Bonus: How do you remove superglue from your fingers? (and other questions)
Hey. I'm Melissa.
Jam:I'm Jam.
Melissa:And I'm a chemist.
Jam:And I'm not.
Melissa:And welcome to chemistry for your life.
Jam:The podcast that helps you understand questions and comments about Chemistry in your everyday life.
Melissa:I can I always I'm like, I wonder what he's gonna say this time?
Jam:I wonder too. I forget that it's not gonna be the same or, like, that it's not It's better to kinda not do exactly the same intro.
Melissa:Mhmm. And
Jam:then I'm like, oh, dang it. What am I gonna do?
Melissa:So it's always a surprise you as much as it is for us?
Jam:Oh, yeah. Like, what's
Melissa:gonna that.
Jam:Who knows what's gonna come out of my brain in a second?
Melissa:Well, we've got all kinds of stuff today. I'm really excited.
Jam:Me too. We have we have this is a very full page of stuff.
Melissa:It is a very full page. I feel like
Jam:it's been a while since we've had, like, a really full q and r, which is fine. You know? But this looks like it's gonna be fun. Can we jump right in?
Melissa:Let's do it.
Jam:You ready?
Melissa:I'm ready.
Jam:Okay. So this question comes from Vianette g, and she asks, I've heard that consuming renewable things, Like grocery bags, it's not much better because the amount of energy it takes to make that is equivalent to consuming plastic bags. Is that true?
Melissa:Okay, Vianette. One of my resources, and I can't remember which one or where, mentioned this. And they said and I only saw it 1 place, so I hesitate to affirm things that I could only find in 1 place. Really try to get multiple sources for everything I say on a show in an episode, but I did read that that might be true. And what they said right after that was the best thing you can do is reuse the things you already have rather than using onetime use objects or items.
Melissa:So that may be true. I think the thing I read specifically said recycling a paper bag takes Roughly the same amount of carbon footprint as leaving a plastic bag, but I couldn't really wrap my mind around that because a plastic bag takes so long to break down and stays in the environment and hurts animals, that it's hard for me to imagine a carbon footprint that would be equivalent to that impact. But, ultimately, everywhere agreed that the best thing to do is use what you already have rather than Getting new items and disposing of it. That onetime use disposable culture is not beneficial to the environment. So the best thing to do is reuse what you have.
Jam:Got it. Got it. Okay. That makes sense.
Melissa:Good question, Vianette. Okay. So the next one I'm gonna read, this is paraphrased. We have a, friend of the podcast, Shayel, who loves to send his voice memos on Instagram, which I love. I'm a big voice memo person.
Melissa:And she also loves to call Jam out on his missed puns. She's called him out a few times.
Jam:Mhmm. Yep.
Melissa:And so on the polymer episode, She noticed that I had said I was really sad about plastics, and then I later said that I angry wrote the episode on a Saturday. And she said, jam, how did you miss it? A Saturday. So it was really good catch, Shail. And you're right.
Melissa:It was a sad Saturday
Jam:Yep.
Melissa:When I was so sad about that Yeah.
Jam:I totally missed it.
Melissa:Our Situation.
Jam:I totally missed it. And you're right that we like she mentioned how, you know, pronunciation of that of the word Saturday can be different depending on where you are, in the world, but We definitely say it with a very soft t, like a d. It just did not cross my mind at all because of how I just think of the word as being SAT. You know? And so Yeah.
Jam:It didn't enter my mind at all that we literally say sad her day.
Melissa:Yeah. So? Well and she's got a beautiful accent from, I think, Australia.
Jam:Yeah. Yep.
Melissa:So so she probably heard the sad a lot harder Oh, yeah. American accents.
Jam:That's true. We do that pretty hard. We don't we are very soft on our teas a lot of times. But Yeah. Good catch, Shail.
Jam:I'll I'll try not to miss a good pun like that next time. Okay. This next question is from Anthony c, and he asks, In the polymer episode, you mentioned catalysis. Did you ever say what catalysis is?
