Chemistry For Your Life

Dec 05 2024 320 ep. 32 mins 1.2k
Chemistry For Your Life Podcast artwork

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.

  Science
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Chemistry at Home: Chocolate and Gum

Dec 05 2024 10 mins  
Here's another bonus episode dedicated to teaching a specific chemistry experiment you can do at home. This month, we see what happens when we combine chocolate and gum. Yep, you read that right. And yes, it's a little gross.

What is gum? And what happens when you swallow it?

Nov 28 2024 47 mins  
In this episode Melissa and Jam delve into the fascinating world of chewing gum. They start by discussing awkward combinations of food and gum, leading to an exploration of what gum is made of. The conversation covers the basics of gum composition, including the roles of sugar, flavor, and especially the gum base, which itself is made of polymers.

Ask a Chemist: Why are crystals rare? (and other questions)

Nov 21 2024 28 mins  
In this special bonus episode of Chemistry for Your Life, Melissa and Jam dive into listener-submitted questions, covering everything from the rarity of crystals and the chemistry of sourdough to the science behind melting ice on roads in Canada. Along the way, they explore fun tangents about nostalgic movies, glow-in-the-dark nostalgia, and much more. It’s an eclectic mix of che

Do carrots help us see better?

Nov 14 2024 51 mins  
Melissa and Jam explore the chemistry behind the popular belief that eating carrots improves night vision.

What makes honey crystallize?

Nov 07 2024 33 mins  
Ever notice that honey crystalizes? Isn't that like super weird? Why does it do that?

How do things glow in the dark?

Oct 31 2024 42 mins  
Melissa and Jam explore the spooky yet fascinating world of glow-in-the-dark chemistry.

Ask a Chemist: Why do self-tanners smell weird? (and other questions)

Oct 24 2024 26 mins  
Melissa and Jam address a variety of intriguing listener questions. They cover topics such as the chemical processes behind self-tanners and why early formulations could result in uneven appearances, the unique properties and phase changes of dry ice, and the complexities surrounding high fructose corn syrup.

How does spray tan stain our skin?

Oct 17 2024 48 mins  
Melissa and Jam explore the fascinating chemistry behind self tanners. They take listeners on a journey from the discovery of the key sugar in self tanners in the 1960s by Dr. Eva Wittgenstein to the present-day scientific understanding.

What makes jalapeños spicy, and what other crazy properties do they have?

Oct 10 2024 35 mins  
This week, Melissa and Jam dive into spiciness. What is it? Is it a flavor? Is it a feeling? Is it both? Is it more? Why can some people handle more than others? Does spiciness have any benefits?

Why does ibuprofen take so long to work?

Oct 03 2024 49 mins  
Melissa and Jam delve into the science behind ibuprofen, exploring why it takes around 30 minutes to work.