Stereo Chemistry shares voices and stories from the world of chemistry. The show is created by the reporters and editors at Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), an independent news outlet published by the American Chemical Society.
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
C&EN Uncovered: Solvent Waste Levels, EPA Regulations, and Disposal
20:47
20:47
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:47
On average, from 2011 to 2021, academic labs generated around 4,300 metric tons of hazardous waste each year. One of the largest lab-used solvents discarded is dichloromethane and more than half of that waste ends up burned. In today’s episode, policy reporters Krystal Vasquez and Leigh Krietsch Boerner dive into the processes academic labs use to …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
C&EN Uncovered: Ongoing tragedies in Flint and East Palestine
18:54
18:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:54
Tragedies in the communities of Flint, Michigan, and East Palestine, Ohio, continue to affect residents 10 years and 1 year on, respectively, from the initial events. Residents of both cities continue to rebound and rebuild despite ongoing issues revolving around the toxic chemicals that were introduced to their towns through human decisions. C&EN …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
C&EN Uncovered: Can ‘forever chemicals’ be destroyed?
19:03
19:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:03
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a class of chemicals known as PFAS, are often called “forever chemicals” because of how long they persist in the environment. They are prevalent in drinking water and have been linked to negative health outcomes. A slew of cleantech start-ups are cropping up with the aim of breaking down and destroying PFAS mole…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
C&EN Uncovered: The small-molecule drug renaissance
19:56
19:56
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:56
As the science of drug discovery has grown in scale and gotten more complicated, so have the drug molecules themselves. But there’s a promising class of drugs made of just a handful of atoms that punch above their weight by leveraging the natural chemistry of the cell. Recent discoveries have opened up a new era of pharmaceutical chemistry that som…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
C&EN Uncovered: The ocean floor is littered with valuable minerals. Should we go get them?
15:57
15:57
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:57
Resting on the bottom of the ocean are potato-sized nodules of valuable minerals that are more or less up for grabs. Multiple corporations and some nations are racing to build deep-sea drones that can withstand the extreme conditions at the seafloor and bring these 1-20 cm nodules to eager buyers on the surface. Many of the metals in these nodules …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
C&EN Uncovered: The race to report on the Nobel Prizes
19:16
19:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:16
The Nobel Prize announcements are big events at Chemical & Engineering News. But we find out the winners at the same time as everyone else. Then, the race is on for our reporters. This year, staffers Laurel Oldach and Mitch Jacoby took on the task of covering the science prizes. In this episode, they reflect on this year’s winning research in chemi…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
C&EN Uncovered: Looking back on 100 years of chemistry
13:38
13:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
13:38
The first issue of C&EN was published in 1923 with the stated purpose of “the promotion of research, the development of the chemical industry, and the welfare of the chemist.” The world of chemistry has grown a lot since then, and the magazine has been there to report on it all. To celebrate our 100th anniversary, C&EN reporter and informal histori…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Jennifer DiStefano and Jared Mondschein on the transition from the bench to the policy office
25:03
25:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:03
Early-career scientists are increasingly gravitating toward science policy, but the transition from the research bench to the policy office can be a tricky one. What can that path look like, and how can chemistry knowledge translate into a successful science policy career? In this bonus episode of C&EN’s Bonding Time, Mark Feuer DiTusa sits down wi…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
C&EN Uncovered: Making hydrogen is easy; making it green is a challenge
13:54
13:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
13:54
Hydrogen might be the key to a clean energy future, but only if it can be made without fossil fuels. Most hydrogen today is made from methane. With generous government tax credits and enthusiasm for sustainable technology, the race is on for green hydrogen. Craig Bettenhausen, our usual host, guides C&EN associate editor Gina Vitale through the hyd…
…
continue reading
The modern world runs on electronic devices and energy systems that are powered by valuable elements such as lithium and uranium. There are a limited number of terrestrial mines that produce energy-critical elements, which makes the supply of these materials prone to disruption. So researchers are looking to an unconventional source: seawater. Almo…
…
continue reading
Be they powered by fossil fuels, batteries, or hydrogen, cars are here to stay. So what can be done to make tires greener? In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, C&EN reporters Alex Scott and Craig Bettenhausen look at where the rubber meets the road, literally. Scott examined efforts to make tires more sustainable in a recent cover story for C&EN. H…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Here’s what happens when wastewater treatment facilities fail
26:22
26:22
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:22
When two wastewater treatment facilities in Baltimore, Maryland, broke down in early 2021, the surrounding waterways began filling up with sewage. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, C&EN business reporter Craig Bettenhausen takes the pod to visit the Back River Plant and Patapsco Plant in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to demystify how these facili…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Bonus: Executive producer Kerri Jansen hands over the mic
20:23
20:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:23
Stereo Chemistry’s longtime host Kerri Jansen is stepping down from her role as executive producer of the podcast. Jansen has been with Stereo Chemistry since it began in 2018, and has played an integral role in the production of C&EN’s flagship podcast. In this bonus episode, Jansen talks with C&EN’s interim coeditors for audio & video, Ariana Rem…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
C&EN Uncovered: The battle for Lake Maurepas
13:06
13:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
13:06
Carbon capture and sequestration is the trapping of CO2 emitted by industrial processes and depositing it beneath the Earth’s surface. Spurred on by tax credits offered by recent federal legislation, companies are racing to implement the technology in geologically suitable locations such as in Louisiana.However, the community around Lake Maurepas, …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
C&EN Uncovered: Lithium iron phosphate comes to North America
17:21
17:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:21
Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are cheaper, safer, and longer lasting than batteries made with nickel- and cobalt-based cathodes. In China, the streets are full of electric vehicles using this technology. But LFP never caught on as a chemistry for electric vehicle batteries in North America. In this episode, C&EN reporters Craig Bettenhause…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Microplastics pollute our drinking water: What are the risks?
