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Melissa: [00:00:00] 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 the chemistry of your everyday life. Bonus edition.

Melissa: Q and R time, I have had so much fun with our Q and R's lately on Instagram. Posting people's responses and it's been really fun.

Jam: Nice.

Melissa: thanks to all of you who sent in questions to make this episode possible.

Jam: Yeah, we got a lot of cool ones and right out of the gate, we had a. Sort of different take on an analogy for our blue jeans episode. That was pretty recent. And so I'm just to read it. This is from Juliane. I'm just gonna read it as she wrote it. And then we can kinda talk about it. That's a little longer.

So, uh, just stick with us and don't forget that I'm reading somebody's thing halfway through that. [00:01:00] Confusing. Yeah. If you're sort of half paying attention while you're doing dishes or might that that's. Yeah. Anyway, so here's what Julianne said. I had some trouble with the episode on blue jeans and it wasn't clicking.

So I listened to the rebroadcast of bleach and then relistened to the episode on jeans and it made a lot more sense. And as I was listening to your analogy about Mulan and the Trojan horse, it made me think of an even better Greek myth to fit the episode.

Tiresias

if that's how you say that. He was born a man, but struck some snakes, which angered Hera, who turned him into a woman as a woman, Tiresias got married and board children, after seven years, she was turned back into a man by the gods after encountering another pair of snakes and sparing their lives.

So Tiresias completely physically changed and then completely physically changed back. And not only that, but each change was instigated by Tyrese's reaction to encountering [00:02:00] a pair of snakes, striking them down the first time, like striking down the bonds to oxygen with a reducing. And the second and the second time allowing the snakes to continue to live, like allowing oxygen to be present when the indigo oxidizes

Melissa: Oh my gosh. It's so good

Jam: it really is.

It's perfect. I had no, never even heard this before this

Melissa: Me neither and when he was a woman, he was able to do something that he couldn't do as a man bear children. And when the dye turns from blue to yellow, it's able to do something it can't do when it's blue bond to the jeans.

Jam: Yes. Yes, it was so perfect.

Melissa: It's so perfect. Good job, Julianne. I love that. I'm so excited to share with our listeners. Um, thanks for taking the time to dig into the chemistry and really make sure you understand it. I think now you have a great understanding and that analogy really shows that I loved it so much.

Jam: Yeah. definitely awesome. And the like [00:03:00] dedication to like go listen to that, the bleach episode and then and all that stuff. So, yeah.

Melissa: Yeah. That's amazing.

Jam: Awesome. This next question is from Kyla C and Kyla said, you mentioned this in the benzoyl peroxide episode, and then touched on it in the soap episodes. But I'm curious why don't we have a ton of soap, bleach, oxidation, or heat resistant bacteria that can infect. I'm grateful for that. Of course, in this may also have a bio component having to do with evolution. Could you expand on that in another episode.

Melissa: Yeah, it definitely has a biological component that I don't think I'm fully capable of answering as it's outside my expertise. But I will say that. When there are oxidative radical species or radical oxygen species present in cells, there needs to be a certain amount of them before the cells just freak out and it dies like a bomb almost.

So when you [00:04:00] flood a cell with oxygen radicals, it's not going to be able to make it. It doesn't matter. Like they haven't been able to figure. Uh, some process that stops a nuclear bomb, the same thing with oxidative species in your, uh, in your cell. So if you have too much of that radical oxygen, it's going to destroy the cell.

And I don't know how they could develop something against

Jam: Um,

Melissa: And similarly with the soap, you know, it will literally go in and break up the bonds that keep the membranes together. So I feel like that really makes a big difference in how it's, it's not, oh, we can come up with something that will defeat this mechanism because the mechanism is literally we're breaking the bonds.

We're destroying the thing. So I don't really know how, how you could develop a way to [00:05:00] overcome that.

Jam: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That makes sense.

Melissa: That was a good question. Kayla

Jam: This next question is from Joe. Joe said I work in agriculture and there are fungus sides, fungus sides, fungi.

Melissa: fungicides, I think, I don't know.

Jam: It's also more fun to say that way. We, there are fungicides that contain 25% hydrogen dioxide. They work to destroy the fungus growing on the crops, cultivators claim that it's safe to spray on the crops because the hydrogen peroxide breaks down into oxygen, gas and water. However, is that correct? Doesn't the hydrogen peroxide react with something in the fungus to destroy it first, before it turns into oxygen gas and water.

