Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions
103 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 10 years ago - ★★★★ - 3 ratingsTaking inspiration from trees, scientists have developed a battery made from a sliver of wood coated with tin that shows promise for becoming a tiny, long-lasting, efficient and environmentally friendly energy source. Their report on the device — 1,000 times thinner than a sheet of paper — appears in the journal Nano Letters.
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Episodes
Promoting Public health: Toward a vaccine for methamphetamine abuse
September 11, 2011 14:00 - 1.3 MBToday’s solution addresses the development of a potential vaccine to fight methamphetamine abuse. Methamphetamine abuse costs the United States more than 23 billion annually in medical expenses, law enforcement costs, and lost productivity.
Providing Safe Foods: Safety of nanoparticles in food crops is still unclear
August 22, 2011 14:00 - 1.3 MBToday’s solution sounds a warning bell about the much-anticipated new era of nanoagriculture — using nanotechnology to boost the productivity of plants for food, fuel, and other uses.
Developing New Materials: Using banana peels to purify water
August 08, 2011 14:00 - 1.3 MBA study in the American Chemical Society’s journal, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, reports that minced banana peel performs better than an array of other water purification materials and can do so in a sustainable way.
Our Sustainable Future: A “green grid” for delivering solar and wind-based electricity
July 25, 2011 14:00 - 1.3 MBToday’s solution addresses the development of a “green grid” to more efficiently deliver solar and wind-based electricity.
Promoting Public Health: Toward new medication for chronic brain diseases
July 11, 2011 14:00 - 1.3 MBA needle-in-the-haystack search through nearly 390,000 chemical compounds has led scientists to a substance that can sneak through the protective barrier surrounding the brain with effects promising for new drugs for Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. They report on the substance, which blocks formation of cholesterol in the brain, in the journal, ACS Chemical Biology.
Developing New Sources of Energy: Self-powered nanogenerator uses body movements to generate electricity, transmit data wirelessly
June 27, 2011 14:00 - 1.3 MBToday’s solution is A first-of-its-kind nanogenerator that can produce electricity using energy from a gentle breeze, movements of a person walking and other sources and power wireless data transmissions.
Our Sustainable Future: “Green” cars made from pineapples and bananas
June 13, 2011 14:00 - 1.3 MBToday’s solution explains how manufacturers building hybrids that have excellent gas mileage, can create stronger, lighter, and more sustainable materials for cars and other products, made, in part, out of bananas or pineapples.
Combating Disease: New rapid diagnostic test for MRSA Superbugs
May 23, 2011 14:00 - 1.3 MBToday’s solution is a new blood test that can quickly tell whether patients are infected with an antibiotic-resistant bacterium that’s become a global plague. This superbug is called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or simply MRSA.
Promoting Personal Safety and National Security: New nanomaterial detects and neutralizes explosives
May 09, 2011 14:00 - 1.3 MBToday’s solution is a new nanomaterial that could make the world a little safer by detecting and neutralizing explosives.
Our Sustainable Future: A greener process for a key ingredient used to make paint, diapers, and other products
April 25, 2011 14:00 - 1.3 MBA study published in the American Chemical Society’s journal, ACS Catalysis, reports that scientists have developed a new catalyst that provides an environmentally way to make acrylic acid without using petroleum.
Promoting Public Health: High vitamin-D bread could help solve widespread insufficiency problem
April 13, 2011 14:00 - 1.3 MBWith most people unable to get enough vitamin D from sunlight or foods, scientists are suggesting that a new vitamin D-fortified food bread made with high-vitamin D yeast could fill that gap.
Supplying Safe Drinking Water: Don’t blame The Pill for estrogen in drinking water
February 16, 2011 14:00 - 1.3 MBContrary to popular belief, The Pill accounts for less than 1 percent of the estrogens found in the nation’s drinking water supplies, according to a recent analysis. The report in ACS’ biweekly journal Environmental Science and Technology suggests that most of the estrogens enter drinking water supplies from other sources.
Future Cities: The right choices on transportation can shrink your own personal carbon footprint
January 25, 2011 14:00 - 1.3 MBA study published in the American Chemical Society’s journal, Environmental Science and Technology, offers new insights into how people can shrink their own personal carbon footprints by selecting specific modes of transportation.
Our Sustainable Future: Biodegradable plastic from milk and clay
January 12, 2011 14:00 - 1.3 MBWith continuing concern about plastic waste accumulating in municipal landfills, and reliance on imported oil to make plastics, scientists have created an ultra-light biodegradable foam plastic material made from two unlikely ingredients.