27:37
27:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:37
Researchers reported finding microplastics in drinking water nearly 5 years ago, prompting California lawmakers to require monitoring of the state’s drinking water for the tiny particles. But in 2018, there were no standard methods for analyzing microplastics. So California regulators reached out to chemists and toxicologists from all sectors to de…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
C&EN Uncovered: What exascale computing could mean for chemistry
17:39
17:39
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:39
At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a supercomputer named Frontier has broken the exascale computing barrier, meaning it can calculate more than a million trillion floating-point operations per second. In this episode, C&EN reporters Craig Bettenhausen and Ariana Remmel discuss how Frontier works and what that kind of power could mean for computation…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Bonus: Carolyn Bertozzi and Barry Sharpless reflect on winning the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
12:49
12:49
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
12:49
In this bonus episode of C&EN’s Bonding Time, we hear from 2022 chemistry Nobel laureates Carolyn Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, who shared the prize along with Morten Meldal for their work on click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry. After a November symposium honoring the US-based Nobel awardees at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, DC, th…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
BONUS: Click and bioorthogonal chemistry win Nobel Prize in Chemistry
9:40
9:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:40
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Lithium mining’s water use sparks bitter conflicts and novel chemistry
35:14
35:14
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
35:14
Replacing gas cars with electric ones is a main pillar of plans to fight climate change. But the lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars come with a cost. Communities near the Salar de Atacama in Chile, where about a quarter of the world’s lithium is extracted from salty aquifers, say mining companies pose a serious threat to the local environm…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Bonus: For John Goodenough’s 100th birthday, we revisit a fan-favorite interview with the renowned scientist
38:01
38:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
38:01
Famed lithium-ion-battery pioneer and Nobel Prize–winner John Goodenough has achieved yet another milestone—a century on Earth. Goodenough celebrates his 100th birthday on July 25, 2022. In honor of the occasion, Stereo Chemistry host Kerri Jansen and C&EN reporter Mitch Jacoby revisit their 2019 interview with the renowned scientist, recorded at h…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Bonus: Jess Wade on Wikipedia and work-life balance
55:45
55:45
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
55:45
This month, Stereo Chemistry is sharing an episode of the podcast ChemConvos featuring an interview with materials scientist, self-described “Raman spectroscopy enthusiast,” and prolific Wikipedia editor Jess Wade. On ChemConvos, hosts Henry Powell-Davies and Medina Afandiyeva seek to uncover the story behind the scientist. In this episode, the tri…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Bonus: The sticky science of why we eat so much sugar
34:34
34:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
34:34
Our bodies need sugar to survive. But most of us consume way more than we actually need, and many foods and beverages pack a dose of added sweeteners. So why are we eating all of this extra sugar? This month, Stereo Chemistry is sharing an episode of the podcast Tiny Matters that examines that question. In the episode, hosts Sam Jones and Deboki Ch…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Bonus: There’s more to James Harris’s story
45:37
45:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
45:37
Chemists may know James Harris as the first Black scientist to be credited with codiscovering an element. In fact, we referenced this in a previous episode of Stereo Chemistry about making superheavy elements. But beyond this memorable factoid, details about the accomplished nuclear chemist are scarce, and most sources repeat the same superficial i…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Bonus: The helium shortage that wasn’t supposed to be
14:35
14:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
14:35
Helium shortages can derail research and threaten expensive instruments that depend on the gas to operate safely. In late 2020, analysts predicted—and we reported—that pressures on the global helium market were likely to ease as new production capacity came online. Today, helium users are again facing price spikes and limited supplies, driven by a …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Sarah Reisman and Melanie Sanford on how organic chemistry is changing and how they’ve learned to choose priorities
23:29
23:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
23:29
Being a chemistry professor is a juggling act. But sometimes professors have too many balls in the air. How do they know which ones to grab and which to let drop? In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, C&EN's Leigh Krietsch Boerner sits down with organic chemists Sarah Reisman and Melanie Sanford to hear how they decide what projects to work on, what…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Jose-Luis Jimenez and Kimberly Prather on the intersection of aerosol science and the COVID-19 pandemic
25:27
25:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:27