Melissa:That is a good question, Anthony. I think I may have said it early on in some old episodes, and there's a slightly different definition of Catalysis or catalysts in biology than in chemistry. But I'll just say that a catalyst essentially serves to Facilitate a reaction. It helps a reaction happen quicker or easier or just facilitates a reaction in some way. So that's the best definition I can give across the board for a catalyst.
Melissa:And so those plastics, I think They were converted with catalysis, I think, is what he's mentioning. So there's something that helped that reaction along.
Jam:Okay. So the word catalyst and the word catalysis are They're describing a similar thing. The catalyst would be, like, the thing, the substance, then catalysis would be the process?
Melissa:Yes. That's exactly right.
Jam:Got it. I don't think I realized I don't think I really thought about that, but, obviously, they sound so much the same. Okay. This next question comes from Shael from Our our fun watcher. Do I spill hot water more because the molecules are moving around more?
Melissa:Okay. This is such a good question. My honest answer is I have no idea, but I thought that this Thought process is the exact kind of thought process you want to see in a science mind, so that's why I wanted to put it in there.
Jam:Mhmm.
Melissa:Because the molecules are moving Ron Moore in hot water for sure. So the more energy that you put into a molecule, the more it moves around. So I don't know for sure if you're more likely to spill it because it has more motion, but I do think that that is the way to be thinking. So I'm not sure, realistically, how that impacts the spillage of your drink or your hot tea or whatever, but I loved the thought process behind knowing that with more energy, with more heat, the molecules are moving around more, and that is gonna impact the motion of the fluid of the liquid. I was so excited.
Melissa:So good job, Shael. I don't have a solid answer for you, but I'm so impressed with that thought process.
Jam:I've noticed that to be really true with milk. Like, obviously, you've got milk either really cold in the fridge. And if you heat it up, like, to make hot chocolate or whatever, I noticed it it seems very visually, like, it sloshes around more, but mocha's kinda thick anyway. And so it's Obviously, a different question than talking about water, but I've I've definitely noticed that. That's interesting thing.
Melissa:I know. I thought it was really good, and I think it does take up more volume, that thermal expansion that we talked about. So it could also be that it's just taking up more space, And so it's more likely to go over
Jam:the top. Interesting. This next question's from Fisher p, And he asks, how do I know if a career in chemistry is right for me? Great question, Fisher. So what I like to think about whenever I'm just kidding.
Jam:Melissa, Help help Fisher know what to do with this one.
Melissa:Here's what I think. I think if you really like it And you have to have some level of discipline. But if you really like it and you're willing to work hard at it, then it's right for you. Because I think some people think, oh, chemistry is right for you if it just comes really naturally to you. And I think to some degree, it did for me, but my favorite type of chemistry is organic chemistry, and I did not do well in that class right away.
Melissa:I the 1st time I took it, I was had some personal stuff going on. I wasn't a very good student. I passed it, but barely. I didn't learn a lot, But I'd already fallen in love with the lab work, so I tried to take the class again. And then I had some more personal stuff happen in my life, so I couldn't focus on the class very much.
Melissa:So I actually had to take the class twice in undergrad to get a foundation and then again in grad school.
Jam:Wow.
Melissa:And I was not very good at it All those times. And I remember calling my mom and saying, I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I'm if I'm good enough Mhmm. At this, and I worry I'll never be able to learn it. And she said, do you think it's really fun?
Melissa:Do you like it? Then I think it's worth it for you to keep trying. Just Keep trying. I don't think it's time for you to give up yet. And so then I offered to TA the course.
Melissa:So I had to be able to answer students' questions and Sit in class every single day, and that is when it really clicked for me. So I basically sat through organic chemistry Four times before I would say I became an expert and then had to take a lot of of high level exams in the class to become a PhD candidate. And that is when I started to feel like I really knew organic chemistry. So if you looked at me as a sophomore in college and the amount of level I put into it, you would have said a career in chemistry is not right for her, but I loved it, and I pursued it. And so I think that's how you know.
Melissa:You can also take into account things like Where you wanna live, if you're willing to move, if you're interested in bench chemistry. Organic chemists have a high level of cancer because they're exposed to a lot of chemicals. You know, so there's things to consider, but if you really love it, you can find in the variety of jobs that are offered in chemistry, You could find something that allows you to do chemistry in your everyday life.
