their children, and advances in chemistry and pharmaceuticals have made it possible for children to receive the best care that science has to offer. However, chemical hazards in everyday life still pose hidden risks to children. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:33 Introduction 00:58 Element of the Week: Lithium 02:49 A Conversation with Sandra Steingraber 08:38 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Bisphenol A 11:18 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jody Roberts and Eleanor Goldberg for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Eating is one of life’s simple pleasures, but the chemical process behind it is actually quite complex. Balancing the right minerals with good taste is no easy matter. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 00:50 Element of the Week: Magnesium 02:56 Mystery Solved: Umami 07:14 Poetry Reading: “A General Description of the West-Indian Islands.” 11:17 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Audra Wolfe for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Alchemy is about a lot more than turning lead into gold or making the philosopher’s stone. Until the 17th century, alchemists worked hard in their laboratories to produce medicines, develop metal- and glass-working techniques, and uncover the quintessential essence of all earthly and celestial matter. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:09 Element of the Week: Quintessence 02:54 Review of Tara Nummedal’s Alchemy and Authority in the Holy Roman Empire 06:34 Alchemy at the Corning Museum of Glass 11:15 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Nina Goodby and Anke Timmermann for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

Happy Halloween from Distillations! This week we’re looking at the world of cosmetics, which seems fitting for a day when many people wear makeup who might not normally. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:08 Element of the Week: Lead 03:02 Conversation with Rodger Curren 07:12 Cosmetics Database Report 11:23 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jen Dionisio for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.

The first cars didn’t run on gas—they ran on electricity. Over a century later, the high cost of fuel has finally forced automakers to take the possibility of battery-powered cars seriously. On today’s show we look at three kinds of batteries that have been proposed as transportation solutions. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:31 Introduction 01:13 Element of the Week: Nickel 03:08 Mystery Solved! Hydrogen fuel-cell cars 06:38 GM’s lithium-ion battery lab 11:13 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Devin Browne and Chi Chan for researching this show. Additional credits available at chemheritage.org/distillations.