Surely that must be the case because otherwise, why wouldn't they just spray water on the fungus? What's actually happening.

Melissa: That's a great [00:06:00] question. So first. I say he uses two terms that both mean hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen dioxide. You don't have to say how many hydrogen atoms were there. So hydrogen dioxide, if there's two oxygen's, there's gotta be, um, two hydrogens there to counteract it. So both of those names were proper way of saying hydrogen peroxide, but this is a really good question.

And it really goes well with the episode that we did last week. So. Hydrogen peroxide is known to be a fungicide, but also I mentioned last week that plants have that catalase that can break down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. So my guess is that fungus don't have that same enzyme. So when the hydrogen peroxide hits the fungus, the radicals do what they do, just like the antibacterial properties that are similar to benzoyl peroxide, they'll get in there, they'll mess stuff up and they'll keep the fungus from [00:07:00] growing.

And that has been scientifically shown to be true. Fungus does it is a fungicide to use hydrogen peroxide. But then I don't think it will do much damage to the plants if they have that catalase that can naturally kind of break it up. So that's my understanding. I'm not a biologist and I haven't studied this, but based on a quick review of literature and what we talked about last week, that's what I came up with.

Also. So speaking of killing things with peroxides, after our benzoyl peroxide episode, I've been fighting this battle with my shower ever since I moved in we're in an apartment. And you know how sometimes apartment bathtubs just are like, they just have like that mildewy mold and it doesn't come off when you scrub it just lives

Jam: Oh, yeah.

Melissa: in like the caulking and stuff.

Jam: Yeah, definitely.

Melissa: So we've been struggling with that. And I think part of it is when you have like a, something that's abrasive, it'll get the top layer off, but then it's down in the pores of that, like caulking because [00:08:00] it's has sort of a, like a porosity

Jam: Yeah.

Melissa: after our last episode, when I realized that hydrogen peroxide would form radicals and get all up in that area and.

Destroy, whatever was there. I took some hydrogen peroxide gel that's designed to be used on your face. And I put it in my bathtub on the spots where I was struggling with that, because as a gel, it would stay on the caulking and it worked, the, there was all these black mildewy mold spots that are gone now

Jam: Dude. That's awesome.

Melissa: I know, so I. I am very excited. post some pictures of, I remember on Instagram of the before and after, but it's like it, I have been fighting this black stain in a corner of our bath tub since I moved in just for months and nothing has worked. And it it was gross, when I would take baths, I would just be grossed out by it.

And [00:09:00] now I don't have to be, I say, benzoyl peroxide saved the

day

Jam: Nice dude. That's awesome. Very cool.

Melissa: so way to go radicals. Out here doing the cleaning work for me.

Jam: Yeah, seriously. And it's like, there, you don't have the concern, you're not like worried like, oh, is this going to be too harsh or too many radicals For the via fungus or

the, For the mold or whatever. Like, you're not worried about the same concerns we kind of are for human use, uh, as we are, are for the things that perform in the corners of our showers and stuff.

Melissa: Yeah.

like blow it up. Let's let's kill it. Whatever's there. I want it gone.

Jam: Yeah, dude. That's cool.

Melissa: time I take a bath now, which a lot of times I take a bath to write on my dissertation. I have like one of those little tables don't have to be annoyed by my gross corner. And I just can just be happy that chemistry helped.

Jam: Yeah, that's awesome. This next question is from a, another person named Melissa who is also an educator. And she [00:10:00] said, hi, Melissa. I believe that your questioner, who wanted to know if alkaline water was better for their health is linking alkalinity with dissolved salts, such as carbonates. In the UK there's research showing that soft water, uh, water with low or no carbonates is connected to poor health outcomes, eG heart disease. When compared with populations with hard water, I E water with high concentrations of magnesium and calcium.

So.

Melissa: So I haven't looked into soft and hard water with health outcomes. I think that is possible, but I don't, I just know that a lot of times people buy bottles of alkaline water. So I that might've been what they were talking about, but I thought just in case that was true or that's what that person was thinking.

It was worth taking the time to acknowledge that. But I have not looked into it at all. But Keb, whCaibealso a scientist. I think he does [00:11:00] biochemistry. He's a graduate student and I believe in Brazil also responded to this and I always get excited when I hear from other scientists. So I thought it was fun that two reached out to me on this also, he really wants me to do an episode on why bruises change the colors they do, but it's so much biochem.