Jam:Dang awesome. And you really, like, leaned into the challenge there.
Melissa:Yeah. It's kind of insane that I chose to keep going. But I had been in the lab already, and making new things in the lab really inspired me. I really wanted to keep making things in the lab, and I knew I had to understand the chemistry if I wanted to be able to go very far in that field.
Jam:Nice. Nice. And even though you picked chemistry, you've, like, changed exactly what you're gonna do in chemistry?
Melissa:Yes. Definitely.
Jam:So I guess it's okay to maybe not always know exactly what you're gonna do.
Melissa:Definitely. Yes. That that's a great question, and I just really wanna reiterate that. It's not about skill and ability. It's about do you enjoy it, and are you willing to work hard to understand it?
Jam:Nice. Nice. I think that's awesome advice. So this next question, I think I've heard halfly Like, from way back when they would did, like, the 1st q and r. This next question, the next statement.
Jam:So this is from Dan s, and he said, For superglue, your original question that wasn't answered was how to remove superglue like if your fingers were stuck together.
Melissa:That's right. JD came and asked me that, and I meant to answer it in the episode, and I forgot. We got this question from Anthony Cee from Nikki Inn, from doctor Moon. A bunch of people wrote in to point out my error in that. So I'm sorry, you guys.
Melissa:But here, he did it for me, so that's exciting.
Jam:So he says the acetone works like a nail polish remover. And if you put a small amount on the end of cotton swab and apply it directly to the glue, that should dissolve the bond without damaging the skin.
Melissa:Yeah. So what I read was that might solvate, which means to surround it with solvent, the molecules and make them easier to slide past each other, it may break the bond. I'm not sure if it actually does break those cross link bonds, But it definitely will help it come off of your skin.
Jam:Nice. Interesting.
Melissa:I read that same thing in my research and meant to put it in the episode and forgot, I can vouch for that.
Jam:Nice. Okay. Cool. I usually have, like, not really I've never really, like, glued my fingers together, but if ever I get some on me, I feel like you should just left it. Let it slowly come off on its own.
Jam:That'd be nice to have a quicker method than that.
Melissa:Yeah. I just leave it usually too.
Jam:And then Dan s also mentioned the book that you talked about that we've had somebody else recommend as well called Napoleon's Buttons.
Melissa:Oh, yeah. Doctor Moon recommended that That's right. When she wrote in.
Jam:And he said that he highly recommends that book, especially for budding chemists, High school students are early college. Mixes chemistry and history in an easily readable book. And I thought that sounds, like, great for me also. A Non Chemist in a Chemistry Podcast. I feel like that's I should definitely read that.
Melissa:Yeah. That book and he mentioned another one that I actually already have that I found randomly in a resale bookshop in Virginia Wow. That's called Genie in a Bottle that I but knowing we were gonna do this podcast, and I have never actually gotten around to reading it. So those are good book suggestions. I'm excited.
Melissa:I I have never read Napoleon's So, apparently, I've gotta get on it. So the next thing I'm gonna read is from Richard P, And he wrote me an email. He said, you were so right when you answered a question about how to survive organic chemistry. I struggled through chemistry until I was preparing for my final exam in 1st semester organic. Something finally clicked when I realized exactly what you said.
Melissa:You cannot memorize the material. You have to practice it. I think of it as you have to understand the material. Anyway, it was that moment that I decided it would be my major. I was so excited.
Melissa:Thanks, Richard, for writing that in. That makes me really happy to hear and that You had a similar experience. I tell my students all the time, it's important to understand, not just memorize. So glad you had that experience, and thanks for sharing it. I love hearing from other people who love chemistry.
Melissa:That was exciting.
Jam:Dana is awesome. Very, very cool. Also, good luck, Richard.
Melissa:Yeah. Keep us posted as you travel through your schooling.
Jam:Mhmm. Okay. These next questions are kind of not as chemistry specific. Neema k asked, how long are you going to continue? What's the future plan?
