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.

Americans are still relatively new to consuming wine—but they do so with gusto during the holiday season. On today’s show we take a look at the chemistry of this intoxicating substance: its aroma, its flavor, and its sometimes unwanted side effects. We start off with a look at why it’s never a good idea to leave an open bottle of wine uncorked. Next, we turn to the controversial topic of sulfites. Do they help preserve wine’s flavor, or are they the leading cause of hangovers? Finally, producer Eric Mack takes us to New Mexico for a visit with David Rigsby, a vintner who’s experimenting with organic techniques. Element of the Week: Oxygen.

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:31 Introduction
00:52 Element of the Week: Oxygen
02:54 Mystery Solved! Sulfites and Hangovers
05:35 Feature: Organic Wines
10:11 Closing Credits

Resources and References

The Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis is a terrific gateway to learn more about wine and winemaking.
You can find out more about the flavor of wine in Amy Coombs, “Scientia Vitis: Decanting the Chemistry of Wine Flavor,” Chemical Heritage 26 (Winter 2008/9): 18–23.
This admittedly opinionated piece, also from UC Davis, debunks sulfite myths.
You can find a helpful list of all the wineries in the United States here.

Credits

Special thanks go to Hilary Domush for researching the show.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network. Additional music is “Toms Lullaby,” by Lee Maddeford, “Bottle It Up and Go,” by Steve Gardner, “Hangover (German Beat),” by Bosom Divine, and “New Mexico,” by The Ukulele Hipster Kings.

The illustration is a detail of white wine grapes from Jean Antoine-Claude Chaptal’s Traité théorique et pratique sur la culture de la vigne (Paris, 1801). Courtsey of the Roy G. Neville Historical Chemical Library, Chemical Heritage Foundation/Douglas A. Lockard.

What makes motherhood scientific? This week, we try to answer, with a look at motherhood, pregnancy, and science. We explore the history of pregnancy tests, and what that has to do with South African clawed frogs. Janet Golden, an expert on fetal alcohol syndrome, joins us to talk about how ideas have changed regarding pregnant women and what they should and shouldn’t consume. And we learn about Marie Curie and her daughters—one a scientist, the other a writer. Element of the Week: Curium.

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:32 Introduction
01:06 Element of the Week: Curium
03:43 A Conversation with Janet Golden
07:55 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Home Pregnancy Tests
11:07 Quote: Katharine Whitehorn
11:29 Closing Credits

Resources and References

For more on the history of pregnancy tests, read Rebecca Lipsitz’s article “Pregnancy Tests,” in Scientific American (November 2000). Find a preview here.
Learn more about Janet Golden’s research and other work at the Center for Children and Childhood Studies.
Read more about Marie Curie on the Nobel Prize Web site.

Credits

Special thanks to Erin McLeary for researching the show.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network. The music at the end of the Element of the Week is “Podcast Background Music Loop 6,” by Nick Murray. At the show ID, you’re hearing “A Song for Jake (Unplugged),” by DJOC. Under the quotation is “Edgar Meyer Winter,” by Shibboleth.

This week’s image is the cover of Janet Golden’s book, Message in a Bottle: The Making of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, available on amazon.com.

At least some members of the Distillations crew will join millions of other Americans in drinking a beer this Memorial Day weekend. Beer is produced through fermentation—a biological process whose details are greatly affected by chemistry. In today’s show we’ll explain how alpha acids in hops (pictured) affect the bitterness of beer and what pH has to do with flavor. In the final segment of the show, producer Joel Rose visits Dogfish Head Brewery in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, for a taste of an ancient brew. Element of the Week: Calcium.

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:31 Introduction
01:04 Element of the Week: Calcium
02:57 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Hops
05:44 A Visit to Dogfish Head Brewery
09:57 Quote: Ben Franklin
10:10 Closing Credits

Resources and References

Brew Your Own is a magazine for the home brewer. Their Web site is chock full of useful information, including recipes and this article on the hops shortage.
Another useful site for home brewers, maintained by Chris Love, is Brew-Monkey.com.
Philadelphia is home to many craft brewers. Besides Dogfish Head, some of our favorites are Flying Fish, Dock Street, Philadelphia Brewing Company, and Yards.

Credits

This show was researched by Hilary Domush.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music was provided by the Podsafe Music Network. The music at the beginning of the Element of the Week is “Montana de Ora,” alt. mix, by Rachel Kann. At the end of the Element is “Cuckoo’s Nest/Old French/Red Wing,” by Beyond the Pale. Next, at the show ID, is “Cincinnati Flo Rag,” by Ken Tucker and James Swafford. The music for the quotation is “Tanya—The Secret Tango,” by Romashka.

The image you see above is a detail of a hops plant in the hops fields near Olomouc. The photo was uploaded by nutto to stock.xchange.