Chemistry in Everyday Life
42 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago -Chemistry in Everyday Life is a podcast that aims to explain the fascinating world of chemistry to lay people with the help of common examples encountered all around us.
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Episodes
Asphalt - Chemie im Straßenbau
January 05, 2022 09:18 - 24 minutes - 20.6 MBRoads are one of the defining features of modern civilizations, believe it or not. To me and I think most others, the state of the roads in a country gives an idea of the level of development. It does not surprise then that chemistry features quite heavily in how we make roads. A request from a listener, I explore in this episode the chemistry of bitumen and the physical properties needed for a good road. This podcast is still not reactivated, but if you have a topic that you are intereste...
Last episode of Chemistry in Everyday Life: Cyanide Poisoning
September 28, 2021 19:53 - 10 minutes - 8.86 MBIt takes a little bit more than 100mg of cyanide to kill a 75 kg human being. A little more than 100mg and the unfortunate victim will show the telltale signs of “bluish tones of oxygen deprivation mottle the skin.“ Cyanide Poisoning is as old as the usage of chemical compounds containing cyanide and this episode looks at the chemistry that happens in the body during a poisoning. “This will be the last episode of Chemistry in Everyday Life for now. It was a huge amount of fun, but for the ...
Why can we digest starch, but not cellulose?
September 12, 2021 21:12 - 10 minutes - 9.09 MBBoth starch and cellulose are made of glucose, one of the main sources of energy for the human body. Yet... we can digest starch that we find in things like potatoes or flour, but we cannot digest cellulose, a compound that is found in virtually every plant... Why?!? If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1 or you can leave a comment on my website https://chemistryineverydaylife574446112.wordpress.com/. Alte...
Summer Re-runs: Prove It! How do we know what chemicals we have? - Part 2: Analysis
August 29, 2021 21:07 - 23 minutes - 19 MBDear Chemistry in Everyday Life Fans, I am off this month and as a consequence, we are looking back on past episodes over the summer. Today’s re-run is one of the first episodes that I ever recorded by the name of “Protection from the Sun Pt. 1 – The Ozone Layer”. I hope you all enjoy your summer. Stay safe and take care :)
Summer Re-runs: Protection from the Sun Pt. 1 - The Ozone Layer
August 15, 2021 08:31 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBDear Chemistry in Everyday Life Fans, I am off this month and as a consequence, we are looking back on past episodes over the summer. Today’s re-run is one of the first episodes that I ever recorded by the name of “Protection from the Sun Pt. 1 – The Ozone Layer”. The survey is still open and you can still submit an answer under https://forms.gle/LihJiny4jncB6h2A6. Let me know what episodes you like best and we shall replay them over the course of the summer. I hope you all enjoy your summ...
Summer Re-runs: Breathe in, Breathe Out - Oxygen Transfer in the Blood
August 01, 2021 14:09 - 20 minutes - 17.5 MBDear Chemistry in Everyday Life Fans, I am off this month and as a consequence, we are looking back on past episodes over the summer. I asked you what is your favourite episode and the result said it was the episode "Breathe in, Breathe Out - Oxygen Transfer in the Blood". The survey is still open and you can still submit an answer under https://forms.gle/LihJiny4jncB6h2A6 . Let me know what episodes you like best and we shall replay them over the course of the summer. I hope you all enjoy...
You look radiant today - Radiotracers and Imaging
July 16, 2021 07:03 - 17 minutes - 14.1 MBPLEASE NOTE: During the month of August, I will repeat some previous episodes. If you want to influence which episodes will be played, you can click on the following link to part in a 1-question survey. Thanks! https://forms.gle/LihJiny4jncB6h2A6 How can you trace a molecule inside the body? How do you know, how a compound inside the body is metabolised? We will explore these questions in this episode. If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reach...
