We have some bittersweet news: Orbitals is coming to a close. BUT there’s a new science podcast headed your way in 2022! It’s called Tiny Matters, and it's a show about things small in size but big in impact. Every other Wednesday, hosts Sam Jones and Deboki Chakravarti uncover the little stuff that makes the big stuff possible, answering questions…

If there’s one flavor you can always count on, it’s vanilla. Sweet, creamy, and nostalgic, it comes from a creeping orchid vine. But with increased demand, scientists are finding new ways to make it, including starting from an unexpected plant…rice! Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker…

Think the science behind sponges must be boring? You’re so, so wrong. Shrink down to the microscopic level with us and take a walk among sponges designed to keep bacteria alive, clean with just water, and literally cut through your holiday cleaning. Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker…

Bacteria often get a bad rap, which is fair—they are responsible for diseases like strep throat, pneumonia, and tuberculosis, and antibiotic resistance is a legitimate threat to humanity's existence. But some bacteria might actually save lives by cleaning up things like massive oil spills and radioactive waste. Featuring Dr. Cara Santelli.…

Polymer membranes make everything from rain jackets to medical devices. But they’re also integral parts of hydrogen fuel cells, powering cars that give off nothing but water vapor. How do fuel cells work, and why aren’t you driving one yet? Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, …

When you hear the word “molasses” you probably imagine super slow-moving, brown-colored sweet stuff that you add to a cookie recipe. And that is what molasses usually looks like, but under certain conditions and in large enough quantities, molasses can be dangerous. Just over a century ago, the North End of Boston learned just *how* dangerous. Feat…

5G is coming… but can your phone handle it? Surprisingly, a lot of that comes down to the chemistry inside! Let’s crack open your phone to figure out how chemistry is making it smaller, faster, and a little more sticky! Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Pr…

Sweat is this thing that many of us seem to loathe, but also pay a lot of money to do while being yelled at by professionals. So what is sweat? And why do we do it? And why are we often so embarrassed by it? This episode features writer Sarah Everts, who recently wrote a book called The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration.…

A team of researchers making workout gear that never stinks realized that their invention could actually have a bigger impact fighting a global pandemic. It all starts with a high-performance fabric found in your closet and a common mineral in your breakfast cereal. Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance…

In 2020, researchers discovered that more than 1,000 tons of plastic—that’s over 100 million plastic water bottles worth—rains down on National Parks and wilderness in the western U.S. every year. How is that possible? This week's episode features microplastics researcher Imari Walker. Check out her YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/cha…

Many of us slather sunscreen on in the summer to keep sunburns at bay. But new materials can improve sunscreens without adding more of the sticky, greasy compounds we all hate. The surprising origin of those new ingredients? Wood! Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Performance Materials, Baker Hughes, BASF, Dow,…

Sam Kean's latest book, The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science, dropped earlier this week. It’s about when knowledge becomes everything—the only thing. At whatever the cost. You'll hear about what made Sam want to write the book, and about a couple of the characters within …

How do you keep moths from munching on apples? By confusing them with a field full of mating pheromones brewed in a lab. The same fermentation strategy can also make enzymes to help chickens digest their feed and keep their farmyards a little less… sticky. Today we’ll talk about the biochemistry that helps food make it from the field to your fridge…

A lot has happened in the last year (understatement of the millennium), so we wanted to bring our listeners something a bit sillier than usual. In this episode we’re talking food and drink chemistry—just fun bits of trivia that you can take with you as you venture back out to bars and restaurants this summer. Sam's joined by Orbitals executive prod…

Vaccines help our immune system to learn to recognize invading pathogens before we ever get infected. But some vaccines include molecules that act like an extra alarm system, alerting our immune cells to pay attention! These molecules are called adjuvants, and scientists are working on creating new ones that could help create vaccines against pande…

Over half a million people in the US have died from an opioid overdose over the last 20 years, and a lot of the time they were prescribed those opioids by a doctor. So what makes these drugs so dangerous? And if we know they can be this dangerous, why are they still prescribed? This month’s episode is about opioids—their history, their use, and the…

In this episode of Solutions, we’re going to travel from mangrove coasts to outer space, to the middle of Nebraska, and even to Norway to answer the question of how microscopic algae could help save our oceans from overfishing by making literal tonnes of omega-3 fatty acids. Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Pe…

April 22nd is Earth Day, so this month’s episode is all about our warming planet--what the data are telling us about our planet's future, how scientists are working to find solutions to deal with it, and how you the listener can actually make a difference.By American Chemical Society

