Distillations #137 – Cocktail Chemistry

It’s official – reporting on alcohol has become a Distillations holiday tradition. In 2007 we covered champagne. In 2010 it was beer. And this year, the hard stuff. First, producer Catherine Girardeau visits St. George Spirits in Alameda, California, where master distillers concoct tasty artisan spirits. Catherine also visits one of my favorite Bay Area…

Distillations #136 – The Chemistry of Music

On this episode of Distillations, it’s a symphony of science. First, our assistant producer Anne Fredrickson reveals one of the secrets of Stradivari violins’ phenomenal sound. Then, a profile of sound artist Susan Alexjander, who uses vibrational frequencies from the natural world – from DNA to planetary spins – to create her music. I produced…