How do you turn a weird cloudy liquid into something stronger than steel? This week we’re telling the story of Kevlar: the chemistry breakthrough that led to bulletproof vests, firefighter gear, reinforced tires, and so much more. Along the way we talk polymers, hydrogen bonding, accidental discoveries, and the chemist who almost went to medical school instead.

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Timestamps

0:00 – Story time setup: bulletproof gear and the chemistry behind it
1:30 – Meet Stephanie Kwolek, the chemist behind Kevlar
4:00 – DuPont, polymers, and the early days of synthetic fibers
6:30 – Why Stephanie stayed in chemistry instead of medical school
8:30 – The gas shortage problem that sparked the search for Kevlar
9:50 – What polymers actually are
10:20 – Benzene rings, resonance, and rigid molecular structures
11:30 – The strange watery solution that almost got ignored
13:30 – The accidental breakthrough that created Kevlar fibers
14:20 – Why Kevlar is so unusually strong
16:30 – Hydrogen bonding and “molecular Velcro”
18:40 – How Kevlar chains organize into massive strong sheets
21:30 – Why Kevlar behaves almost like a metal
24:00 – Stronger than steel, lighter than steel
26:30 – Melissa’s theory about the mysterious cloudy solution
27:00 – How Kevlar became bulletproof vests
28:00 – Why “detours” in life aren’t always failures
32:30 – Other surprising uses for Kevlar
35:00 – “Mistakes” that turned into good things (personal stories)
44:00 – Wrap-up + chemistry storytime appreciation

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References from the Episode:

Thanks to our monthly supporters
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#038 Rebroadcast

Helium is all fun and games right? High voice, super funny, no worries right? Or is there a serious shortage of helium? This week, Melissa and Jam answer this question.

References from this episode

1. Helium: Its Discovery and Applications – Locker
2. We Discovered Helium 150 Years Ago. Are We Running Out? - Greshko
3. Introductory Physics I - Brown
4. Helium beer: prank or possible? - American Chemical Society
5. Organic Chemistry, Edition 11 - Solomon

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#236

When a retired chemist wrote in… we had to explore to his great questions. How does reverse osmosis actually work? Should you put aluminum foil in your dishwasher? Why do mixed powders mysteriously un-mix themselves? This episode is full of clever questions, surprising chemistry, and very strong contributions from listener Vince!

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Timestamps

0:00 – Intro + listener Vince brings the chemistry 1:30 – Reverse osmosis: what it is and why it works 2:00 – Osmosis explained simply 3:35 – Reverse osmosis vs normal filtration 4:20 – What reverse osmosis removes (PFAS, salt, contaminants) 5:00 – Why “pure” water can create new problems 6:10 – Why some companies re-mineralize water 8:10 – Water kiosks, PFAS, and an unexpected lead problem 10:40 – Why reverse osmosis creates so much wastewater 11:40 – Should you put aluminum foil in your dishwasher? 13:00 – Why dishwashers are secretly chemical reactors 16:00 – Melissa’s theories on what the foil might be doing 17:00 – Aluminum, silver tarnish, and stainless steel 21:10 – Sacrificial metals: aluminum protecting steel 24:20 – Dishwasher complaints + real life testing plans 26:20 – Why powders and solids can “un-mix” themselves 27:45 – The Brazil Nut Effect explained 29:20 – Why mixed particle sizes matter 30:40 – Instant coffee jars, Raisin Bran, and product design 31:30 – Mark Rober, floating in sand, and weird physics/chemistry crossover 33:40 – Bird tangent: woodcocks stomping for worms 35:15 – Wrap-up + thanks to Vince and the Chemmunity

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References from the Episode:

Thanks to our monthly supporters
Kelly D.
Bri
Summer Alden
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Kyle McCray
Justine
Ash
Vince W
Julie S.
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Autoclave
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Scott Beyer
Jessie Reder
J0HNTR0Y
Jeannette Napoleon
Cullyn R
Erica Bee
Elizabeth P
Rachel Reina
Letila
Katrina Barnum-Huckins
Suzanne Phillips
Venus Rebholz
Jacob Taber
Brian Kimball
Kristina Gotfredsen
Timothy Parker
Steven Boyles
Chris Skupien
Chelsea B
Avishai Barnoy
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Question and Response #76

You asked… so we answered. What do carbon chains have to do with Greek words? How do MRIs make “3D pixels”? Is that pool smell actually chlorine? And wait… are birds blue, or is that just a trick of the light? This episode is a rapid-fire round of your questions, and the chemistry behind them.

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Timestamps

0:00 – Intro + “Ask a Chemist” episode setup
1:20 – Listener shoutout + why we love your questions
2:20 – Why a 20-carbon chain is called “icosane” (Greek roots)
6:00 – MRI “3D pixels” explained (and the Minecraft analogy)
9:20 – What is a particle accelerator actually doing?
12:40 – Can we really taste CO₂? (and Pop Rocks teaser)
13:40 – Why birds look blue (without blue pigment)
16:20 – “Isn’t this physics?” + bird stories from listeners
21:30 – Pool chemistry questions: chlorine, salt, and safety
22:20 – What that “pool smell” actually is
23:30 – Why pool chemistry feels different from “real” chemistry
27:00 – Stabilized chlorine + lingering pool mysteries
28:50 – Wrap-up + how to send in your questions

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References from the Episode:

Thanks to our monthly supporters
Bri
Summer Alden
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Ash
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J0HNTR0Y
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Cullyn R
Erica Bee
Elizabeth P
Rachel Reina
Letila
Katrina Barnum-Huckins
Suzanne Phillips
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Chris Skupien
Chelsea B
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#235

You’ve seen it a hundred times… but how does it actually work? Why do diapers change color when they’re wet? What kind of chemistry is happening in there? And how does something as simple as pee trigger such a dramatic color shift? Let’s talk acids, bases, color, and one surprisingly deep piece of everyday science.

