Stereo Chemistry
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.
Episodes
C&EN Uncovered: Sustainable Earth Mining in Brazil
In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host Craig Bettenhausen speaks with C&EN Editor, Matt Blois, about an article he wrote regarding recent sustainable breakthroughs in Rare Earth Mining. Together, they talk about these claims as well as the potential future of mining for rare earth materials crucial to our technology. You can find the link to the article here. Subscribe to Stereo Chemistry now on
Inflection Point: Retinol, the magical molecule's bizarre history
In this episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel as far back as ancient Egypt to unearth the wide-ranging uses of retinol. They also bring in C&EN reporter Craig Bettenhausen to discuss why retinol is such a powerhouse molecule for skin care, and they hear from a contraceptives researcher about how an early candidate for a birth control pill for men affected the retinol pathway. C&EN's
C&EN Uncovered: A Quantum Milestone
In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host Craig Bettenhausen speaks with C&EN Editor, Ananya Palivela, about her featured article about a recent breakthrough in quantum computing. Together, they talk about IBM's benchmark collaboration with two research laboratories and how it may change the way we look at the Quantum Realm. You can find the link to the article here. Subscribe to Stereo Chemistry n
Bonus: C&EN's Future of Chemistry Designing Out Pollution Panel
In this bonus episode of Stereo Chemistry, we are featuring a panel discussion from this year's ACS Spring Meeting. Our panelists, Mohamed Ateia Ibrahim, Ann Lee-Jeffs, Juliana Vidal, and Adelina Voutchkova-Kostal discuss the future of chemistry designing out chemistry pollution, outlining key opportunities and challenges and share how all chemists can advance a more sustainable, less wasteful ent
C&EN Uncovered: Is Vitrification a Clear Solution for Nuclear Waste?
In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host Craig Bettenhausen speaks with C&EN Editor, Fionna Samuels, about her featured article detailing a recent breakthrough coming from the Hanford Site: nuclear waste vitrification. Together, they delve into the history of one of the most notorious nuclear production facilities as well as look forward to the future of nuclear energy, waste management, and public
C&EN Uncovered: From Alchemy to AI, and the Funds Behind It All
In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host Craig Bettenhausen speaks with C&EN Editor, Chris Gorski, as well as graphic artist and freelance illustrator, Ryan Inzana, about their collaborative efforts to make one of C&EN's most innovative articles to date. This illustrative and immersive article dives into the funds behind some of the chemical industry's most impactful discoveries throughout the cent
Stereo Chemistry revisited: 'Wicked amazing scientist' James Harris's untold story
Little was publicly known about the first Black scientist to codiscover an element. 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 this accomplished nuclear chemist are scarce, and most so
C&EN Uncovered: Behind the scenes of the chaotic COP30
In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host Craig Bettenhausen speaks with C&EN Policy and Regulation reporter, Delger Erdenesanaa, about her article talking about the trials and takeaways of the 30th annual United Nations climate summit. Check out Delger's story on COP30 and the proposed biobased climate solutions and how they may impact the future of the chemical industry and the world. Subscribe
Bonus episode: The ancient, 'juicy' origins of antibiotic resistance
C&EN's award-winning podcast Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our presen
Bonus episode: The electric innovations that brought lithium-ion batteries online
C&EN's award-winning podcast Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our presen
Inflection Point: The era-spanning epiphanies that enabled gene editing
C&EN's award-winning podcast Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our presen
Inflection Point: How under-appreciated critters inspired GLP-1 drugs
In the first episode of our second season, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel back in time to relive three historical moments that led to blockbuster drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. They also talk with C&EN reporter Aayushi Pratap about how future GLP-1 drugs may expand on the current slate of options. C&EN's latest podcast, Inflection Point, leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline
MOFs: What is this Nobel-prize-winning group of materials?