Prove It! How do we know what chemicals we have? - Part 2: Analysis
July 04, 2021 19:32 - 22 minutes - 18.6 MBHave you ever wondered how all these scientists come up with their findings in forensics, environmental science, pharmaceuticals, … cooking, cosmetics, and in soooo many more? Chemical purification and analysis lies at the heart of this question and I give you hereby my attempt at answering it. This is Part 2 of this 2-Part series looking at analysis. If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1or you can leave ...
Prove It! How do we know what chemicals we have? - Part 1: Purification Techniques
June 20, 2021 18:57 - 20 minutes - 17.5 MBHave you ever wondered how all these scientists come up with their findings in forensics, environmental science, pharmaceuticals, … cooking, cosmetics, and in soooo many more? Chemical purification and analysis lies at the heart of this question and I give you hereby my attempt at answering it. This is Part 1 of this 2-Part series looking at purification techniques. If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1or...
Absorbing Fats - Fats in Action
June 06, 2021 14:29 - 13 minutes - 11.6 MBAfter talking about red blood cells two episodes ago, this episode looks at a different bodily fluid. One that helps in the digestion of fats. We are talking about bile. A liquid associated with bad experiences, but is essential to our survival. If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1or you can leave a comment on my website https://chemistryineverydaylife574446112.wordpress.com/. Alternatively, you can send...
Absorbing Fats - Bile in Action
June 06, 2021 14:29 - 13 minutes - 11.6 MBAfter talking about red blood cells two episodes ago, this episode looks at a different bodily fluid. One that helps in the digestion of fats. We are talking about bile. A liquid associated with bad experiences, but is essential to our survival. If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1or you can leave a comment on my website https://chemistryineverydaylife574446112.wordpress.com/. Alternatively, you can send...
Life-saving explosions - Airbags
May 23, 2021 19:55 - 21 minutes - 18.8 MBIn this episode I confront the horrible memory of my one and only bad car crash. I only remember fragments, but the airbag was a big part of the memory. If you want to know how explosions save lives everyday on the road, then tune in. If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1or you can leave a comment on my website https://chemistryineverydaylife574446112.wordpress.com/. Alternatively, you can send an email t...
Breathe in, Breathe Out - Oxygen Transfer in the Blood
May 09, 2021 20:16 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBOxygen in, Carbon Dioxide out. We learn this basic paradigm about breathing from a very early age on. But how does it work? From a chemical viewpoint this is a lot of fun! So let’s look into it 😊 If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1or you can leave a comment on my website https://chemistryineverydaylife574446112.wordpress.com/. Alternatively, you can send an email to [email protected]. Sources Blo...
Sing this corrosion to me
April 25, 2021 08:15 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBWhy does iron rust? Why does this not happen for stainless steel? How else can we protect materials from corrosion? If you want to know, listen to this episode 😉 If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1or you can leave a comment on my website https://chemistryineverydaylife574446112.wordpress.com/. Alternatively, you can send an email to [email protected]. Sources Rust – Wikipedia entry · https://en....
The concept of energy in the human body
April 11, 2021 22:03 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBI always found the concept of energy in the human body very intriguing… or in any organism for that matter. The term energy is very abstract to me. For example, there is a difference to “having the energy to go for a walk” or “the energy to power the oven”. One phrase clearly describes energy as electricity and the other is the energy needed for an activity that we humans undertake. So what is energy in a human being or an animal? If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for...
Space. The Final Frontier...
March 28, 2021 21:12 - 18 minutes - 16 MBSpace. The Final frontier… a friend of mine asked me if there is chemistry in space and how it is different from the chemistry, we observe here on Earth. This is an exciting topic. So exciting that I had to make a podcast episode about it. If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1. Alternatively, you can send an email to [email protected]. Please note: I made a mistake in this episode. I called the anal...
Distilling the essence - Talking about Distillation
March 14, 2021 10:29 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBI always tried to avoid making an episode about making alcoholic beverages, because there is already so much great content about it and I did not see the extra value in talking about it. For this episode, I shall break this taboo, by talking about distillation. A technique that is used for making spirits, but also for so much more, which is why I only mention spirits at the end as a side note. I hope you enjoy listening to it. If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a t...
