Fall Mini 01 - Vanilla and beaver butts?
Hey. I'm Melissa.
Jam:I'm Jam.
Melissa:And I'm a chemist.
Jam:And I'm not. And welcome
Melissa:to chemistry for your life.
Jam:The podcast that helps you understand the chemistry of your day
Melissa:life. Okay. So before we get to today's episode, listeners, y'all might have noticed that we Have a little bit of a different title today. Mhmm. And we have kind of an announcement before we actually get going with the chemistry content.
Jam:But don't worry. Everything's good.
Melissa:Everything's great.
Jam:We're just trying something a little different for just this month.
Melissa:Just this month. So here's a little bit of the backstory on this. We've been doing this podcast for 2 years now.
Jam:Which is crazy.
Melissa:It's incredible. It's incredible. And we've made so many friends, and we've met so many people. And I say this all the time, but I am Truly living out my dream of doing science communication and convincing people that chemistry is fun and cool.
Jam:Yeah. Yeah.
Melissa:Like, we started this because I used to bother my roommates by telling them the chemistry of everyday things, and then they would be intrigued after I forced them to listen. Right. So and it's been such an amazing 2 years. We have grown so much in that time. We've met so many people, but A lot has changed on my end that the listeners might not know about.
Jam:Mhmm.
Melissa:So we wanna kinda change things up a little, in October and a little bit into November while we rethink the structure of the podcast. Right. So kind of from my perspective, I think Jim's experience has been pretty similar. He learns a chemistry lesson Yeah. And then he edits the episode.
Jam:Yeah.
Melissa:But for me, when we started, I already knew most of the topics that we talked about. And so I had practiced sharing them actually before just with other people because I was excited about them, and I was really confident. It was really just general chemistry that I had already learned, and I just needed to fact check.
Jam:Mhmm. Mhmm. But
Melissa:the more episodes that we've done and the more questions we have from our listeners, The more often I'm trying to learn new information and then turn around and teach it to you.
Jam:Mhmm. Mhmm.
Melissa:And, usually, the chemistry is something that I already know about. You know, I know about the carbons and the way they're connected, or I know what a polymer is, something like that. Yeah. But I don't usually know this new application as we're asking more and more questions. I didn't know a lot about BPA.
Melissa:Mhmm. I haven't known a lot about The way maple syrup works, I mean, I'm learning so much alongside with you guys.
Jam:Yeah. And it makes sense. It's like it's everyday stuff, but it's going deep On very specific topics
Melissa:Yes.
Jam:That haven't naturally come up for you in the past. Right. You haven't had to go deep on some of these newer topics in the past, you know, Year or whatever of episodes.
Melissa:Definitely. And it's still really fun. I love it. Yeah. But I think it just is a little bit harder to prepare those episodes or maybe more time consuming is a more accurate thing Mhmm.
Melissa:Because I'm having to find good resources that I trust. I don't already just know it off the top of my head. Yeah. And trying to connect it back to a chemistry topic that I think that the listeners will think is interesting Mhmm. And that I think you will think is interesting Yeah.
Melissa:And that I think is interesting. Yeah. It
Jam:needs to be interesting all around.
Melissa:Yeah. We all need to be excited about the chemistry, so it can be time Consuming to put all that together. Yeah. And it's grown in the amount of time it's consuming.
Jam:Even in our show notes, you guys might have noticed there's times where there's, like, 10 or 11 resources we put in there that Melissa read through and consulted to make sure she fully understood something, which is way up from, like, the first few episodes where we had, like, Maybe 3 or 4, and a lot of it was also just Melissa's brain.
Melissa:Right.
Jam:Now sometimes there's, like, 10 or 11, which is nuts. So
Melissa:It really is.
Jam:That changes a lot. That's a lot to read and look through and stuff.
Melissa:It's a lot to read and look through. And so that has as time has As it's become more time consuming, that's taken away from some of the other things we wanna do. Mhmm. So we've talked to a forensic chemist that wants to come on. We've talked to a food scientist.
Melissa:Finally, I'm so excited, that wants to come on. Mhmm. But we haven't even had time to coordinate meeting with them or what they would even talk about because each week, So much of my time is consumed by focusing on that just that week's episode. We're just getting through it.
