Displaying 61 - 90 of 290 in total
How do smoke alarms detect smoke? (part 1)
#156When smoke alarms aren't beeping at us to replace their batteries, they are sitting, watching, waiting for the perfect moment, waiting for smoke to happen so they ...
Baking soda and baking powder: What's the difference?
#009 RebroadcastBaking powder? Baking soda? I mean they're both white powders with the word "baking" in it. How different could they be? Well, one can cause miniature ...
How does baking soda eliminate odors?
#155So baking soda, do you bake it? Can you drink it? What's the deal? And specifically for the purposes of this episode, how does it eliminate odors? You may have hea...
Bonus: Are candles toxic? (and other questions)
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 40In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about smells, candles, vinegar, milk, macromole...
Is freezing point *actually* real?
#154When you're young in science class, you probably learned the phrase "freezing point," but is that even a thing? Is there a specific temperature at which things go ...
How do thermoses keep coffee hot?
#033 Rebroadcast That's right, we are sort of talking about coffee this week. Or rather, how to keep it hot. Nowadays we all have some version of a thermos for our cof...
Is "dry cleaning" actually dry?
Whether you're a frequent customer of the dry cleaner or not, you've probably wondered, "why is it called dry cleaning? How could it be dry?" So let's get into it. Wha...
Bonus: How do semi-permanent tattoos work?
Bonus Episode: Question and Response 39In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about fero fluids, semi permanent tattoos, ketc...
What do pine trees and jet fuel have in common?
Well we've just finished that time of the year, the time when some of us bring pine trees into our homes to hang out with us for a few weeks. Sounds fine right? Nothin...
How do snowflakes form and look so cool?
This week, Melissa and Jam explore the wintery chemistry of snowflakes. How do they form? How are they all unique? How do they look so gosh darn cool? Why don’t we see...
What happens to coffee when it cools down?
If you drink coffee, then you know that it starts to taste super different as it goes from hot to cold. Is it just the change in temperature that makes it seem like it...
Bonus: Why does tupperware stain from pasta? (and other questions)
In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about amino acids, chemistry puns, salt preservation, and more!
What do peppermints and cigarettes have in common?
Peppermints. They seem innocent enough right? But if that's the case, then what common thread do they share with cigarettes? Don't worry, it's not an inherently bad co...
Why do foods turn brown when we cook them?
This week Melissa and Jam explore some of the chemistry behind cooking. What happens when you sear a steak? What's going on when you toast toast? Why do so many foods ...
What is gluten?
Gluten. Public enemy number one. If you're gluten intolerant that is. But what is gluten? Why is it in bread? What does it do in bread? Let's find out.
Bonus: Is honey mustard a polymer? (and other questions)
In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about regulation of scented products, being a parent and getting a PhD, condiments as ...
How can mosquitos smell you? (new research!)
How can mosquitoes sense us? And do they prefer some people over others? This is a question we've pursued across several episodes of the podcast in the past, but now t...
Why do mosquitos bite people?
This week, Melissa and Jam begin a multi-faceted topic: mosquitos. Now of course mosquitos are insects, so studying them would mostly fall into biology. But there's a ...
How do trick candles reignite?
Maybe you've experienced them yourself, maybe you've just heard of them, but trick candles are real, they are chemistry, they are kinda dangerous, and they are mean. L...
Bonus: How did Bella Hadid's spray-on dress work? (and other questions)
In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about raw garlic burns, Bella Hadid's dress, carbon monoxide poisoning, and more!
Do nasal decongestants even work?
When we are sick and super congested, many of us go to the store to pick up a decongestant. But what if some decongestants DON'T EVEN WORK, like at all? Wouldn't that ...
What even is sunscreen and how does it screen the sun?
This week Melissa and Jam explore the chemistry of not being burned by the big, ominous, flaming ball of radioactive insanity that lights up our skies each day. Did yo...
The most toxic substance to humans? (It’s basically botox)
Today we're talking about the most toxic substance known to humans, and yet it also happens to be a substance that many people willingly inject into their bodies. It's...
Bonus: How is pressure measured? (and other questions)
In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about pressure, eicosane, clouds, chemistry analogies, coffee, and baking.
What do catalytic converters do?
Cars are complicated, there's lots of parts that do lots of things most of us will probably never understand it all. Well we can at least tackle one of those mysteries...
What's up with alcohol(s)?
So we all know what we think of when we hear the word "alcohol," but what if that's not really the whole picture? There's actually many kinds of alcohol, most of which...
What is gasoline?
For many of us, gasoline is just another everyday thing. It's essential, but we don't give it much thought. But how does it work? What is it made up of? Why are there ...
Bonus: How does gel nail polish dry under UV light? (and other questions)
In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to comments and questions about tattoos, viscosity, humidity, life updates, and more!
How are tattoos removed?
So a couple weeks ago we talked about how tattoos are permanent. But what if you don't want your tattoo to be permanent any more? You won't get any judgement from us. ...
How do geckos stick to walls?
This week Melissa and Jam continue in the category of "sticky" things by exploring how geckos stick to walls. How do they do it? Is it magic? Is it like spider-man? Is...