Promoting Public Health: Black rice bran may fight inflammation
November 22, 2010 14:00 - 1.3 MBScientists are reporting evidence that black rice — a little-known variety of the grain that is the staple food for one-third of the world population — may help soothe the inflammation involved in allergies, asthma, and other diseases.
Supplying Safe Drinking Water: Electrified nano filter promises to cut costs for clean drinking water
November 15, 2010 14:00 - 1.3 MBScientists are reporting development and successful initial tests of an inexpensive new filtering technology that kills up to 98 percent of disease-causing bacteria in water in just seconds without clogging.
Our Sustainable Future: Saving energy by reducing food waste
October 27, 2010 14:00 - 1.3 MBA new study published in the American Chemical Society’s Environmental Science and Technology journal provides a compelling new reason not to waste food. It saves energy, lots of money at home and fights global hunger.
In the green of health: Just five minutes of green exercise optimal for good mental health
October 20, 2010 14:00 - 1.3 MBNew research suggests that just five minutes of outdoor activities, such as exercising in a park, working in a backyard garden or walking on a nature trail, will benefit mental health.
Future Cities: Nanotechnology promises more sustainable buildings, bridges, and other structures
September 07, 2010 14:00 - 1.3 MBBricks, blocks, and steel I-beams — step aside. That’s because scientists are reporting that a new genre of construction materials, made from stuff barely 1/50,000th the width of a human hair, is about to debut in the building of homes, offices, bridges, and other structures. The new report highlights both the potential benefits of these nanomaterials in improving construction materials and the need for guidelines to regulate their use and disposal. The report appears in the monthly journal ...
Developing new sources of energy: Producing cost-effective biodiesel from sewage sludge
August 31, 2010 14:00 - 1.3 MBExisting technology can produce biodiesel fuel from municipal sewage sludge that is within a few cents a gallon of being competitive with conventional diesel refined from petroleum. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.
Our Sustainable Future: “Smart” roofs that can save energy
August 26, 2010 14:00 - 1.3 MBScientists are reporting development of a “smart” roof coating, made from waste cooking oil from fast food restaurants, that can “read” a thermometer and help save energy. Roofs coated with the material would reflect scorching summer sunlight and reduce sticker-shock air-conditioning bills. When chilly weather sets in, the coating would change roles and transmit heat to help warm the interior. Scientists described the sustainable material at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemica...
Promoting Public Health: Dusting off a hidden challenge
July 19, 2010 14:00 - 1.3 MBWhere does dust come from? Scientists in Arizona are reporting a surprising answer to that question, which has puzzled and perplexed generations of men and women confronted with layers of dust on furniture and floors. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.
Promoting Public Health: Toward a fast, accurate urine test for pneumonia
June 24, 2010 14:00 - 1.3 MBScientists are reporting the discovery of the potential basis for a urine test to diagnose community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), a difficult-to-diagnose lung disease that is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The test could save lives by allowing doctors to begin the right treatment earlier than they do now. The study appears online in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.
New fuels: Biofuels: A more economical process for making ethanol from non-food sources
June 10, 2010 14:00 - 1.3 MBScientists in Wisconsin are reporting discovery of a way to lower the cost of converting wood, corn stalks and leaves, switch grass, and other non-food biomass materials into ethanol fuel. The process reduces amounts of costly enzymes needed to break down tough fibrous cellulose matter in biomass for fermentation into alcohol. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.
Our Sustainable Future: Roadmap for preserving the planet
May 28, 2010 14:00 - 1.3 MBThe United States could completely stop emissions of carbon dioxide from coal-fired electric power plants? A crucial step for controlling global warming? Within 20 years by using technology that already exists or could become commercially available within a decade, scientists are reporting. The scientists outline strategies to make the phase-out possible, including the use of renewable energy and advanced nuclear power plants. Their study appears in ACS’ semi-monthly journal Environmental Sci...
Our Sustainable Future: Decomposing BPA-containing plastic using a “fungus among us”
May 14, 2010 14:00 - 1.3 MBScientists are reporting discovery of a more sustainable way of disposing of plastics that contain bisphenol A (BPA) — without releasing that potentially harmful substance to the environment. The new method involves exposing polycarbonate plastic waste to ultraviolet light and heat. Just as cooking makes food more digestible for humans, this pretreatment approach makes polycarbonate plastic more digestible for certain fungi, which the scientists used to break down polycarbonate plastic. Thei...