Jam:Yeah.
Melissa:So we wanted to take a little bit of time in this fall time where school's picked up its crazy. You know, Jam's baby's walking all over the place now. Yeah. Yeah. And we're trying to balance all of our real life things plus this a fun hobby that we have.
Melissa:So we wanted to change things up a little and give us some time to think about what's gonna be the best structure of the podcast to bring you guys Quality chemistry content. What's gonna be a way that we can connect with our CoFi supporters? I, after we made this change, Looked at our email for the first time apparently since July because it's been that long since I've had time to answer our emails because it's been so hectic.
Jam:Yeah. Yeah.
Melissa:And our schedules are lighter in the summer, both Jim's and mine, and usually more hectic in the fall. Mhmm. And so Having a little bit of a breather is pretty exciting because we'll have time to focus on some of that stuff, like our co emails, making Instagram content. Yeah. Haven't made an Instagram post in, I think, 2 months.
Melissa:You know? So those are things we care about. We wanna hear from you guys. We wanna connect with you, and this is just giving us time to think through how we're gonna do that.
Jam:Yeah. Yeah.
Melissa:So what you guys will have in the meantime is what we're calling fall mini episodes, and that will be Some chemistry content still. It's gonna be lighter, shorter episodes, sort of like q and r style. We'll talk about the vanilla and beaver butts. Don't worry. You guys have asked about that extensively.
Melissa:We'll talk about sugar. We'll talk about BPA. Sometimes it'll just be jam and I chatting, And we're even having an expert on to talk about imposter syndrome in the sciences. So we've got a lot of exciting content planned for this. It's just gonna be a little different than your traditional chemistry episodes.
Jam:And way, way less time for Melissa to prep and research from the back end. So, like, I mean, before we even record. So That gives her tons of room to to think about other stuff and work on other things in terms of the broader podcast stuff instead of having to read 10 or 11, A journal papers. Yeah. Exactly.
Jam:And so it just gives it a little little break, but still gives you guys some content for this month. We don't wanna Right. Leave you guys high and dry. That's for sure.
Melissa:And I've already seen the fruit of that in the fact that I was finally able to answer emails and messages on Instagram. I was so excited to read many that I haven't had a chance to, and also that we were able to launch our merch campaign, which we'll talk about Later.
Jam:Yes. Yes.
Melissa:So we've already seen the fruit of some of that time being put back into my schedule and and what we can do to plan for the podcast in that time. So very exciting.
Jam:Yeah. Absolutely.
Melissa:So with that in mind, we wanna give you guys a taste of your On this worldwide myth or I guess it's not really a myth, but
Jam:Mhmm.
Melissa:This worldwide discussion on Vanilla from beaver's butts.
Jam:Mhmm. Mhmm.
Melissa:So Emily, Miriam, and Sam all asked about my thoughts on vanilla from Beavers Butts.
Jam:Mhmm. I had also heard, because I know other people, the same rumor, so to speak. And Immediately skeptical from the 1st time I heard it, but I don't have any background. And I never did any work to try to Google it. I just thought that sounds not right.
Jam:But
Melissa:Well, you're wrong. It is kind of right.
Jam:But it sounds overblown.
Melissa:It's definitely overblown. You're kinda right, and they're kinda right, but you're both kinda wrong So
Jam:Yeah. Well, I'll take the kinda right, and I'll leave the kinda wrong. Thank you very much. Just kidding. I'm interested to hear.
Jam:I'm really interested to hear what What the real info is on this?
Melissa:So the real info is I got most of this from a National Geographic article, so I trust that. And then there is some stuff from the FDA, and there was one from I think this is from where a a reviewer of ours just moved to, the Edinburgh news scot Scotsman.com. I think that's Nice. From Edinburgh, Scotland, which someone that we love and care about moved to Edinburgh.
Jam:Yes.
Melissa:So the I was excited to see that.
Jam:That's awesome.
Melissa:So but, primarily, I looked at the National Geographic article in the FDA, and the whole idea is that Fever's anal glands produce this goo Mhmm. That smells good
Jam:Okay.
Melissa:Which is kinda disgusting. Yep. I think some of you guys with dogs have probably had to have your dog's anal glands expressed
Jam:Mhmm.
