Episodes

  • A Bittersweet Farewell and Enthusiastic Hello: A New Science Podcast Is Headed Your Way!
    Dec 30 2021

    We have some bittersweet news: Orbitals is coming to a close.

    BUT there’s a new science podcast headed your way in 2022! It’s called Tiny Matters, and it's a show about things small in size but big in impact.

    Every other Wednesday, hosts Sam Jones and Deboki Chakravarti uncover the little stuff that makes the big stuff possible, answering questions like, “how does our brain form memories?” and “why haven’t we terraformed Mars yet?"

    The first full episode drops on Wednesday, January 26, 2022.

    Check it out! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tiny-matters/id1599757941 

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    5 mins
  • 🧪 Solutions 112 | The Sweet Chemistry of Vanilla Memories
    Dec 29 2021

    If there’s one flavor you can always count on, it’s vanilla. Sweet, creamy, and nostalgic, it comes from a creeping orchid vine. But with increased demand, scientists are finding new ways to make it, including starting from an unexpected plant…rice!

    Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Procter & Gamble, PPG, Royal DSM, SABIC, Solvay, and W. L. Gore & Associates, none of whom influenced any editorial decisions.

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    12 mins
  • 🧪 Solutions 111 | A Walk Among the Sponges
    Dec 2 2021

    Think the science behind sponges must be boring? You’re so, so wrong. Shrink down to the microscopic level with us and take a walk among sponges designed to keep bacteria alive, clean with just water, and literally cut through your holiday cleaning.

    Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Procter & Gamble, PPG, Royal DSM, SABIC, Solvay, and W. L. Gore & Associates, none of whom influenced any editorial decisions.

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    15 mins
  • Bacteria are cleaning up our toxic waste | Orbitals 410
    Nov 11 2021

    Bacteria often get a bad rap, which is fair—they are responsible for diseases like strep throat, pneumonia, and tuberculosis, and antibiotic resistance is a legitimate threat to humanity's existence. But some bacteria might actually save lives by cleaning up things like massive oil spills and radioactive waste. Featuring Dr. Cara Santelli.

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    15 mins
  • 🧪 Solutions 110 | What your raincoat and a hydrogen fuel cell have in common
    Oct 28 2021

    Polymer membranes make everything from rain jackets to medical devices. But they’re also integral parts of hydrogen fuel cells, powering cars that give off nothing but water vapor. How do fuel cells work, and why aren’t you driving one yet?

    Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Procter & Gamble, PPG, Royal DSM, SABIC, Solvay, and W. L. Gore & Associates, none of whom influenced any editorial decisions.

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    16 mins
  • The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 | Orbitals 409
    Oct 14 2021

    When you hear the word “molasses” you probably imagine super slow-moving, brown-colored sweet stuff that you add to a cookie recipe. And that is what molasses usually looks like, but under certain conditions and in large enough quantities, molasses can be dangerous. Just over a century ago, the North End of Boston learned just *how* dangerous. 

    Featuring Alex Dainis, PhD and Nicole Sharp, PhD

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    13 mins
  • 🧪 Solutions 109 | No 5G Without Chemistry
    Sep 30 2021

    5G is coming… but can your phone handle it? Surprisingly, a lot of that comes down to the chemistry inside! Let’s crack open your phone to figure out how chemistry is making it smaller, faster, and a little more sticky! 

    Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Procter & Gamble, PPG, Royal DSM, SABIC, Solvay, and W. L. Gore & Associates, none of whom influenced any editorial decisions.

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    14 mins
  • Sweat: The Taboo Fluid That Keeps Us Alive | Orbitals 408
    Sep 16 2021

    Sweat is this thing that many of us seem to loathe, but also pay a lot of money to do while being yelled at by professionals. So what is sweat? And why do we do it? And why are we often so embarrassed by it? This episode features writer Sarah Everts, who recently wrote a book called The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration.

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    17 mins