Melissa:Well, Neema, I mean, I guess Jam can answer this too. I think we're Pretty well on the same page,
Jam:but I
Melissa:think we wanna continue as long as we can.
Jam:Yep.
Melissa:I really love this podcast. It really helped Renew my love of chemistry and chemistry education. I had kind of a bad experience coming out of my master's degree and was a little burnt out. In doing this has really helped me remember why I love chemistry, and
Jam:I
Melissa:don't ever wanna give that up. I sometimes worry we'll run out of topics or the com the concepts are gonna be so complicated that I have to do so much research per episode. But Until I just absolutely have no idea what to talk about anymore, I think we're gonna keep going.
Jam:I Not to toot our own horn, but this is the kind of podcast that I would listen to if I wasn't part of it. Like, I love science podcasts even though I'm not a science person is not anything I do for work or anything like that. And and so I think one thing that really keeps me excited about it is it feels like there's a clear place for this podcast out in The world is many podcasts, but not one exactly like this for this specific topic that, I had come across before, and so it feels like it really affords its place in the the spectrum of many podcasts. And so we hope that That is the same for you guys that a lot of listeners feel that way, and there's plenty of people who still really, really benefit from having this podcast out there and feel like whether they're student or just really love science that they learn a lot. But I think it'd be especially cool if we could spend more time on it in the future.
Jam:And if it could not really, like, need doesn't need to make a ton of money, but just, for it, it's time for most to spend more time in research or for us to be able to do some maybe different, ideas that Melissa's talked about in the past, maybe trying to have some other experts that we can talk to or something like that. I think that'd be really cool. We don't Obviously, we can't just force that to happen, but it would be very, very cool. We dream about that a lot.
Melissa:Yeah. I'm definitely, right now, living my science communication dreams, Getting to talk about chemistry on a weekly basis in a format that's open and available to everyone is what I want to be doing long term. So if this And things like this can be my career. That's what I think I would want. And so, I mean, I also love science research, so it's hard to imagine moving completely away from that.
Melissa:But I always want science communication to be a part of my career, so I'm gonna prioritize this as long as it's reasonable and as long as people still listen. So And it seems like y'all are having fun. I mean, we hear a lot from people and get to talk to our listeners quite a bit. And so I think that As long as you guys find it valuable, and we do too, we'll keep going. Mhmm.
Melissa:So we love it. We really love it, and we're so thankful to hear from you guys.
Jam:Yeah. You guys make it totally worth it, and y'all have some of the best ideas and questions too. So in every way, like, one, It's not fun to do something if people aren't really listening. It's not helping people. And then, 2, the back and forth nature of how awesome it is to hear from you guys and hear cool ideas from y'all and great questions and just good feedback and encouragement.
Jam:So it's it's a very awesome thing.
Melissa:Yeah. Thank you guys so much. I mean, we we try to thank you as much as we can, but just seriously thank you for letting us have the opportunity to make this show and To feel like it's making people's lives better.
Jam:This next question is a really tough one. Gets right to the core, Right to the Heart really cuts through, and it's a really vulnerable one too, I think. Harry b asked to know What is our favorite animal?
Melissa:Harry's been killing it with these favorites lately.
Jam:Yeah. I
Melissa:don't know if I have a favorite animal. Can I say my favorite plants or succulents?
Jam:I guess as a scientist, you'd have to recognize that it does not fulfill the question, and the animal In plant are different whatever those are called, whatever term that is, kingdoms or something?
Melissa:Okay. Well, The first one that came to my mind was penguins then because they're really cute, and they kinda waddle around. And, You know, they've got some interesting insulation stuff happening to keep them warm, so I think I'm gonna go with penguins for right now. But I don't Know that I would stick to that as every single time.
Jam:Yeah. That's a good answer. I also love penguins. The these are they're very interesting, And I've seen some actually out in the world. But
Melissa:Wow. In the wild?
Jam:Mhmm. Mhmm. In New Zealand, believe it or not, they're penguins. So That's cool. I have a super hard time giving you an answer, but I'm gonna give an answer.
Jam:But It could be that tomorrow I kinda have a different favorite animal. But
Melissa:I know. Yeah.