Melissa:Because they smell terrible.
Jam:Yeah.
Melissa:Well, beaver's anal glands don't smell terrible.
Jam:Okay. Good for them, I guess.
Melissa:Good for them. Yeah. Kind of wish our dog's rears had anal glands that smelled like vanilla.
Jam:Yeah. Yeah. Seriously. Man, I I'm getting a beaver next. That's it.
Jam:Decide it right now.
Melissa:Well, that good smell has appeared in food and perfume for over 80 years.
Jam:Okay.
Melissa:So and that stuff is called castoreum.
Jam:Okay.
Melissa:And if there's less than a certain amount, it's labeled as artificial favor flavors. If if it's in food by the FDA, if it's more than a certain amount, then they will note it as castoreum.
Jam:Okay.
Melissa:So here's the thing.
Jam:K.
Melissa:It's hard to get castoreum.
Jam:Mhmm. Sounds not the easiest thing to get.
Melissa:Yeah. You have to capture a beaver
Jam:Yeah.
Melissa:And express its glands Mhmm. And take that substance, which I'm assuming is a goo made up of a lot of different things. Mhmm.
Jam:And
Melissa:so to use it in a product, I think you'd have to isolate the things that smell good about it. Mhmm. So I think if I had to guess, as a chemist, I think I would probably Imagine there's some purification process.
Jam:Yeah. Oh, hopefully. And also a sanitation process if
Melissa:Yeah. Surely. Yeah. Yeah. Before you can just put it in food.
Melissa:Yeah. So it is used in food and perfume, but it One fact that I read was less than £300 are consumed annually in the United States.
Jam:Wow. Okay.
Melissa:Which is very little per person.
Jam:Yeah. But,
Melissa:also, even if all vanilla came from this source, I'd be fine with it as a chemist. Mhmm. Because if it goes through a purification process, Then you're just isolating the good compounds, and it's not like it's beaver butt stuff anymore.
Jam:Right. Right.
Melissa:So I'm kinda fine with vanilla coming from there. Yeah. As a chemist, that's my official opinion.
Jam:I I also don't think I would care, but from As I've been thinking about vanilla from our episode about it
Melissa:Mhmm.
Jam:I'm like, okay. Way, way other, Better, easier, simpler
Melissa:Yes.
Jam:More abundant, more scalable Yes. Options for getting vanillin
Melissa:Yes.
Jam:And making it.
Melissa:Way other
Jam:ton Mhmm. If it's only £300 annually for everybody. Yeah. And, also, I mean, if I'm buying cheap stuff, they're not gonna No. Try to go through the lengths of getting the beaver and the gland stuff.
Jam:They're gonna make it the cheapest way, surely. Right?
Melissa:Surely, I would think.
Jam:Yeah. So I'm cool with it, but also I bet I've barely ever had any.
Melissa:I'm cool with it too for the same reasons.
Jam:Nice.
Melissa:But, also, there's some other interesting chemistry facts that go with this.
Jam:Okay. Sweet. Hear me.
Melissa:One thing that scientists theorize is the reason that Beaver's anal glands smell this way is because their diet is mostly leaves and bark, which is got a lot of lignin in it. Right.
Jam:Similar to, like, the using that to smoke meat and whatnot? Yes. Oh, cool.
Melissa:Isn't that cool? And on kind of a similar note
Jam:Mhmm.
Melissa:Someone isolated vanillin from cow dung
Jam:Okay.
Melissa:Because cows also eat a lot of plants.
Jam:K. Right.
Melissa:And the person who did that won an Ig Nobel prize for it, which I think is, like, a parody of the Nobel prize.
Jam:Oh, that's funny. I was like, weird. This I never heard ignoble. That doesn't sound very
Melissa:good. No. I don't think so. But so that's another place you could get vanilla in. And, also, again, if that was our primary source, I think be okay with it.
Jam:Yeah. Same.
Melissa:Because you're isolating just that 1 molecule
Jam:Yeah.
Melissa:And you're purifying things. Yeah. So as long as it goes through a purification process and it's chemically transformed to be a pure vanillin, I kind of don't care about this source.