In this episode, Uncovered hops back to the first episode of C&EN's StereoChemistry, which delved into the materials that won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Reporter Matt Davenport spoke with now-laureate Omar Yaghi and a handful of other researchers in and around this exciting subfield of chemistry. For more from C&EN on MOFs, check out our MOF topic page. Similarly, to read more about this y
Inside the cavernous crystals that won the Chem Nobel
The 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded on Oct. 8 to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for their work on metal organic frameworks (MOFs). Senior editor Prachi Patel joins a bonus episode of Stereo Chemistry to discuss what MOFs are, why they are so useful, and how they were discovered. Check out Prachi's story on how MOFs won this year's prize at cenm.ag/chemnobel2025. List
Uncovered: The Strange Copy and Paste Chemistry of Skeletal Editing
Will Skeletal Editing revolutionize the way we see chemical interactions? In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host Craig Bettenhausen speaks with C&EN associate editor, Brianna Barbu, about her article diving into the new and exciting frontier of Skeletal Editing. Check out Brianna's story on Skeletal Editing and how it may impact the future of the chemical industry. Subscribe to Stereo Chemistry
Bonus: C&EN's Future of Chemistry Degrees Panel
In this bonus episode of Stereo Chemistry, we are featuring a panel discussion from this year's ACS Fall Meeting. Our panelists, Stefan France, Glory Onajobi-Lee, Victor Olet, and John Gavenonis discuss the future of chemistry degrees, the importance of collaboration, and the fluidity of tech-based skills in the chemical industry at large. We are actively seeking new topics, discussions, and forma
C&EN Uncovered: Global Top 50 Chemical Firms in 2025
Can the world's top 50 chemical firms bounce back from a global economic downturn? In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host Craig Bettenhausen speaks with C&EN senior correspondent, Alexander Tullo, about his coverage of C&EN's Global Top 50 Chemical Firms list. Uncovered offers a deeper look at subjects from recent stories pulled from the pages of Chemical & Engineering News. Check out Alex's stor
Inflection Point: The mind-bending innovations that built quantum computing
Hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel back in time to relive three historical moments that were meaningful to the development of quantum computers. They also bring in C&EN reporter Mitch Jacoby to discuss scientific advances enabled by quantum chemistry. C&EN's Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising ro
C&EN Uncovered: Will Emerging Technology Lead Us Into A New Antibiotic Golden Age?
Are we on the cusp of a new era of Biochemical discovery? In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host Craig Bettenhausen speaks with C&EN reporter Max Barnhart about his recent C&EN cover story on the frontiers of bioprospecting for new antibiotics. Uncovered offers a deeper look at subjects from recent stories pulled from the pages of Chemical & Engineering News. Check out Max's story on the recent
Bonus Episode: 'Inflection Point' traces the serendipitous origins of PFAS
Inflection Point leans on C&EN's 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this new show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our present and will change our
C&EN Uncovered: Can altering ocean chemistry fight climate change?
Can climate catastrophe be stymied by tweaking seawater chemistry? In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host Craig Bettenhausen speaks with C&EN reporter Fionna Samuels about her recent C&EN cover story concerning Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) as a method to combat climate change by increasing ocean alkalinity to absorb more CO2. Uncovered offers a deeper look at subjects from recent stories pu
C&EN Uncovered: Turning tides for endotoxin testing
The drug industry may finally phase out using horseshoe crab blood. What took so long? In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host Craig Bettenhausen speaks with C&EN assistant editor Laurel Oldach about the use of horseshoe crab blood in pharmaceutical endotoxin testing, the challenges of transitioning to synthetic alternatives, and the regulatory hurdles involved. Stereo Chemistry offers a deepe
Bonus episode: Introducing Inflection Point
The new podcast Inflection Point leans on C&EN's 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this new show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our present and
C&EN Uncovered: Indoor air monitoring goes to school
The COVID-19 pandemic put the importance of indoor air quality in stark relief. The air in schools was of particular concern, and that concern spurred collaboration between researchers and school staff to find interventions to improve air quality to safeguard the health of students and staff. Data from indoor air monitors revealed that filter-based portable air cleaners were effective at removing
Stereo Chemistry: How the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was won
On Oct. 9, the 2024 Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded to David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John M. Jumper for their work in prediction and design of protein structures. C&EN's executive editor for life sciences, Laura Howes, joins a special episode of Stereo Chemistry to discuss why the trio won, the significance of their work around proteins, and how she accurately predicted the win in C&EN's
C&EN Uncovered: PhD to CEO, how chemistry entrepreneurs are making the jump
In the 20th century, corporate powerhouses like Bell Labs and DuPont Central Research funded R&D from their balance sheets, creating a clear path for postdoctoral scientists to innovate beyond their university research. In 2024, with the decay of corporate laboratories, graduates are taking the commercial start-up route more and more. C&EN, business reporter Matt Blois discusses several such start
C&EN Uncovered: Solvent Waste Levels, EPA Regulations, and Disposal
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 dispose of said waste, the consequences of new EPA
C&EN Uncovered: Ongoing tragedies in Flint and East Palestine
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 physical sciences reporter Priyanka Runwal travele
C&EN Uncovered: Can 'forever chemicals' be destroyed?