Jam:So right now and I've seen a lot of animals in their Natural situation, which is super cool. Like, it's definitely cooler than a zoo if you can help it.
Melissa:Yeah. Definitely.
Jam:One animal that I kinda have an overall love hate relationship with just birds in general. I'm just totally fascinated with them and very interested in them. There's so many kinds of birds. And Yeah. But then I'm also if you guys remember from about probably a year ago when we first started the podcast, then I would tell stories about being swooped at by birds in our neighborhood.
Melissa:Yes. Yes. I remember.
Jam:Yes. That's a low hate deal for me, but what I really like are I love falcons. Like, Peregrine Falcons, I'm just fascinated there. Look. They're so beautiful.
Jam:They're amazing. They're the fastest animal, period. There's not a faster animal than the peregrine falcon. Just let that soak in for a second.
Melissa:That's crazy.
Jam:All the things you see, like, run really fast and stuff. Not even close to how fast A paragon falcon can just dive bomb at something. So Wow. Yeah. It's nuts.
Jam:I really love them. They're really cool. I think today, I'll say that that is my answer.
Melissa:Well, I'll say Alice, my mom, who, you know, has had such an impact on me in this podcast who passed away earlier this year, Loved birds. So if you see a hummingbird or a red winged blackbird, just think of Alice and the impact hot on the world because those are 2 that she would get really excited when she saw. She'd say, oh, look. A hummingbird and be so excited.
Jam:So Yeah. Yeah. They're birds are striking. You kinda have to, like Mhmm. They make you forget what you're talking about or what you're doing.
Jam:When you see a bird that is different or do unusual or whatever, I think it's just kinda like, oh, wow. There's a hummingbird right there. That's like that happens when you see a hummingbird. Or, like, if you were to see a falcon of some kind or something, I think it'd be very Striking. So
Melissa:Yeah. Definitely. That was a good one. Thanks, Harry. We, you're you're doing great with these favorite questions.
Jam:So speaking earlier of how thankful we are for you guys, this is the time where we like to really thank people who have contributed to our and just Donate a little bit to help cover the costs of making the show, and that just means so much to us. Just like you guys listening and sending questions, and and stuff means a lot to us too. The few people who contribute to our co fi really help us cover the costs that we do currently do have for the podcast, and, we're We're just so thankful. So we wanna give a shout out to the people who have done that this past month.
Melissa:So the 1st person who gave this month was Joy c, that was really exciting because I know Joy in real life, she works in the chemistry department, and she has started listening to the show in her office, which is so fun, and she has, started following us on social media. And I I just thought that was so special for her to support us in that way. So special thanks, Joy, to you for that, and also for doing all our print jobs because I could not survive without And then the 2nd person is a mystery person. They stayed anonymous, but they left a really nice message. They said, thanks for the great podcast.
Melissa:My 2 young daughters had a blast making the density column and testing different objects in it per your instructions. Nice. So that was fun. I love imagining that. That's really great.
Jam:That's awesome.
Melissa:And then the final person I wanna shout out, They didn't give on Cofield, but I have a friend, doctor Weber at Texas State University, and She sent me a text message and told me that she mentioned our podcast to one of her students, Edgar Tee at Texas State University, and he Already listened and is one of our weekly listeners and was really excited that she knew me. So Wow. I thought that was kind of funny in a small world. So Uh-huh. I wanted to shout out Edgar Tee.
Melissa:Thanks for listening and for working hard in your chemistry class. That's awesome.
Jam:Tee, that's awesome. Pink. Small world. That's kinda freaky.
Melissa:I know.
Jam:I I
Melissa:was like, that's amazing and so funny, and I immediately asked his name so that I could share because I thought that was really nice.
Jam:Ding. That's awesome. Well, guys, thanks so much for your questions, statements, and and everything. We love getting to do these q and r's.
Melissa:Yeah. We definitely love it, and we're so thankful, like we said, to have you guys listen and to write in questions and interact with us. That makes it So much more fun. This episode of Chemistry For Your Life was created by Melissa Collini and Jam Robinson,