Imagine you’re an atmospheric chemist. There’s a pandemic. And public health officials release information about how the virus spreads from one person to another—information that directly contradicts your knowledge of how tiny particles move in the air. What do you do? In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, Jose-Luis Jimenez and Kimberly Prather talk…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Jessica Ray and William Tarpeh on clean water, turning trash into treasure, and life as assistant professors
27:19
27:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:19
How do we build water systems that are sustainable and also equitable? On this episode of Stereo Chemistry, Jessica Ray and William Tarpeh talk with C&EN reporter Katherine Bourzac about how they use their chemical engineering know-how to develop simple systems for filtering toxic chemicals from our water and harvesting useful chemicals from urine.…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
David Liu and Stuart Schreiber on the science that motivates, fascinates, and tells us who we are
33:42
33:42
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:42
What motivates a creative scientific mind? How does an accomplished scientist pinpoint new subjects to explore? How is the field of chemical biology evolving? In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, we probe those questions with scientists and serial entrepreneurs David Liu and Stuart Schreiber, both pioneers in developing tools that use chemistry to …
…
continue reading
Stereo Chemistry’s new season will launch on Nov. 23, featuring eight chemistry greats in conversation with . . . each other. In each episode, two sensational chemists will pair up for in-depth conversations moderated by a C&EN reporter. Listen now as show host Kerri Jansen reveals the lineup with new Stereo Chemistry team member Attabey Rodríguez …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
BONUS: Molecule-building tool wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry
7:36
7:36
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
7:36
The 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to Benjamin List and David W. C. MacMillan for their development of asymmetric organocatalysis, which has proved to be a powerful tool for building molecules. In this special episode of Stereo Chemistry, host Kerri Jansen, C&EN reporter Leigh Krietsch Boerner, and C&EN editorial fellow Emily Harwitz delve into…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
BONUS: Astronaut Leland Melvin’s journey from chemistry to the cosmos
37:21
37:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
37:21
This month, Stereo Chemistry is sharing an episode of Third Pod from the Sun, a podcast from the American Geophysical Union, featuring an interview with retired astronaut and former professional athlete Leland Melvin. In the episode, Melvin describes how an early—and explosive—interest in chemistry grew into a scientific career at NASA and two mi…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
BONUS: How body farms can help solve cases
23:31
23:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
23:31
This month, Stereo Chemistry is sharing an episode of Orbitals that features an interview with forensic chemist Shari Forbes, an expert in human decomposition who studies the odors of decomposition at a body farm in chilly Quebec. Research at body farms—research facilities dedicated to studying what happens to human bodies after death—supplies law …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
BONUS: Rare earths’ magic comes at a cost (Part 2)
33:42
33:42
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:42
(Part 2/2) This month, Stereo Chemistry is sharing a pair of episodes from Distillations, a podcast from the Science History Institute. We rely on rare-earth elements to make many essential technologies like smartphones, medical imaging devices, and wind turbines. But how much do you know about where these extraordinary materials come from? In this…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
BONUS: Rare earths’ magic comes at a cost (Part 1)
27:28
27:28
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:28
(Part 1/2) This month, Stereo Chemistry is sharing a pair of episodes from Distillations, a podcast from the Science History Institute. We rely on rare-earth elements to make many essential technologies like smartphones, medical imaging devices, and wind turbines. But how much do you know about where these extraordinary materials come from? In this…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
BONUS: Celebrating LGBTQ+ excellence with My Fave Queer Chemist
48:01
48:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
48:01
This month, we’re sharing an episode of the podcast My Fave Queer Chemist. Hosted by graduate students Bec Roldan and Geraldo Duran-Camacho, the show celebrates the excellence of LGBTQ+ chemists everywhere. Stereo Chemistry is excited to share this recent episode featuring inorganic photochemist Irving Rettig. In the episode, Rettig discusses his b…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Ep. 41: Searching for Mars’s missing water
22:07
22:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:07
More than 50 years of missions to Mars paint a clear picture of a cold, dry, desert planet. And at the same time, photographs, minerals, and other data tell scientists that Mars once had as much water as Earth, or even more. Why are the two planets so different today? In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, we talk to scientists about the latest resea…
…
continue reading
Toxic elements like lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium in food are not a new problem. But when they show up in pureed vegetables and other foods intended for babies, alarm bells go off. That’s what happened in recent months following a bombshell congressional report that found neurotoxic metals in baby food from multiple manufacturers. In this epi…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Ep. 39: How research on aging could keep us healthier longer
28:50
28:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:50