So I'm working on it. Just so you know, Caibe, but he said about the alkaline water physiologically. I believe that I don't really have a difference because that they don't really have a difference because our mouth pH is usually higher than the waters. Anyway, that's just me thinking I haven't confirmed it.

And I, as an aside, I also think that it would not have much of an effect once it gets through our digestive system. I, I think it would hit the stomach and be pretty much

neutralized.

Jam: Mm.

Melissa: If not before. And then he said another thought when I learned organic chemistry, I liked it, but didn't see the importance now that I studied biochem and understand that it is basically organic chem.

I really love it. [00:12:00] And lastly, he said, I have advice for who's in college. And even if you're not learn a new language, it's really rewarding. Even if you don't use it often, it expands your possibilities. You usually learn about other cultures along the way everyone should do.

Jam: Nice.

Melissa: Yeah. So I, I really liked that because one, I do think o-chem is everywhere.

So I'm glad he, he saw the light and saw why it was useful. But also I do think learning language is really good. I think like I'm not afraid to apply to jobs in Canada, for example, because I have a brief introduction to French, right. And so if I need to go to a place where a French was a primary, second language, I don't feel as scared as I would if I hadn't learned that.

So I think that's really, really.

Jam: Yeah. This next question is from Alyanna and if I mispronounced that, I'm very sorry. And Alyanna said, what is the difference between minerals slash elements found in our bodies and in nature?

Melissa: [00:13:00] So, I don't think there is a difference except that different atoms in different environments act differently. So I think it would be the same atoms. It would be the same. There might be different isotopes, but for the most part, they would be the same. But one really good example is like salt is NaCl, but if you have sodium elemental by itself, it explodes when it touches water, but salt dissolves in water.

So they have really different properties, even though there's still sodium atoms, they're just in different

environments. So that's the biggest thing I can think is just that the environment is different.

Jam: Hmm. And there's some things that you've talked about. Like just don't really occur on their own super often in nature. They occur with other things, you know, it's like getting this isolated version of a thing. It just not common, but we can do it now, but, or whatever, things like that we've talked about in the past.

Melissa: Yeah, that's definitely true. And that's, again, the environment it's in it'll occur in its most stable form usually. And like sodium metal is not stable, so it's [00:14:00] not trying to occur like that. It occurs much more abundantly in the earth is salt NaCl

Jam: and I'm trying to occur as my most stable self as often as I So I that dude. You know what I'm saying?

Melissa: Uh, yeah, I, I definitely know what saying. I'm also trying to occur as my most stable self. Not always succeeding.

Jam: Something about the phrase trying to occur is very funny to me. Okay. Um, this question, this next question is cool. It's from— they're all cool— but this one's it's from Andrea and. Andrea asks, do those special serrated knives prevent lettuce from Browning and.

Melissa: I don't know for sure what Andrea is talking about, but I think, I think if it's a special serrated knife, that's supposed to just maybe cut really sharp. It could prevent some Browning, but really what happens is when a cell is damaged, then Browning occurs as a result of the damage to the cells.

So [00:15:00] whatever implement you're using to cut it, whatever thing you're going to use to cut it, the sharper, it is the less damage it's going to cause the cells the less Browning there

is,

Jam: Oh, interesting.

Melissa: but also Browning's not necessarily bad. Like if you can go check out our episode on why apples turn brown. It is really just a defense mechanism, but it shouldn't negatively impact your eating experience unless it's just the taste that you don't like.

not unsafe.

Jam: Right, right.

Melissa: That was a good question.

Jam: Interesting. Okay. This question is kind of fun. oe from Chelsea. Chelsea asked if you could be any coffee or coffee containing beverage, what would it be and why?

Melissa: Okay. I try to think about my personality traits in this one. And I came up with a latte. It's also my favorite drink.

Jam: Yeah, it's hard not to also want to pick your favorite, But yeah.[00:16:00]

Melissa: But here's why though is because listen, I can be a little sharp sometimes. You know, I, I sometimes am a little mean I'm a little condescending. Um, I come across a way, not on purpose, but unless you make espresso just right, it can also be

sharp,

Jam: right.

Melissa: but in the right conditions with milk and a little sugar, it's like really warm and comforting and sweet.

that's kind of how I am too.

Jam: Yeah,

Melissa: So that's, that's where I came up with.

Jam: that, uh, it's a good answer. I like that. I only drink black coffee. Um, and so it's so hard is like, how could I really pick another, drink, another coffee drink and feel like it's me knowing that I never drink those other drinks. So this was a kind of challenging about

this question, but.