Portable Power - Batteries and their Chemistry
February 28, 2021 09:06 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MBBatteries are ubiquitous in daily life and I took them for granted for such a long time that I felt obliged to write an episode about them. Especially since they work thanks to a very basic concept called Redox Reactions. If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1. Alternatively, you can send an email to [email protected]. Sources Redox Chemistry and electrochemistry · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red...
A World of Mirror Images
February 14, 2021 22:21 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MBFrom winter gloves and people with inverted organs to the effects of molecular mirror images. Chirality can be found everywhere, so it is high time to talk about it. If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1. Alternatively, you can send an email to [email protected]. Sources Wikipedia entries on Chirality and Enantiomers · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chirality · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiral...
Conjugated Systems... no, we are not talking about Latin ;-)
February 01, 2021 21:59 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBWe talked about Glow Sticks, we talked about Fireworks. Now it feels like the right time to look at another big factor in color of compounds, the conjugated systems. If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1. Alternatively, you can send an email to [email protected]. Sources: My publication on the synthesis of Neocryptolepine https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2009/ob/b816608k#!divAbstract...
Glow Sticks - A new year's saving grace
January 17, 2021 23:26 - 15 minutes - 13.1 MBOur 2020 new year’s celebration had to look quite different this year. The Belgian government had to restrict contact, so no extended family, and no fireworks this year. All for very good, Corona-related reasons. This meant for us that we had to find an alternative, so that we could still give our 3-year old daughter a little spectacle. With glow sticks and chemiluminescence in our back packs, we then went on to celebrate a very special and very different new year. This podcast we shall use ...
AdBlue - More than just purifed urine in our car's gas tank?
January 03, 2021 11:02 - 23 minutes - 18.9 MBSo it was time again to add a little Diesel Exhaust Fluid, also known as AdBlue, to the gas tank of my car. So I stood there in the cold winter temperatures, freezing my, you name it off, and just wished that it would add quicker! Inevitably, one thought popped into my headed: “Why, oh why on earth am I doing this anyways?!” This episode is the final product of my investigations… If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @Che...
Radical Dental Filling
December 21, 2020 20:29 - 17 minutes - 14.6 MBThis episode is inspired by my wife's recent experience at the dentist where she needed to get a filling done. It was her first and it reminded me of my first (and so far only) dental filling that I needed to get done a couple of years ago. Our discussion about what the dentist did to fill the dental cavity led to this episode. I hope you enjoy it :). If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1. Alternatively, ...
Sweet, sweet bread
December 06, 2020 22:41 - 17 minutes - 15.6 MBAfter discussing for 3 episodes the cutting edge technology that led to a Nobel Prize, I would like to return back to more mundane things and there are not many things more mundane than eating bread :-D This episode will look at the reason why bland bread starts to taste sweet after chewing it for a while. I hope you will enjoy it :) If you would like to share feedback or have a suggestion for a topic, I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1. Alternatively, you can send an e...
The Nobel Series Part III: The Gene Scissors, CRISPR/CAS9
November 23, 2020 19:54 - 16 minutes - 16.6 MBWelcome back to the last episode of this Nobel Prize series during which I discuss the technology for which the two research groups around Prof. emmanuelle Charpentier and Prof. Doudna received the joint Nobel Prize for chemistry. This episode will put all the pieces that we encountered over the course of the last two episodes together and finally will explain, how the so-called gene scissors, CRIPS/CAS9, work. I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1 , if you have feedback th...
The Nobel Series Part II: Gene Expression
November 09, 2020 21:37 - 18 minutes - 17.6 MBThe 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for "for the development of a method for genome editing”. Their work has markedly added to the toolbox available to researchers in the life sciences and in my humble opinion, it is worth talking about. To understand why this work is so important, we will need to have some introductory episodes first and this here is part number II, where we will discuss how genetic information stored in DNA is transform...
