Chemistry For Your Life  By  cover art

Chemistry For Your Life

By: Melissa and Jam
  • Summary

  • A podcast that helps you understand the fascinating chemistry hidden in your everyday life. Have you ever wondered why onions make you cry? Or how soap gets your hands clean? What really is margarine, or why do trees change colors in the fall? Melissa is a chemist, and to answer these questions she started a podcast, called Chemistry for your life! In each episode Melissa explains the chemistry behind one of life’s mysteries to Jam, who is definitely not a chemist, but she explains it in a way that is easy to understand, and totally fascinating. If you’re someone who loves learning new things, or who wonders about the way the world works, then give us a listen.
    © For Your Life 2023, All rights reserved.
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Episodes
  • How to make dirt: Composting Chemistry
    Apr 25 2024

    #185

    Let's make dirt. Or is it dirt? I don't know, well, can you dig it? We've all heard of compost, maybe you compost, maybe your friend does, maybe they talk about it a lot. But how does it work? Why can we compost some things, but not others? And why can't we just put compostable stuff into the trash can, won't it break down in the landfill? Let's find out!!


    References from this Episode

    1. https://compost.css.cornell.edu/chemistry.html
    2. https://compost.css.cornell.edu/microorg.html
    3. https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/composting
    4. https://www.compostingcouncil.org/page/CompostDefinition
    5. https://www.psu.edu/news/agricultural-sciences/story/consumer-support-food-waste-solutions-focus-agricultural-economists/
    6. https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home
    7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344910000261
    8. https://www.acs.org/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/past-issues/2017-2018/october2017/composting-your-trash-natures-treasure.html\


    We want to give a special thanks to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for some episodes! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!


    Thanks to our monthly supporters

    • Ciara Linville
    • J0HNTR0Y
    • Jeannette Napoleon
    • Cullyn R
    • Erica Bee
    • Elizabeth P
    • Sarah Moar
    • Rachel Reina
    • Letila
    • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
    • Suzanne Phillips
    • Nelly Silva
    • Venus Rebholz
    • Lyn Stubblefield
    • Jacob Taber
    • Brian Kimball
    • Emerson Woodhall
    • Kristina Gotfredsen
    • Timothy Parker
    • Steven Boyles
    • Chris Skupien
    • Chelsea B
    • Bri McAllister
    • Avishai Barnoy
    • Hunter Reardon
    ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★


    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.

    Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.


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    56 mins
  • How do sunglasses protect our eyes?
    Apr 18 2024

    #082 Rebroadcast

    Wow sunglasses sure are cool. What's the coolest thing about them? Is it how cool they make us look and feel? Or is it the chemistry inside them? We'll let you decide, but we think you'll be surprised to find out how significant a role chemistry plays in the making of your shades.


    References from this episode

    1. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.chas.8b23208
    2. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.macromol.8b02513
    3. https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/issues/2018-2019/December2018/2%20Shades%20TG%20Reading%20Supports.docx
    4. https://www.safetyglassesusa.com/product-information/
    5. https://cen.acs.org/articles/94/i19/Periodic-graphics-chemistry-sunglasses.html
    6. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781118909911.ch26
    7. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ma960808x
    8. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/1999/JM/a902864a#!divAbstract

    Thanks to our monthly supporters

    • Ciara Linville
    • J0HNTR0Y
    • Jeannette Napoleon
    • Cullyn R
    • Erica Bee
    • Elizabeth P
    • Sarah Moar
    • Rachel Reina
    • Letila
    • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
    • Suzanne Phillips
    • Nelly Silva
    • Venus Rebholz
    • Lyn Stubblefield
    • Jacob Taber
    • Brian Kimball
    • Emerson Woodhall
    • Kristina Gotfredsen
    • Timothy Parker
    • Steven Boyles
    • Chris Skupien
    • Chelsea B
    • Bri McAllister
    • Avishai Barnoy
    • Hunter Reardon
    ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★


    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.

    Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.

    Show more Show less
    39 mins
  • What are the Northern Lights?
    Apr 11 2024

    #184

    That's right, the Northern Lights aren't just cool CGI after all. They're real, but what are they? Why do they occur? And how are they chemistry? Let's find out!


    References from this Episode

    1. https://webbtelescope.org/contents/articles/spectroscopy-101--types-of-spectra-and-spectroscopy
    2. https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/educators/lessons/xray_spectra/background-atoms.html
    3. https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/geomagnetic-storms
    4. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-23377-5.epdf?sharing_token=Q0rjm5h2j_KavQboPe5r0NRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0Nipe223V5hYGHe-RFuAQXUauChqVoyT7zITbpx_l9I4d9y3fMVLy0n3sVw5SJRoc_II7uBqXU-SzFM3JaTK6_kNmWDs_aEyfCQVLoWqqw15NsYjbFSXvak0yfuKrH76x8%3D
    5. https://www.npr.org/2021/06/10/1004859458/what-causes-the-northern-lights-scientists-finally-know-for-sure
    6. https://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/polar/telecons/archive/PR_E-PO/Aurora_flyer/aurora-flyer_p2.doc.pdf
    7. https://www.acs.org/pressroom/reactions/library/what-causes-the-northern-lights-and-where-you-should-see-them.html
    8. https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/images/u2/Aurora.pdf


    We want to give a special thanks to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for some episodes! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!


    Thanks to our monthly supporters

    • Ciara Linville
    • J0HNTR0Y
    • Jeannette Napoleon
    • Cullyn R
    • Erica Bee
    • Elizabeth P
    • Sarah Moar
    • Rachel Reina
    • Letila
    • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
    • Suzanne Phillips
    • Nelly Silva
    • Venus Rebholz
    • Lyn Stubblefield
    • Jacob Taber
    • Brian Kimball
    • Emerson Woodhall
    • Kristina Gotfredsen
    • Timothy Parker
    • Steven Boyles
    • Chris Skupien
    • Chelsea B
    • Bri McAllister
    • Avishai Barnoy
    • Hunter Reardon
    ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★


    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.

    Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.


    Show more Show less
    44 mins

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