Melissa: Yeah.

Jam: Maybe I can find a way to reverse engineer it, to be the answer I want.

So I like poor was a lot, which is just a way of me manually brewing one [00:17:00] cup of coffee at a time. I'm always using light roast, single origin coffees and all that stuff you guys have heard me talk about, but I think a way to make it be about kind of my personality is I'd certainly rather spend.

Time kind of a qualitative time on a thing, then try to like accomplish a lot of efficiency, uh, in my life. And,

Melissa: Yeah.

Jam: um, and so I think with the poor over of being like, oh, I'm gonna put some time and attention into this one cup of coffee, making just this one cup, right now, I think is how I would prefer almost anything in my life, whether it be like a, a project or working on, or even just like, um, friendship.

I'm, I'm not like against hanging out in groups and stuff like that, but I certainly prefer and enjoy a lot more am filled up by like, uh, hanging out with one, just one or two people. That kind of thing is [00:18:00] more my speed. All the. And so I think I can make those things connect to be the drink I would be, I don't know.

Melissa: Yeah. Yeah, I can see that you're not just any black cup of coffee, but a specific pour over cup.

Jam: Yeah, Yeah. And I'm not trying to make that be like, I'm a higher quality person that or something like that, but to make allow my, my priorities, I guess, is the way I'vthe way I'd put

Melissa: it.Hat's good. I like

that.

Jam: yeah. Um, this next question is a really good one. Um, from Scott who asked,has COVID affected grad schooll research for you.

Melissa: So for me, not really. I mean, it has in some ways, and it has not another way. So the biggest thing was when we collect data, we go into the classrooms and we're supposed to give students a specific amount of time to respond. But online students just don't do it really. So halfway through, we had to change where we were collecting data from, [00:19:00] and that's really not ideal, but it also, I think has made me a lot comfortable working from home, which is actually kind of a nice thing about not working in a lab.

So for me, it's kind of made some aspects of research, a little bit more pleasant, I also know some people who literally just can't do their research. Any more,

Jam: Yeah.

Melissa: whenever COVID is bad because they couldn't go to the lab. So, but for the most part I've been okay actually. Thankfully,

Jam: Interesting.

I'm glad that in your case, it hasn't affected your research a lot. It is a bummer for people who, whose has been quite a bit, but

Yeah.

Melissa: Yeah, definitely. That was a good time to switch to chem ed where we could do everything remotely for sure.

Jam: yes, definitely. Okay. Here's a couple of fun ones to bring us home. So Renee, see your sister. Um, I think you know her pretty well. [00:20:00] Uh, she.

Melissa: know. Yeah. That she's my sister.

Jam: she's cool. You really should hang out with her.

She's yeah, she's cool. Um, you should get to know her Well, So Renee asked two fun questions. The first one is what's your go-to old school comfort sitcom.

Melissa: Well, I mean, I don't know that this is technically a sitcom, but one of my comfort shows is Gilmore girls. And I know that as it's aged, it's very problematic. So I don't like those parts, but I've just seen it so many times. And it's tied to like some really emotional parts of my. And I know what's going to happen, so I don't have to be anxious, but also every time I usually catch something new, I mean, I've probably watched it all the way through maybe like 10 times in my life.

So it really is like a comfort show for me.

Jam: Yeah.

Melissa: What about you Jam. I know you, I think I know your

Jam: Yeah. I mean, my I'm only got one real good answer. Would that is Seinfeld. I love Seinfeld. I really did find, like, I remember watching reruns as a kid a [00:21:00] little bit, but never got super into it, got into it into my adult life. And it's the only old school sitcom that I go to. So I did as a kid watch other ones, but I don't really find myself ever wanting to revisit them.

Like I watched full house as a kid and those other ones.

Melissa: I don't

watch

Jam: They just don't appeal to me now and that.

they don't bring me comfort or joy really. I mean, it's fun to occasionally revisit them, but the ones I go to for just watching something nowadays, definitely Seinfeld is the only one.

Melissa: Two things I did a lot with my mom was I watched Frasier and murder. She wrote, and sometimes if I'm like missing her or I want like a cozy show, I'll watch this.

Jam: Yeah. Nice, nice tossed

salads and scrambled eggs.

Melissa: Yeah. That's the one. But yeah, I knew yours was Seinfeld. I watched Seinfeld and I'm sorry to say, I just don't really get it.

