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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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.

Every year the Chemical Heritage Foundation holds Innovation Day—an event for people to get together to discuss and learn about science’s exciting new technologies. On this week’s episode we take a look at innovations—the natural kind and the man-made kind. First we talk about thermoregulation—the body’s way of keeping itself at just the right temperature. Next we learn how GoreTex can be used for more than just jackets. And finally, host Meir Rinde interviews Dr. Richard Silverman, who discovered the main chemical compound in the drug Lyrica and is the recipient of this year’s Perkin Medal. Chemical Agent: Thermoregulation.

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:32 Introduction
01:13 Chemical Agent: Thermoregulation
03:34 Tools of the Trade: GoreTex Stents
06:25 A Conversation with Richard Silverman
11:22 Closing Credits

Credits

This show was written and researched by Chi Chan.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network. Additional music includes “Gathered Safely In,” by Damien Shingleton, “The Rhyme Scheme,” by Cursive, and “All About the Old School,” by MSU Orchestra.

Birth, once nature’s miracle, is increasingly manipulated by humans and regulated by society. In this week’s episode, we look at a range of reproductive technologies and the implications of their use. First we look at the herbal fertility treatments women used hundreds of years ago. Then, our host Meir Rinde speaks with University of Pennsylvania doctoral candidate Joanna Radin about a trend catching on with new moms: cord-blood banking. Finally, CHF’s Erica Stefanovich explores the dark side of these technologies as described in classic dystopian literature. Chemical Agent: Luteinizing Hormone.

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:30 Introduction
01:16 Chemical Agent: Luteinizing Hormone
03:54 Conversation with Joanna Radin
09:01 Review: Reproduction in Dystopian Novels
11:39 Closing Credits

Credits

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

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network. Additional music includes “Brave Heart,” by Sonic Mystery, “Before Beauty,” by Secret Archives of the Vatican, and “love hides in familiar places,” by lacunae.

This week’s image was uploaded to Flickr by Kshort1.

Americans take dental hygiene very seriously. From dentist visits twice a year to orthodontics, we tend to obsess over the straightness and whiteness of our teeth. First we take a look at baking soda and how it keeps teeth clean. Next we find out about some do-it-yourself dentistry, like giving yourself a temporary filling. And finally, producer Ari Daniel Shapiro takes us to the dentist to learn about lidocaine. Chemical Agent: Sodium Bicarbonate.

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:31 Introduction
01:15 Chemical Agent: Sodium Bicarbonate
03:15 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: DIY Dental Care
06:00 Feature: Lidocaine to Numb the Pain
10:32 Closing Credits

Credits

This show was written and researched by Anke Timmermann and Audra Wolfe.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network. Additional music includes  ”Oral Hygiene,” by Bongos, Bass & Bob, performed by Onomatopoeia, “Brush Your Teeth,” by Amy Jo Doty, “DIY – oneeyedboy remix,” by A Band Called Quinn, and “Jim the Toothbrush,” by Eric Strom.

This week’s image is “Toothpaste 1,” uploaded to stock.xchng by garytamin.