Combating Disease: Coal from mass extinction era linked to lung cancer mystery
April 23, 2010 14:00 - 1.3 MBFor years, women in China’s Xuan Wei County in Yunnan Province — women who never smoked cigarettes — have been plagued by lung cancer. The mortality rates among female nonsmokers are the world’s highest — up to 20 times higher than average in China. A new study sheds light on the cancer epidemic and points to an unlikely source: volcanic eruptions occurring millions of years ago. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.
Providing Safe Foods: Heat forms potentially harmful substance in high-fructose corn syrup
January 04, 2010 14:00 - 1.3 MBHigh-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), that ubiquitous sweetener in soda, fruit drinks and processed foods, may pose another problem besides adding on the pounds. Researchers have found that heating the syrup promotes formation of potentially dangerous levels of a toxic substance in the corn syrup often fed to honey bees. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.
New Fuels: An “artificial leaf” for making solar-energy
December 04, 2009 14:00 - 1.3 MBScientists are making progress toward development of an “artificial leaf” that mimics a real leaf’s chemical magic with photosynthesis — but instead converts sunlight and water into a liquid fuel such as methanol for cars and trucks. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.
Promoting Public Health: Saving lives with the first dry powder inhalable vaccine for measles
November 20, 2009 14:00 - 1.3 MBThe first dry powder inhalable vaccine for measles is moving toward clinical trials next year in India, where the disease still sickens millions of infants and children and kills almost 200,000 annually. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.
Providing safe foods: “Killer spices” provide eco-friendly pesticides for organic fruits and veggies
November 11, 2009 14:00 - 1.3 MBMention rosemary, thyme, clove, and mint and most people think of a delicious meal. These well-known spices are emerging as organic agriculture’s key weapons against insect pests. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.
Promoting Public Health: Sandcastle worm’s secrets could yield new medical adhesive
October 26, 2009 14:00 - 1.3 MBScientists have copied the natural glue secreted by a tiny sea creature called the sandcastle worm in an effort to develop a long-sought medical adhesive needed to repair bones shattered in battlefield injuries, car crashes and other accidents. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.
Confronting Climate Change: “Green” roofs can help fight global warming
October 15, 2009 14:00 - 1.3 MBIf you live in the city and you like fresh veggies, herbs and flowers, how about planting a garden on your roof? “Green” roofs, those increasingly popular urban rooftops covered with plants, could help fight global climate change. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.
Confronting Climate Change: Smoke to soak up future oil spills
August 12, 2009 14:00 - 1.3 MBExperts estimate that people dump more than 200 million gallons of used oil each year into sewers, streams and backyards, resulting in a problem that has plagued wastewater treatment plants for decades. But an answer might be found in a material sometimes referred to as frozen smoke. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.
Promoting Public Health: Redefining DNA: Darwin from the atom up
July 22, 2009 14:00 - 1.3 MBDNA is the blueprint for every organism that ever swam, flew, crawled or walked on earth. Now, four billion years of evolution later, a few bold scientists have created a new genetic blueprint — with some profound applications. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu.
Promoting Personal Safety and National Security: Targeting Ricin
June 10, 2009 14:00 - 1.3 MBToday’s topic is research on new ways to detect and possibly treat poisoning from ricin, a potential bioterrorist agent. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by Halleck, samplecat and acclivity.
Our Sustainable Future: Small generator, big applications
May 20, 2009 14:00 - 1.3 MBToday’s topic is research on creating a sustainable future. This discovery could render today’s landfill-bound batteries obsolete. Imagine if all you had to do to charge your iPod or your BlackBerry was to wave your hand, or stretch your arm, or take a walk? Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by crk365, man, rutgermuller, Halleck and ljudman.
Promoting Personal Safety and National Security: New Solutions 2009
April 27, 2009 14:00 - 1.3 MBIn this episode, scientists from DARPA investigate whether a lethal new kind of explosive threatens America's security. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by ljudman and anton.
Combating Disease: New Solutions 2009 - Much more than pasta and potatoes
April 06, 2009 14:00 - 1.3 MBWhen you think carbohydrates, spaghetti, rice and freshly baked loaves of bread usually come to mind. A group of scientists in Germany led by Peter Seeberger see carbs a bit differently. Much more than just pasta and potatoes, they envision carbohydrates as the basis of revolutionary new vaccines and drugs to battle malaria, HIV, and a bevy of other diseases. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and M12.