I feel like it's it's is tapping into a humor that I don't have, which Jam also does a lot.

So [00:22:00] makes sense that you two go together.

Jam: Yeah. They we're. Yeah, we're a good pair. Me and Seinfeld

Melissa: Yeah. You and Seinfeld are a really good

pair. anytime I'm trying to communicate with you via GIF, I look for a Seinfeld

Jam: Yes. Yes. I like to limit my gif use to certain sections of gifs and for the last, probably four years, I've tried to almost exclusively use a seinfled gifs only. So that's kind of fun. There's

Melissa: Pretty effectively too. Yeah.

Jam: Um, Renee's next question is what piece of furniture in your house makes you happy?

Melissa: I have a lot of answers to number one, my bed, we invested in some expensive sheets. And that was one of the best choices we've

made,

Jam: Nice.

Melissa: but also have a little plant shelf that's really cute. And we have some cute throw pillows that are like, we have hand-me-down couches, but we got some throw pillows to make them a kind of our own, you know, so those are kind of, those are [00:23:00] my, those are the first ones that came to my mind.

What about you? You can give more than one.

Jam: Okay. I think one of the ones I use the most, I'm not gonna say my bed. I mean, I do use the bed all the time, but I like sleep, but not as much as some people or whatever. So anyway, um, I like this desk that, Em and I both have these standing desks and we got a really good deal on them and I use it every day and I love it.

And, um, I like this bookshelf is behind me that we got maybe about six months ago and

Melissa: a cute

Jam: really, really helps our office feel, you know? Cool. And also it has the function of putting our books on there, which is great. And it has these cabinets at the bottom that we could store some stuff like our printer and just some papers and things that don't look quite as cool, or even some binders, um, on the bookshelf that either don't fit very well or they just don't look.

Right. So it's kind of perfect. And then the last one I'll [00:24:00] say is we have two of the exact same couch in our living room.

Melissa: Oh

Jam: My wife, very expertly found both of them on Facebook marketplace from totally different people.

Melissa: Amazing.

Jam: Very, she's very skilled at that. And, uh,

Melissa: is really skilled at

Jam: We both just liked them a lot and have been really thankful for them and they're super comfy.

And, um, many, a nap has been had on those couches and, uh, and they provide a lot of seating for lifor like when we haveds over and stuff like that. So anyway, that's, those are

Melissa: I've even taken a nap on those couches. Actually, one time I watched your kid and I took a nap while he took a nap.

Jam: Nice. Yes, they are very nappable.

Melissa: technically there was, my husband was with me, so there was like an awake adult in the house, but that person was not

Jam: Yeah, don't worry. I was not worried. I knew you had the audio monitor and like that, so I'm not worried.

Melissa: Also. It's surprising to me that you wouldn't say your bed because like [00:25:00] every time I get in my bed, I'm like, oh my gosh, I love my bed. Like, it just makes me so happy. I love being in bed. So I kind of thought everybody felt that way.

Jam: Yeah. I think I probably do it just, I dunno, I don't think about it as like a, I think about sleep a lot, but I don't think about the bed is like the pieces of furniture that I'm thankful for. I'm like, oh, I really just want some sleep. I don't know. Anyway,

Melissa: Yeah, I could see that.

Well, awesome. Thank you. Those are such good questions. Thank you guys so much for reaching out with those and also just want to thank the people who reach out and tell us how the show is impacting them. I mean, for me, going through a hard time in my research right now, It means so much to know that the work I'm doing is impacting people and it does matter what we're doing.

And it's worth it to take time out of my very busy schedule to come and do this and that you guys make that so clear when you reach out. So I'm really thankful every time I hear from y'all and I know Jam is really too that, it makes it exciting and it makes it worth investing into [00:26:00] this podcast that we are impacting.

Y'all. So, thanks for taking the time to do that.

Jam: Yeah, definitely. It's really cool to hear that. And we're also really thankful for the people who support us on ko-fi regular basis or who just give a one-time sort of tip on our, our digital tip jar deal that helps us keep the show going, helps us cover the costs of making the show and keeping the show free.

So we want to shout out those people real quick, Chelsea. Hunter R Christina G Jacob T. Bruce, Tim and Julianne. Thank you guys so much for being generous and helping cover the cost of the show. And we could not do it without you guys.

Melissa: Yeah, definitely. This episode of chemistry for your life was created by Melissa Collini and Jam Robinson. I would like to give a special, thanks to E Robinson who reviewed this episode.