We humans are pretty smart, but sometimes our best solutions to big problems are inspired by nature! We’re talking to scientists about how deep-sea diatoms can inspire more efficient solar panels and how tiny marine plants can lead to boats that float on air… literally. Solutions is made with funding and featuring scientists from 3M, Ascend Perform…

In today’s episode, we’re talking about life. What it is, how it started here on Earth, and how we’re trying to find it in other parts of the universe. Featuring NASA astrobiologist Dr. Jason Dworkin and MIT astrophysicist Dr. Sara Seager.By American Chemical Society

Niba Nirmal is a multimedia science communicator based in San Francisco, who explores the science in cosmetics, fashion, and skincare through YouTube and Instagram as @NotesByNiba. Prior to this, she researched the genetics of plant stem cells. As a visible and invisible minority, Niba strives to be inclusive of all minority statuses. Learn more ab…

Dr. Marina Venero Galanternik is a developmental biologist studying the membranes that encase your brain and spinal cord and protect your nervous system. Marina got her science start "taking care of" earthworms as a young kid in Russia, but really credits a few incredible mentors and 8 months of living in a nunnery for getting her to where she is t…

Natural extracts are in everything from food to medicine to beauty products. But how do we know which molecules from the natural world have benefits? And how can we verify that the ingredients advertised on the outside of the bottle are actually what’s on the inside? We’ll talk with three scientists who answer those questions with an unlikely case …

Dr. Shannon Odell is a neuroscientist, comedian, and science communicator based in Brooklyn, NY. Shannon shares with us her research studying memory, how she got into stand-up and improv as a graduate student, and how, as a science communicator, she's combining her love of the brain and comedy. You can find Shannon on Twitter @shodell. Check out he…

Cindy Cordoba Arroyo is a PhD student at Cornell studying apparel design and sustainability. Her research focuses on what textiles make clothes easier to reuse and recycle, and how we can improve them. You can find Cindy on Instagram @circular.fashion and on Twitter at @CirculrFashion. And, if you speak Spanish, be sure to check out Cindy's podcast…

Dr. Steven Townsend is a professor of Organic Chemistry at Vanderbilt University, studying the chemistry of breast milk—what makes it so good for babies, and why that’s so hard to replicate in infant formula. Dr. Townsend’s interest in the field came from a personal experience he had almost a decade ago, walking around New York City with his pregna…

Nina Gao is a PhD candidate in the Biomedical Sciences program at UC San Diego, where she studies infectious disease and how a type of bacteria interacts with its host. Spoiler alert: we’re the host, and it can get kinda gross. Nina is working to develop a vaccine for these bacteria before they become resistant to antibiotics. You can find Nina on …

Jordan Harrod is a PhD Student in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program. Her research focuses on neuroengineering, brain-machine interfaces, and machine learning. Outside of the lab, Jordan talks about artificial intelligence, and the ethics surrounding it, on her YouTube channel. To learn more about Jordan's research and scicomm w…

Welcome to the first episode of Solutions, an Orbitals spin-off podcast for 2021! We need to move people and stuff around the globe, but the options we have to do that aren’t great for our planet, and we’re the ones who are going to feel those effects. We’re talking with experts who are trying to make transportation more sustainable with innovative…

Dr. Ana Maria Porras is a biomedical engineer studying the human gut microbiome and developing biomaterials-based models of disease, to see how good and bad microorganisms regulate our health. She's also an incredible artist, crocheting the microbes she studies and using them to engage with the public in both the US and Latin America. You can learn…

Introducing Solutions, a fun new Orbitals spin-off podcast hosted by Dr. Alex Dainis. Every month of 2021, we'll be releasing an episode that will give you a front row seat to chemists in industry today—the work they do and how it can solve problems in our lives. We’ve teamed up with chemical companies from around the world to talk about everything…

Dr. Jenifer Smith is the Director of the Department of Forensic Sciences in Washington, DC. Before beginning her position at the DFS Dr. Smith, a PhD chemist, was an FBI Special Agent for over 20 years, and former Chief of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Intelligence Analysis Section. She also led the CIA’s Biological Technology Center and has serv…

Dr. Nicole Allen is a New York City-based psychiatrist who specializes in psychosomatic medicine—an interdisciplinary field of psychiatry focused on the interaction between mental and physical illness. Dr. Allen and Sam chat about what life is like for a psychiatrist—and her patients—during a global pandemic, and how there are a few silver linings …

