

Distillations | Science History Institute
Science History Institute
Distillations is the Science History Institute’s critically acclaimed flagship podcast. We take deep dives into stories that range from the serious to the eccentric, all to help listeners better understand the surprising science that is all around us. Hear about everything from the crisis in Alzheimer’s research to New England’s 19th-century vampire panic in compelling, sometimes-funny, documentary-style audio stories.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 11, 2008 • 10min
Episode 5: The Body Chemical
Western medicine has always looked at the body as a system in balance. Today’s show looks at how ideas about the body’s equilibrium have changed over the past few centuries, from humoral theory to the discovery of vitamins and the role of trace elements in human health. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:12 The Element of the Week: Black bile 02:52 Mystery Solved: Pellagra 05:39 Trace elements, or why do we need selenium and nickel, anyway? 08:55 Quote of the Week: Albert Szent-Gyorgyi 09:15 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Erin McLeary for researching this show. Additional credits available at distillations.org.

Jan 4, 2008 • 12min
Episode 4: Measurement
Chemistry has always been a science of measurement. In this episode, we look at several cases of how measurements affect scientific research and practice as well as daily life. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:09 The Element of the Week: Platinum 03:34 Interview with Norm Holden, Brookhaven National Laboratories, on changing atomic weights 07:21 Stoichiometry: Featuring Robert Wolke, author of What Einstein Told His Cook 11:28 Quote of the Week: Robert Weber 11:46 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Hilary Domush for researching this show. Additional credits available at distillations.org.

Dec 28, 2007 • 7min
Episode 3: Happy Holidays from CHF!
This week, in honor of the holiday season, we’re offering a toast to chemistry. We’ll explain what makes champagne bubble, and why size matters when you’re talking about carbonation. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 01:03 Element of the Week: Phosphorus 02:48 The Science behind Champagne Bubbles 05:57 Quote of the Week: Graham Greene 06:16 Closing Credits CREDITS Additional credits available at distillations.org

Dec 21, 2007 • 11min
Episode 2: Cleaning Up
After the recent oil spills in the San Francisco Bay and the Kerch Strait, Distillations delves into the reality of cleaning up human-made messes. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:32 Introduction 00:55 Commentary by Jody Roberts 02:55 Element of the Week: Mercury 04:44 Cleaning up the San Francisco oil spill 09:12 Quote of the Week: Barry Commoner 09:44 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Jody Roberts for researching this show. Additional credits available at distillations.org.

Dec 14, 2007 • 11min
Episode 1: Communicating Chemistry
How do scientists explain what they do to the larger public, and how can historians help? In this first episode of Distillations, we explore this question by looking at phlogiston, an obsolete element once thought to explain combustion. SHOW CLOCK 00:00 Opening Credits 00:42 The periodic table 01:52 Element of the Week: Phlogiston 04:02 Interview with Paul Smith, director of lecture demonstrations in the department of chemistry, Purdue University 09:16 Quote of the week: Primo Levi 09:43 Closing Credits CREDITS Special thanks to Anke Timmermann for researching this show. Additional credits available at sciencehistory.org.