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Episode 70: The Chemistry of Dentistry

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.

Episode 60: Professional Networks

Today Distillations is finding out more about professional networks—particularly in the field of chemistry. First we learn about chemistry sets, like the one shown on the left, and the types of chemicals that were once included in these sets. Many chemists today claim that their interest in science was piqued by the chemistry set they played with as a child. Next we look at imaging software and how it has changed the way chemists share information—making it much easier. Finally, we talk to Michael Gordin, a history of science professor at Princeton University. Gordin explains how professional scientific communities are formed. Chemical Agent: Sodium Cyanide.

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:31 Introduction
01:12 Chemical Agent: Sodium Cyanide
03:21 Tools of the Trade: Imaging Software
06:13 A conversation with Michael Gordin
10:58 Closing Credits

Resources and References

Check out a slideshow of chemsitry sets from CHF’s very own collection.
To learn more about Michael Gordin’s work, take a look at his book A Well-Ordered Thing: Dmitrii Mendeleev and the Shadow of the Periodic Table.

Credits

Special thanks to Jennifer Dionisio, Hilary Domush, and Eleanor Goldberg for researching and writing this episode.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network. Additional music is: ”The Landing,” by Fang Island; “First Snow,” by Jack Erdie; and “Village Song by David Popper,” by Cello Journey.

This week’s image is from CHF’s own Flickr site.

Episode 41: Self-Experimentation

This week we delve into the world of experimenting on oneself. Many scientists have both knowingly and unknowingly used themselves as guinea pigs in the lab. Marie and Pierre Curie, discoverers of radium, are examples of the self-sacrificing scientist. We learn more about the Curies and others in this episode. Then we speak to Rebecca Herzig, a professor at Bates College in Maine and the author of Suffering for Science: Reason and Sacrifice in Modern America. And finally, we take a look at the latest trend at the pharmacy—home DNA test kits. Element of the Week: Radium.

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:32 Introduction
01:23 Element of the Week: Radium
03:03 Conversation with Rebecca Herzig
08:04 Chemistry in your Cupboard: Home DNA Test Kits
10:51 Quote: Edwin Emory Slosson
11:14 Closing Credits

Resources and References

Learn more about radium on the Los Alamos National Labs Web site.
For more about suffering in the name of science, check out Herzig’s book.
Find out more about home DNA testing in this MSNBC article from May 2008.
For related reading, a Discover reporter had her DNA analyzed and tells her story here.

Credits

Special thanks go to Dominique Tobbell for researching the show.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network. Additional music is “Air And Wave Variation,” by School of Ambience, “Nitelife on Mars,” by Freaktet, and “Apple Chunk Guitar,” by AjT.

This week’s image is of a Home Paternity DNA Testing Kit from Identigene.

Episode 33: Molecular Gastronomy

Making Mousse 1The term molecular gastronomy can sound pretentious, but food writer Harold McGee describes it as “the science of deliciousness.” Learn more about the science of food (and deliciousness) in this week’s episode. First we take precautions by discussing Pepto-Bismol, in the event that an experiment in the kitchen goes wrong. Next we find out how to cook the perfect hard-boiled egg—and why it works that way. Finally join CHF’s Chi Chan and Jen Dionisio as they work with a recipe for chocolate mousse that requires only two ingredients—chocolate and water. (The photos shown here depict their experiment.) Element of the Week: Bismuth.

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:30 Introduction
01:14 Element of the Week: Bismuth
03:39 Mystery Solved! The Perfect Egg
06:28 Chemistry in the Kitchen: Making Mousse Without Dairy
11:04 Quote: Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
11:19 Closing Credits

Resources and ReferencesMaking Mousse 2

For more on how to cook the perfect egg, an article about Hervé This in this February 2006 Discover article, Cooking for Eggheads.
If you’re intrigued by the concept of this week’s episode, check out the blog khymos.org, dedicated to molecular gastronomy and the science of cooking.
Also, check out Hervé This’s book, Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor on Amazon.com.

Credits

A special thanks to Chi Chan for researching the show.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network. Additional music is “Happy Piano,” by Podcast Troubadour, “Big Hairy Momma,” by Al Phlipp and the Woo Team, and “Rust and Bones,” by Tom Caderet.

The photos this week were taken while Jen and Chi made chocolate mousse in the kitchen at CHF.

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