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0:00 – Intro + diapers, parenting, and the big question
1:00 – Melissa’s nose update + community shoutouts
4:00 – Where this question came from (real-life inspiration)
5:30 – The two chemistry ideas: acids/bases + color
6:00 – What’s inside a diaper (polymers + absorption)
7:30 – The indicator strip: where the chemistry happens
8:30 – Acid-base reactions explained (with a breakup analogy)
11:30 – What happens after the “breakup” (conjugates + stability)
13:00 – Conjugation + the “electron highway”
18:30 – How this leads to color change
21:30 – What is an indicator? (and how this compares to cabbage juice)
23:30 – Why this reaction is so dramatic visually
24:50 – Jam explains it back (and works through the concepts)
30:00 – Clarifying acids vs bases (and common confusion)
33:00 – Building the full picture step-by-step
38:30 – Color, light, and energy (why we see yellow → blue)
44:50 – Wrap-up + why this matters in everyday life

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References from the Episode:

Thanks to our monthly supporters
Bri
Summer Alden
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Justine
Ash
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Julie S.
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Autoclave
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J0HNTR0Y
Jeannette Napoleon
Cullyn R
Erica Bee
Elizabeth P
Rachel Reina
Letila
Katrina Barnum-Huckins
Suzanne Phillips
Venus Rebholz
Jacob Taber
Brian Kimball
Kristina Gotfredsen
Timothy Parker
Steven Boyles
Chris Skupien
Chelsea B
Avishai Barnoy
Hunter Reardon

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#042 Rebroadcast

What's that smell? Is it us? Is it you? We hope it's neither, thanks to deodorants and antiperspirants. This week, Melissa and Jam delve into the chemistry of this everyday important substance. What are the differences between deodorant and antiperspirant? How do they work in the first place? Does one work better? Is one better for us? Be kind to one another, wear deodorant.

References from this episode

1. Individual and gender fingerprints in human body odour – Dustin J Penn, Elisabeth Oberzaucher, Karl Grammer, Gottfried Fischer, Helena A Soini, Donald Wiesler, Milos V Novotny, Sarah J Dixon, Yun Xu, and Richard G Brereton
2. What are deodorants and antiperspirants, and how do they fight sweat? - Everts, Chemical and Engineering News
3. Studies of trans 3 methyl 2 hexenoic acid in normal and schizophrenic humans - S. G. Gordon, K. Smith, L. Rabinowitz, P. R. Vagelos, Journal of lipid research
4. Breast Cancer and Deodorants/Antiperspirants: A Systematic Review
5. Aluminium, antiperspirants and breast cancer
6. The mechanism of eccrine sweat pore plugging by aluminium salts using microfluidics combined with small angle X-ray scattering. - Bretagne A, Cotot F, Arnaud-Roux M, Sztucki M, Cabane B, Galey JB.

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References from the Episode:

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• Emily Morrison
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Birds… but chemistry.
What does compost have to do with eggs? How are birds basically doing chemistry experiments to make their colors? Why would a bird eat dirt… or rub ants all over itself?? This episode is a grab bag of wild, fascinating bird facts that connect back to chemistry you already know. No quiz, just vibes.

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00:00 Bird Chemistry Vibes
02:02 Compost Egg Incubators
02:58 Feather Colors Chemistry
06:20 Seeing Ultraviolet Light
08:11 Clay Eating Detox Trick
09:28 Hot Bodies Fast Reactions
14:23 Preening Oil Waterproofing
16:15 Rainy Day Birdwatching
16:44 Anting Bird Hygiene
19:17 Seabird Feather Sunscreen
20:14 More Bird Chemistry Ahead
20:41 Bird Phobia Banter
21:19 Documentary Media Swap
22:22 Mississippi Kite Swoops
28:19 Do Birds Recognize Faces
31:12 Photo IDs and Backyard Hawks
32:34 Chicken Show Family Lore
33:00 Wrap Up and Support

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References from the Episode:

Thanks to our monthly supporters

• Amanda Raymond
• Emily Morrison
• Kyle McCray
• Justine
• Emily Hardy
• Ash
• Vince W
• Julie S.
• Heather Ragusa
• Autoclave
• Dorien VD
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• Jessie Reder
• J0HNTR0Y
• Jeannette Napoleon
• Cullyn R
• Erica Bee
• Elizabeth P
• Rachel Reina
• Letila
• Katrina Barnum-Huckins
• Suzanne Phillips
• Venus Rebholz
• Jacob Taber
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#053 Rebroadcast

This week, Melissa and Jam revisit one of their fav episodes on the topic of mosquitos. What is DEET? What part does it play in repelling mosquitos? How do repellants repel mosquitos in the first place? Is it just straight witchcraft? Let's do it.

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References from this episode

1. Staph Retreat - Radiolab - WYNC
2. https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/rachel-carson-silent-spring.html
3. https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/reregistration/fs_PC-080301_1-Apr-98.pdf
4. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-it-true-that-the-deet/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24892824/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11693870/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26827259/
8. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)31167-4?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982219311674%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
9. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)31167-4?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982219311674%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
10. https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/biochemistry/does-DEET-fend-off-malaria/97/web/2019/10

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