Food is the fuel that allows our bodies to function, so it’s important to choose what we ingest and how we ingest it wisely. Unfortunately the answers to those questions change all the time. In today’s episode of Distillations we clarify common misconceptions about food, such as how closely Splenda resembles real sugar, what the Master Cleanse does for your body, and why trans fats became an absolute health don’t. Chemical Agent: Sucralose.

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:31 Introduction
01:18 Chemical Agent: Sucralose
03:30 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Detox Diets
06:04 A Conversation with David Schleifer on Trans Fats
11:33 Closing Credits

Credits

This show was written and researched by Jennifer Dionisio, Sky Kalfus, and Erica Stefanovich.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network. Additional music includes “Wine Woman and Song,” by Johnny Ferreira and ”Resolution in Blue,” by Microtonal Music by Prent Rodgers.

Image by slopjop via Flickr.

Let there be light! Whether it comes from the sky or a bulb, we’d be lost without it. In this episode of Distillations, we first examine new developments in solar power. Next, we explore how light can be used to treat those with Seasonal Affective Disorder. And finally, producer Jim Burress takes us through a guided history of lightbulbs, starting in Louisville, Kentucky, with Thomas Edison’s most illuminating invention. Chemical Agent: Organic Solar Cells.

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:31 Introduction
01:01 Chemical Agent: Organic Solar Cells
03:54 Mystery Solved! Seasonal Affective Disorder
06:42 Feature: The History of Lightbulbs
11:21 Closing Credits

Credits

This show was written and researched by Hilary Domush, Michal Meyer, and Erica Stefanovich.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network. Additional music includes “Bacon Wine,” by Jim Tyrrell, ”Madam, Madame!,” by Firefox AK, and ”Snows No Fun At All,” by Danny Daughtridge Trio.

Image courtesy NASA/GSFC via Flickr.

Autumn is a time of beauty and bounty. Leaves turn rich browns, reds, and yellows; fruit ripens on the trees and grains on the stalk.  In this episode of Distillations, we take a look at the chemical processes behind leaf changes. Then we look at some time-honored practices in the growing of beans, squash, and corn, traditionally known as the three sisters. And lastly, come with us on a visit to an apple orchard, where heritage apples are fermented into cider. Chemical Agent: Senescence.

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:31 Introduction
01:07 Chemical Agent: Senescence
03:43 Tools of the Trade: The Three Sisters
06:27 Feature: Apple Cider
10:52 Closing Credits

Credits

This show was written and researched by Hilary Domush and Erica Stefanovich.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network. Additional music includes “MorningStar Rise,” by Joseph FireCrow, “Cockroaches..Ready…Set..Lights On!,” by Ricky Hana, and “Work,” by Naughty Jack.

Image courtesy Micha L. Reiser.

Everything falls into one of three phases of matter: solid, liquid, or gas. Or does it? Sometimes it’s a bit more ambiguous. In this episode of Distillations, first we take a look at dry ice, which skips a phase. Next, we examine the atomic structure of glass, which surprisingly looks more like a super-cooled liquid than a solid. And finally, we meet Distillations’ new executive producer Michal Meyer to discuss her love of science and her plans for the show. Chemical Agent: Dry Ice.

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:31 Introduction
01:11 Chemical Agent: Dry Ice
03:34 A Conversation with Michal Meyer
08:11 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Glass
11:04 Closing Credits

Credits

This show was written and researched by Hilary Domush and Jennifer Dionisio.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network. Additional music includes “Nexus Phase,” by Dr. Awkward and “Glass Pebbles,” by Divasonic.