Just looking at this picture makes my lungs seize up; I am SO allergic to cats. On this episode of Distillations, we examine the science of allergies. First we look at the development of hypoallergenic pets. Then producer Gretchen Kuda Croen visits the first ever dust library – a collection of individual dust particles that…
On this episode of Distillations, we examine asbestos. Once heralded as an ideal building material — light, cheap, and heat resistant — asbestos is now recognized as a major health hazard. Remediating asbestos-laden buildings is a time consuming and costly venture, so thousands of buildings sit vacant in abandoned lots throughout the country. Bob Kenworthy…
On this episode of Distillations, we tackle Mass Spectrometry – a technology that’s hard to explain and even harder to say. (Go ahead, try it!) First we learn about some of its modern uses – like newborn genetic screening and testing for steroids. Then we dip into the CHFÂ oral history archives to hear a portion…
Before there was Mr. Wizard or Bill Nye the Science Guy, there was the Fairyland of Chemistry – a late-19th century children’s book in which fairies (as the elements) dance around and join hands to make hydrochloric acid and other compounds. On this episode of Distillations we explain how educators used these fairy tale images to…
This episode of Distillations is about the early days of genetic modification. When gene manipulation first became popular in the 1940’s it was seen as a great new fad; a way to speed up evolution. People even grew atomic gardens using radioactive seeds. We interview a Yale PhD student about her research on this. Then,…
The latest episode of Distillations is about how the natural world responds to and recovers from major disasters. First, a segment on ecological succession – how plants and animals repopulate an area after it’s been devastated by a major disaster – in this case, a hurricane. Then an interview with Haverford College chemistry professor Helen…
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, here’s the latest episode of Distillations. First, a chemical exploration of spit. (We produce 2-4 PINTS of it every day!!) Then, an interview with Sheril Kirshenbaum, author of The Science of Kissing. For me, her book is right up there with Mary Roach’s Bonk – good scientific fun. [soundcloud…
Dedicated to my sports-crazed husband. J-E-T-S! (maybe next year) From the Distillations website: Whether it’s football season, baseball season, or basketball season, one thing is constant: a good chunk of the population has sports on the brain. On today’s episode of Distillations we explore why this is the case. First, producer Lindsay Patterson follows a…
The latest Distillations is all about the genome. This from the Distillations website: “Each of us is made of more than 20,000 genes that determine everything from our tendency towards baldness to our likelihood to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. On today’s episode of Distillations we look at how researchers have sought to identify our individual…
I reported this piece over the summer and it’s finally out in the world! It’s about an RPI engineer who studied how jazz music can help teach first responders to improvise better under pressure. It was produced for IEEE Spectrum Radio in collaboration with the NSF, and was mixed (beautifully) by Dennis Foley. You can…