Jam:Yeah. Yeah. I agree.
Melissa:But I think that's maybe that's just my opinion as a scientist. Yeah. So that's that on castoreum and Beaver's anal glands and how vanilla comes to be from them or doesn't.
Jam:Interesting.
Melissa:Mhmm.
Jam:Good question. Good answer.
Melissa:Yeah. Thanks thanks to Samwise who wrote in on Instagram and Emily and Miriam for all urgently Requesting that I address this issue in the q and r.
Jam:Thanks to
Melissa:all your listeners as well for coming and listening to our 1st fall mini episode. We're really looking forward to what the next few weeks bring. And before we wrap up the episode
Jam:Mhmm.
Melissa:There's another very exciting topic to discuss that doesn't have anything to do with anal glands?
Jam:But it does. We already intended it earlier.
Melissa:Mhmm.
Jam:It's something that you would wear much more readily than you wear anything From a Bieber's butt, and it is merch.
Melissa:It's true.
Jam:That's made not from beavers.
Melissa:Not from beavers, I don't think.
Jam:Our merch, store is back open now. We just opened it again for the 1st time in, like, almost a year.
Melissa:And we just opened it to try to be available to get all of your Christmas Gifts, if you want to get the stocking stuffer or if you know someone who loves this podcast and they'd be so excited to get, merch Mhmm. We'll have it Wrap up by October 21st so that all of these items will be shipped to you before the holiday season.
Jam:Yep. And it's October 21st at 11 PM, so That's central time. If you're in central time like we are time. Then that's the time. But just keep an eye on that.
Jam:Honestly, don't wait till that day so that you can not to sweat it. Don't worry about the time zones. Just you want some merch? Go for it sooner. But we've gotten some good feedback on the merch in the past, and we're excited to To open back up for you guys who who've been waiting to to get a chance to get some chemistry for your life stuff.
Melissa:So And I'm very excited because the chemistry for your life Chemistry sweatshirt is back.
Jam:Yes. Nice.
Melissa:I absolutely love this. This was designed by local artist, Nikki Newell. She is awesome. Check out her Instagram. And it's in both the bright red and the dark green as well as black.
Melissa:So whatever your aesthetic is, you can have a chemistry sweatshirt.
Jam:And a new thing we added this time is a tote bag.
Melissa:Yes. I'm so excited.
Jam:And one of our listeners who, who had bought something in the past so that so got notified via email as soon as we opened up the store again. Messaged us and said, oh my gosh. You guys have a tote. And I responded just with the simple message of totes, exclamation point.
Melissa:I'm really excited about this. And we have a mask that says, may the intermolecular forces be with you.
Jam:Yeah. Just a way to encourage everyone you see. Yeah. You know? It's like a little kind of Way to
Melissa:Encourage them chemistry ly.
Jam:Yes. Chemistry ly.
Melissa:And we also have our logo mug back. We have the logo mug with our faces on it Myth Me and Jam, and that was also designed by local artist Joey Hatfield.
Jam:Nice.
Melissa:So go check out that merch. Get it in time for the holiday season so you can wear your chemistry sweatshirt around all all of December. That's what I do every December. And all the proceeds from this merch run are going to go to the cost of making the show and growing the show.
Jam:Absolutely. And don't hesitate because October 21st will be here before you know it. So if you want something, definitely go grab it quickly. Well, thanks again for teaching us about beaver butts of vanilla. And thank you for the people who wrote in and asked me about this question.
Melissa:Yes. Absolutely. Thank you, guys.
Jam:If you've got an idea, thought, question, or whatever, not hesitate to reach out to us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Gmail at Kim for your life. That's Kim, f o r, your life, to share your thoughts and ideas. To help us keep our show going and contribute to cover the cost of making it, go to kodashfi.com/kem for your life, and donate the cost of a cup of coffee. Or check out the merch at our merch store on bonfire.com/store/Kim for your life. If you're not able to donate or buy some merch, you can still help us keep our show going by rating and writing our view on Apple Podcasts.
Jam:That really helps us to share chemistry with even more people.
Melissa:This episode of Chemistry For Your Life was created by Melissa Collini and Jam Robinson. References for this episode could be found in our show notes or on our website.