Confronting Climate Change: The Quest for Permanent Solutions
February 23, 2009 14:00 - 1.3 MBToday’s topic is research on global climate change. This discovery could help control the amount of carbon dioxide — the No. 1 greenhouse gas — entering the atmosphere. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by pushtobreak, sinatra314, acclivity and kjackson.
Providing Safe Foods: New Solutions 2009
February 09, 2009 14:00 - 1.3 MBMaking grapefruit juice safer for people who take certain prescription drugs Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Episode 12 – Promoting Public Health
December 04, 2008 14:00 - 1.3 MBLife expectancy in the 20th Century rose by about 30 years. Advances in protecting the public health were responsible for about 25 of those precious years. Vaccination programs. Improved sanitation to better control infectious diseases. The development of antibiotics. Better prenatal care. And much more. Scientists are making strides toward sustaining that progress by fostering continued improvements in the health of the population as a whole. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompet...
Episode 11 – Providing Safe Food (Part 2 of 2)
November 23, 2008 14:00 - 1.3 MBBlueberries, raspberries and grapes bursting with flavor. A luscious, silky morsel of chocolate melting into a mouthful’s rush of pure pleasure. Fresh ripe tomatoes. Years ago, people ate for that gratification. Food also provided the calories for people to work, and drove away hunger pangs. Today, people in industrialized countries are selecting food not just for taste and sustenance, but also for its potential effects in promoting good health. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incomp...
Episode 10 – Providing Safe Food (Part 1 of 2)
November 13, 2008 14:00 - 1.3 MBEvery Thanksgiving, family and friends gather to celebrate round dinner tables heaped high with roast turkey and other traditional dishes. There’s praise and thanks for the food, of course. But maybe we should add a word of thanksgiving for the scientific advances that are helping to keep our food supply safe from a host of threats that can really spoil a meal. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and M12 (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua....
Episode 9 – New Fuels (Part 2 of 2)
October 30, 2008 14:00 - 1.3 MBJoin Global Challenges as it investigates a suite of new fuels and energy sources that may help to power society in the years ahead. Scientists are developing these new energy sources to supplement the coal and conventional natural gas we now use to produce electricity for heating, cooling, and lighting. New fuels hold special promise as sustainable energy sources that minimize the release of carbon dioxide and combat global warming. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), ...
Episode 8 – New Fuels (Part 1 of 2)
October 16, 2008 14:00 - 1.3 MBAmid growing concern about high gasoline prices, global warming, and limited resources of petroleum, scientists and engineers around the world are on a quest for new fuels — alternatives to conventional petroleum, natural gas, and coal. On their radar screens are new sources of familiar old ethanol that do not strain the food supply and futuristic fuels like “green gasoline” and “designer” hydrocarbons. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Darkroom and M12 (ccmixter.org...
Episode 7 – Combating Disease
September 24, 2008 14:00 - 1.3 MBDespite the revolutionary medical advances in the 20th Century, great challenges lie ahead in our fight against disease. Heart disease, cancer, chronic diseases of aging, infection with the AIDS virus, and antibiotic-resistant microbes are just a few of those challenges. Fortunately, chemists and other scientists are determined to launch new revolutions in medicine — revolutions in the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech....
Episode 6 – Promoting Personal Safety and National Security
September 11, 2008 14:00 - 1.3 MBHow chemistry helps protect personal safety and national security. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Neurowaxx and DJ Rkod (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by martypinso, soundkit03, daveincamas, jollysea, alienbomb, ljudman, ERH and digifishmusic.
Episode 5 – Our Sustainable Future
August 20, 2008 14:00 - 1.3 MBHow some of the world's leading chemists are meeting the challenge of sustainability. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Pitx and mykleanthony (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by kjackson, julayjb, bansemer, acclivity, TwistedLemon, vibe crc and gallagho.
Episode 4 – Confronting Climate Change (Part 2): The quest for permanent solutions
August 06, 2008 14:00 - 1.3 MBConfronting global climate change by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Intro theme and music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), DJ Rkod, Pitx, mykleanthony, Ben Riordan and oldDog (ccmixter.org); Creative Commons licensed audio from freesound.iua.upf.edu includes sounds by lonemonk, digifishmusic, WIM, acclivity, pushtobreak, dobroide and kjackson.