The Nobel Series Part I: DNA
October 27, 2020 23:28 - 16 minutes - 16.2 MBThe 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for "for the development of a method for genome editing”. Their work has markedly added to the toolbox available to researchers in the life sciences and in my humble opinion, it is worth talking about. To understand why this work is so important, we will need to have some introductory episodes first and this here is part number I, where we will discuss the structure of DNA. I can now be reached on twitter u...
Hydrogel - interesting material, exciting uses
October 06, 2020 21:12 - 13 minutes - 13.2 MBIn this episode, I discuss a special group of materials called hydrogels. For something that is hardly ever mentioned publically, it has a surprising amount of uses in the world... I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1 , if you have feedback that you would like to share. Alternatively, you can send an email to [email protected] . Sources 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogel 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrophile 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyacryla...
Green Statues
September 20, 2020 19:34 - 11 minutes - 11.1 MBWe all know that statues in the cities are green, like for example the statue of liberty. But do you all know why they are green? This episode looks at this question. I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1 , if you have feedback that you would like to share. Alternatively, you can send an email to [email protected] . Sources https://copperalliance.org.uk/knowledge-base/education/education-resources/copper-reactivity-patination/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze h...
Why do our eyes burn and tear when we cut onions?
September 06, 2020 19:39 - 7 minutes - 7.88 MBWhy do our eyes burn and tear when we cut onions? This listener question will be discussed in this episode. I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1 , if you have feedback that you would like to share. Alternatively, you can send an email to [email protected] . Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tear_gas https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reizstoff https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwiebel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syn-Propanethial-...
Water's special superpower - hydrogen bonds
August 26, 2020 14:55 - 14 minutes - 14 MBWater is all around us and we kind of take it for granted. It is an accepted basis for life and makes our planet inhabitable. Have you guys ever wondered why that is? Well, water is also a very special liquid. This episode revolves around a specific feature that water has, namely hydrogen bonds, how they function and why they change the way water behaves in comparison to other compounds. I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1 , if you have feedback that you would like to sh...
Why better not to use heating fuel in your diesel engine?
August 09, 2020 20:30 - 8 minutes - 9.15 MBThis episode is based on a discussion I had with an acquaintance at a barbecue. He, being the smarty pants that he is, asked "Do you know the difference between diesel and heating fuel?"... I didn't... I, being the smarty pants that I am, was annoyed by that. With a wry smile he suggested: "Better look it up then." And I did! The result is a not too shabby podcast episode on the difference between the two. If you want to know why it is a bad idea to use heating fuel in your diesel engine, t...
Let's talk about soap and detergents...
July 26, 2020 15:16 - 13 minutes - 13.3 MBWhen talking about chemistry, one of the first topics to breach is the chemistry of soap. In the time of a global pandemic, washing our hands has become second nature and at some point at the beginning the stockpiling of soap even led to shortages in some areas. So let's talk about soap and how it does its job. Sources https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seife https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap General Chemistry by D. D. Ebbing 5th Ed. 1996 ISBN 0-395-74415-6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De...
Fireworks - Chemistry of Colour
July 12, 2020 12:27 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBI love fireworks, folks. I don't see the spectacle often, but when I do , it is an absolute beauty to behold, especially when it is an entire choreography. I sometimes cannot believe that there are people whose job it is to "make" fireworks. Especially, the development of new ones must be a blast!... in more ways than one :-P. This episode looks at how fireworks create colour at the sky. I hope you enjoy it. I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1 , if you have feedback that...
Carbonated Drinks - Fizzy Fun
June 28, 2020 11:26 - 10 minutes - 10 MBVirtually every time before I record an episode of my podcast, I open a can of coke. That little 'fizz' sound heralds the beginning of my late evening, I take a brief sip and then I start recording. I do this with such regularity that I dedided to make the fizz the topic of today's conversation. How do we make carbonated drinks? If you want to find out, this is episode to listen to. I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1 , if you have feedback that you would like to share. A...