Living longer has been a human obsession for centuries, but while medical science has helped extend average life span, not all those extra years can be healthy. It turns out that aging is a major risk factor for disease. Follow along as host Kerri Jansen and reporter Laura Howes ask if instead of extending life span, we could extend health span and…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Ep. 38: Nobel laureates Frances Arnold and Jennifer Doudna on prizes, pandemics, and Jimmy Page
30:38
30:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:38
Where do you take your career after you’ve won all of science’s biggest prizes? In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, C&EN executive editor Lisa Jarvis sits down with Nobel laureates Frances Arnold and Jennifer Doudna to hear about whether their career goals changed after they got that early-morning phone call in October and how the pandemic has shi…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Ep. 37: Historians pursue centuries-old chemical secrets—Green reading glass, Bologna stones, and Greek fire
24:03
24:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:03
Researchers want to invent the technologies of the future, but there are plenty of chemical questions lurking in the past. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, C&EN assistant editor Gina Vitale joins host Kerri Jansen to explore the centuries-old secrets and nagging mysteries that keep science historians up at night—and how these researchers go abo…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Ep. 36: How will Biden’s election impact chemistry?
16:30
16:30
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:30
As we prepare for a new US president, many chemists are wondering how the administration change may affect them and their work. Will President-Elect Joe Biden change immigration policies that have reduced the number of foreign students studying at US universities? How might scientific integrity standards in the federal government change under the B…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Ep. 35: Grad students, lab injuries, and workers’ compensation—it’s complicated
24:39
24:39
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:39
Many grad students may be surprised to learn their university’s policies for reimbursing medical fees for lab injuries do not cover grad students, or cover grad students only under certain circumstances. And it can be hard to get clarity on what is and is not covered. That’s left some grad students in an uncomfortable limbo of seeking answers after…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Ep. 34: Chemists confront the helium shortage
26:02
26:02
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:02
Helium shortage 3.0 is winding down. But 2021 is likely to bring more changes to the global market for this critical, non-renewable gas. And even if there isn’t another crunch, scientists who use helium are tired of unstable supply of a material they need to keep their instruments running. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, we’ll look at what’s b…
…
continue reading
In August 2020, Black chemists and allies took to Twitter to celebrate the inaugural #BlackInChem week. The social media campaign highlighted the diversity and accomplishments of Black chemists at all stages of their career and also created space for candid discussions about the discrimination these scientists face in chemistry. In the latest episo…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Ep. 32: Should organic chemistry’s name reactions go the way of mouth pipetting?
26:56
26:56
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:56
Scientists have been naming ideas, theorems, discoveries, and so on after other scientists for a very long time (Newton’s laws of motion, anyone?). Chemists are no different. They’ve been naming reactions after each other since about the early to mid 1800s. Nowadays, organic chemists in particular use them as a kind of shorthand. However, because t…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Ep. 31: A world without Rosalind Franklin
23:19
23:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
23:19
Rosalind Franklin and her lab assistant famously imaged the structure of DNA using X-ray crystallography, an achievement that directly facilitated James Watson and Francis Crick’s discovery of the double helix. For what would be Rosalind’s 100th birthday, the Stereo Chemistry team consults scientists and historians to envision the many ways the wor…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Bonus episode: Talking TSCA—is the chemical law living up to expectations?
17:52
17:52
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:52
This month marks 4 years since the Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA, was revised to boost confidence in chemical safety in the US by strengthening regulations. The updated law gave the Environmental Protection Agency sweeping new authority to ensure that the tens of thousands of chemicals in everyday products do not pose unreasonable risks to …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Ep. 30: The chemical culprit in 2019's mysterious vaping illnesses—what we still don't know
29:40
29:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:40
Months before the novel coronavirus took hold of the globe in late 2019, clusters of patients began appearing in emergency rooms throughout the US with a mysterious lung disease. Investigators quickly linked the illnesses not to a pathogen, but to patients’ use of vaping products. By examining the chemicals in these products, they eventually found …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Ep. 29: This virus is here now, it's going to stay with us
35:00
35:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
35:00
As COVID-19 continues to spread, so does the effort to treat and vaccinate against the novel coronavirus that causes the disease. Around the world, scientists are working nonstop on the different therapies that they hope will quell the loss of life during this pandemic while, at the same time, setting us up to prevent future outbreaks. What’s not c…
…
continue reading