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.

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.

After several long, cold, months baseball season has finally begun! From Philadelphia, the home of 2008 World Series Champions, we bring you a show straight from the ballpark. We’ll take a look at the preservatives that make a classic hot dog last and last, and we’ll explore the chemistry behind performance-enhancing drugs. Producer Ari Daniel Shapiro wraps up the show with a piece on how baseball bats are making use of nanotechnology. Chemical Agent: Anabolic steriods.  (For more on the science of sport, check out Episode 26 and Episode 59.)

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Show Clock

00:00 Opening Credits
00:32 Introduction
01:02 Chemical Agent: Anabolic Steriods
03:24 Chemistry in Your Cupboard: Hot Dogs
06:04 Feature: Is That Nanotechnology in Your Bat?
10:40 Closing Credits

Credits

This show was written and researched by Jennifer Dionisio.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from the PodSafe Music Network and archive.org. Additional music includes  ”Hot Doggin,” by Deerfoot (PodSafe) and “Who Cares,” by Bob Thorp (archive.org).

This week’s image is “There are 108 Stitches in a Baseball,” uploaded to flickr.com by B Tal.