Moiya McTier is an astrophysicist and folklorist, completing her PhD in astronomy at Columbia University. When she's not thinking about planet formation or working on a book, you might find Moiya building other worlds on her podcast Exolore. Check out Exolore: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exolore-facts-based-fictional-worldbuilding/id15110…

In the first half of the 20th century, there were very few environmental laws in the United States. Then, in 1962, environmentalist Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, opening the eyes of many Americans to the environmental destruction and detrimental impacts on human health caused by unchecked toxic chemical use and industrial waste. One of tho…

As of November 16, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused over 1.3 million deaths globally, more than 246,000 of which have been in the United States. Although this country has done very little to control the spread of this virus, there are people out there working tirelessly to get us back on track by developing and improving materials that protec…

The only thing that's standing between life and lifelessness is about six feet of loose soil material covering the Earth. In this episode of Orbitals, soil biogeochemist and political ecologist Dr. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe breaks down why soil is a key controller of our climate and essential for our existence.…

Imagine buying mascara that makes you go blind, or picking up hair removal cream that causes your teeth to fall out. Before 1938 products like these were all over the place. Legally. The American Chamber of Horrors was a traveling exhibit, created by the FDA, that exposed these atrocities, and it helped push forward a law that changed consumer prot…

Antiviral drugs could help us fight the new coronavirus, but we don’t currently have a highly potent and effective antiviral that cures COVID-19. Why not? We called a few virologists to find out.By American Chemical Society

The COVID-19 pandemic has scientists considering a few less-conventional options while vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are being developed. One option might be the oral polio vaccine. We chatted with one of the researchers proposing the idea—Dr. Robert Gallo—to understand why a vaccine that hasn’t been used in the US for two decades might provide short…

We’re each a big mush of chemicals surrounded by chemicals, and figuring out which of these chemicals are helpful, versus harmful, is complicated. Our executive producer, George Zaidan, takes on that challenge in his new book Ingredients: The strange chemistry of what we put in us and on us. I chat with him about some of what he found, and how he f…

Forensic toxicologists are frequently portrayed in shows like CSI and Bones, but what do they actually do? In this episode our writer and host, Samantha Jones, PhD, chats with seasoned forensic toxicologist Robert Middleberg, PhD, as he recounts a case that has stayed with him for decades.By American Chemical Society

A potential vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 went into Phase I clinical trials in Seattle mid-March. So what exactly is being tested? How much longer will these tests take? And when can we expect a vaccine? To answer those questions I chatted with Dr. Benjamin Neuman, one of the world’s experts on coronaviruses, and Daniel Wrapp, one of the scientists wh…

Right now our team’s focus has shifted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our ACS and PBS Digital Studios series, Reactions, has become the priority and will be our way of getting coronavirus and COVID-19-related content out to the public. You can find our latest videos here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2pMVimI2bw&t= And follow us on social media: Twit…

Early-1900s New York City was a place of utter chaos—a place where poisoners reigned supreme. That is, until a unique duo stepped in and started to win the long-fought battle between scientists and poisoners, creating the field of forensic toxicology in the process. This episode, we'll dive into the history of poisoning, and stories that defined th…

This week we chat with DC-based author Sam Kean about his most recent work: The Bastard Brigade, a book about a group of scientists and military commanders during World War II who were trying to stop the Nazis from creating an atomic bomb. In this episode, get ready to hear about some eccentric characters, sabotage, and--of course--chemistry.…

The parasitic roundworm Strongyloides stercoralis crawls through contaminated soil in search of one thing – human flesh. Often no more than a millimeter in size, it’s currently estimated to be hanging out in the intestines of over 300 million people worldwide. How it finds us has a lot to do with the chemicals we’re giving off.…

On a body farm, scientists collect information from donated corpses to understand how things like weather and the positioning of a body will affect human decomposition. Why should we care? This knowledge is used to help law enforcement not only find the bodies of victims--who are often murdered--but figure out how they died.…

We wanted to do something different to wrap up this first season, so in this final (bonus) episode I'm chatting with a very special guest who got me hooked on science at a really young age. Although this is the end of season 1, we plan to do a second season and want to hear from you! Email us at WomenInSTEMpod@gmail.com. And, to stay up to date, fo…

In the 1960s the drug thalidomide caused over 10,000 babies across the globe to be born with deformed limbs. Scientist Dr. Frances Oldham Kelsey blocked its production in the US, saving countless lives. But since then thalidomide has been approved by the FDA. Why? Today we tackle how thalidomide's chemistry caused a pharmaceutical disaster and why …