Bonus Episode: Question and Response 55 In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond a wide range of chemistry questions from Reddit! Thanks to our monthly supporters Ciara Linville J0HNTR0Y Jeannette Napoleon Cullyn R Erica Bee Elizabeth P Sarah Moar Rachel Reina Letila Katrina Barnum-Huckins Suzanne Phillips Nelly Silva Venus Rebholz Lyn Stubblefield Jacob Taber Brian Kimball Emerson Woodhall Kristina Gotfredsen Timothy Parker Steven Boyles Chris Skupien Chelsea B Bri McAllister Avishai Barnoy Hunter Reardon ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ Check out our website at chemforyou ..read more

#185 Let's make dirt. Or is it dirt? I don't know, well, can you dig it? We've all heard of compost, maybe you compost, maybe your friend does, maybe they talk about it a lot. But how does it work? Why can we compost some things, but not others? And why can't we just put compostable stuff into the trash can, won't it break down in the landfill? Let's find out!! References from this Episode https://compost.css.cornell.edu/chemistry.html https://compost.css.cornell.edu/microorg.html https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/composting https://www.compostingcouncil.org/page/CompostDefinit ..read more

#082 Rebroadcast Wow sunglasses sure are cool. What's the coolest thing about them? Is it how cool they make us look and feel? Or is it the chemistry inside them? We'll let you decide, but we think you'll be surprised to find out how significant a role chemistry plays in the making of your shades. References from this episode https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.chas.8b23208 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.macromol.8b02513 https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/issues/2018-2019/December2018/2%20Shades%20TG%20Reading%20Supports.docx https ..read more

#184 That's right, the Northern Lights aren't just cool CGI after all. They're real, but what are they? Why do they occur? And how are they chemistry? Let's find out! References from this Episode https://webbtelescope.org/contents/articles/spectroscopy-101--types-of-spectra-and-spectroscopy https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/educators/lessons/xray_spectra/background-atoms.html https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/geomagnetic-storms https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-23377-5.epdf?sharing_token=Q0rjm5h2j_KavQboPe5r0NRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0Nipe223V5hYGHe-RFuAQXUauChqVoyT7zITbpx_l9I4d9y3fMVLy0n3s ..read more

#183 We're adding another chapter to the PFAS series! There's new information from the FDA that we've got to talk about,. It's about the PFAS that coat food wrappers. What does it mean? Is it good news? Is it enough? Let's talk about it! References from this Episode https://cen.acs.org/materials/coatings/PFAS-paper-food-packaging/99/i36 https://www.fda.gov/food/process-contaminants-food/market-phase-out-grease-proofing-substances-containing-pfas https://www.fda.gov/food/process-contaminants-food/questions-and-answers-pfas-food https://www.fda.gov/food/process-contaminants-food/authorized-use ..read more

#081 Rebroadcast The sun. It's nice, it's warm, it helps things grow, it helps us see, it helps us exist in the first place. But it's also a massive burning molten ball of radiation and ultraviolet rays. So how does our mysterious yellow friend fade the poor items we leave outside? Let's find out. Don't hurt us, yellow friend. References from this episode https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/item/why-does-ultraviolet-light-cause-color-to-fade/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/photodegradation https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4320144/ https://www.sciencedirect.com ..read more

#182 There's an eclipse coming to the US in April! Which means we'll all be getting that reminder to NOT LOOK AT THE ECLIPSE WITHOUT PROPER EYE PROTECTION. But why is that? At the molecular level, what happens to our eyes if we look at the eclipse? And how does eye protection prevent damage to our eyes? Let's find out! References from this Episode https://cen.acs.org/articles/95/i33/Chemistry-explains-shouldnt-stare-solar-eclipse-without-protection.html https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3065351/#:~:text=For%20photoreceptors%20to%20function%20in,retinal%20pigment%20epithelium%20(RP ..read more

Bonus Episode: Question and Response 53 In this month's bonus episode, Melissa and Jam respond to your comments and questions about purple shampoo, salt on icy roads, msg, and more! Thanks to our monthly supporters Ciara Linville J0HNTR0Y Jeannette Napoleon Cullyn R Erica Bee Elizabeth P Sarah Moar Rachel Reina Letila Katrina Barnum-Huckins Suzanne Phillips Nelly Silva Venus Rebholz Lyn Stubblefield Jacob Taber Brian Kimball Emerson Woodhall Kristina Gotfredsen Timothy Parker Steven Boyles Chris Skupien Chelsea B Bri McAllister Avishai Barnoy Hunter Reardon ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ..read more

#181 Have you heard about Vitamin D? Has someone ever told you that you need it and it's really important? Have you ever wondered why? And have you ever wondered what the heck THE SUN has to do with Vitamin D? Well rise and shine it's time to finally get to the bottom of this. References from this Episode https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/shining-a-light-on-vitamin-d/3004782.article https://www.bcm.edu/news/how-to-get-vitamin-d-without-spending-too-much-time-in-the-sun https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2669834/ https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00208 We ..read more

#085 Rebroadcast  Well here in Texas, we just suffered through an intense freeze. And many a plant became a casualty of the cold, but why? What's going on at the molecular level that causes freezing temperatures to be bad for many plants? And is talking about this even chemistry? Let's find out. References from this episode https://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/FrostFreeze https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2014/01/15/why-dont-trees-freeze-and-burst-in-the-winter-like-cold-pipes/ https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/FrostsandFreezes.pdf https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/arc ..read more