Nature's Catalyst - Enzymes
June 14, 2020 20:44 - 10 minutes - 10.3 MBAfter we discussed the concept of catalysis in our last episode, it is only fitting to look at a specific example. If you are interested in knowing how nature uses catalysis to run the show in our bodies, then tune in to learn about Enzymes, nature's catalysts. I can now be reached on twitter under @ChemistryinEve1 , if you have feedback that you would like to share. Alternatively, you can send an email to [email protected] Sources: · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_dehydrogena...
Accelerated Chemistry - Catalysis
May 31, 2020 21:40 - 12 minutes - 12.4 MBCatalysis is a word that is rarely used in daily life, yet it influences many facets of it. If you are interested to know how catalysis changed the way car engines run or how margerine is made, then listen in. References · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annika_S%C3%B6renstam · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKBUL2yesR4 · Inorganic Chemistry by C. E. Housecroft, A. G. Sharpe 1st Ed. 2001 ISBN 0582-31080-6 · General Chemistry by D. D. Ebbing 5th Ed. 1996 ISBN 0-395-74415-6 · Organic Chem...
The disappearing eggshell - Of acids and bases
May 17, 2020 19:34 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBWhen you immerse an egg in vinegar the shell will slowly disappear, leaving a flexible and bouncy egg. Bread dough leavens when you use baking soda. Find out in this episode the reasons for these phenomena. References Inorganic Chemistry by C. E. Housecroft, A. G. Sharpe 1st Ed. 2001 ISBN 0582-31080-6 General Chemistry by D. D. Ebbing 5th Ed. 1996 ISBN 0-395-74415-6 Organic Chemistry by Clayden, Warren & Wothers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_bicarbonate https://en.wikipedia.org...
Proteins - A Pillar of life
May 05, 2020 21:25 - 11 minutes - 11.2 MBProteins are one of the key elements that define life in a way that we know. They have such a vast array of functions it is staggering. Seemingly, every problem and obstacle that an organism encounters, a protein comes to the rescue. Humans have them, other mammals, birds, bacteria, even viruses consist for a big part of proteins. You want to walk somewhere, you need your muscles, those are proteins. You want to digest food? Guess what? digestive enzymes are proteins. Your skin and hair? Pr...
Protection from the Sun Pt. 2 - Sun lotion
April 28, 2020 20:02 - 13 minutes - 13 MBThe sun is the source of life on this world, yet at the same time it can be very dangerous for us and other lifeforms on earth. The life giving energy that is emitted from the sun to earth's surface needs to be made use of through processes like photosynthesis, but it also needs to be "disarmed" or filtered. This episode is the second part of a two-part series that looks how we protect ourselves from the sun. In this concluding episodes sun lotion and natural sun protection is in the ...
Protection from the Sun Pt. 1 - The Ozone Layer
April 18, 2020 10:50 - 12 minutes - 13.1 MBThe sun is the source of life on this world, yet at the same time it can be very dangerous for us and other lifeforms on earth. The life giving energy that is emitted from the sun to earth's surface needs to be made use of through processes like photosynthesis, but it also needs to be "disarmed" or filtered. This episode is the first part of a two-part series that looks how we protect ourselves from the sun. We start of with oftentimes mentioned ozone layer, the first line of defense.
Diamond vs. Pencil
April 11, 2020 22:35 - 11 minutes - 11.1 MBOn the surface, a diamond and a pencil have nothing in common. One is one of the hardest and valuable materials known to man and the other is a pencil, an everyday object that many people use on a daily basis to write, draw or the medium between the two: scribble. But once we leave the surface behind us and look closer on a chemical level the differences between a diamond and a pencil are actually not that big. Interested? Listen in and found out more! Useful Links https://en.wikipedia.or...