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 molecules. In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, reporter
C&EN Uncovered: The small-molecule drug renaissance
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 some people are calling a golden age. In this episode
C&EN Uncovered: The ocean floor is littered with valuable minerals. Should we go get them?
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 are critical for green technologies like batteri
C&EN Uncovered: The race to report on the Nobel Prizes
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 chemistry and medicine and share what it's like c
C&EN Uncovered: Looking back on 100 years of chemistry
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 historian Alex Tullo has sifted through thousands of iss
Jennifer DiStefano and Jared Mondschein on the transition from the bench to the policy office
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 with recent science PhD graduates and science policy
C&EN Uncovered: Making hydrogen is easy; making it green is a challenge
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 hydrogen rainbow and how the periodic table's num
Mining metals and minerals from seawater
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. Almost every element on the periodic table can be fo
C&EN Uncovered: Can tires turn green?
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. He found people working on the movement and fate
Here's what happens when wastewater treatment facilities fail
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 facilities treat wastewater and take a deep dive into th
Bonus: Executive producer Kerri Jansen hands over the mic
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 Remmel and Gina Vitale, about some of her favorite ep
C&EN Uncovered: The battle for Lake Maurepas
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, Louisiana, has resisted efforts by Air Products
C&EN Uncovered: Lithium iron phosphate comes to North America
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 Bettenhausen and Matt Blois talk about the promise and risk
Microplastics pollute our drinking water: What are the risks?
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 develop those methods. They also sought assistance
C&EN Uncovered: What exascale computing could mean for chemistry
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 computational chemistry.C&EN Uncovered, a new project from C&
Bonus: Carolyn Bertozzi and Barry Sharpless reflect on winning the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
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, the two chemists discussed their long history of col
BONUS: Click and bioorthogonal chemistry win Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless for their development of click and bioorthogonal chemistry which are used by chemists around the world to track biological processes and produce pharmaceuticals. In this special episode of Stereo Chemistry, hosts Gina Vitale and Ariana Remmel delve into the science behind the prize and talk with
Lithium mining's water use sparks bitter conflicts and novel chemistry
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 environment and their access to water. Mining companies st
Bonus: For John Goodenough's 100th birthday, we revisit a fan-favorite interview with the renowned scientist
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 his office at the University of Texas at Austin jus
Bonus: Jess Wade on Wikipedia and work-life balance
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 trio discusses not only Jess's work as a research fel
Bonus: The sticky science of why we eat so much sugar
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 Chakravarti explore sugar's impact on our bodies and
Bonus: There's more to James Harris's story
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 information. Kristen Frederick-Frost, curator of mo
Bonus: The helium shortage that wasn't supposed to be
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 variety of factors including political instability
Sarah Reisman and Melanie Sanford on how organic chemistry is changing and how they've learned to choose priorities
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 sparks joy for them in the lab, and what being an
Jose-Luis Jimenez and Kimberly Prather on the intersection of aerosol science and the COVID-19 pandemic
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 to C&EN editor Jyllian Kemsley about how they've
Jessica Ray and William Tarpeh on clean water, turning trash into treasure, and life as assistant professors
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. They also discuss finding ways to thrive as assis
David Liu and Stuart Schreiber on the science that motivates, fascinates, and tells us who we are
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 explore biology. A transcript of this episode and
Preview: New season coming on Nov. 23
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 Benítez. Image credit: C&EN/Shutterstock Want to
BONUS: Molecule-building tool wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry
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 the science behind the prize. Merck's Rebecca Ruc
BONUS: Astronaut Leland Melvin's journey from chemistry to the cosmos
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 missions to the International Space Station. Find mo
BONUS: How body farms can help solve cases
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 enforcement with valuable information about the pr
BONUS: Rare earths' magic comes at a cost (Part 2)
(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 two-part series, Distillations hosts Alexis Pedr
BONUS: Rare earths' magic comes at a cost (Part 1)
(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 two-part series, Distillations hosts Alexis Pedr
BONUS: Celebrating LGBTQ+ excellence with My Fave Queer Chemist
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 background in art conservation, his experiences fi
Ep. 41: Searching for Mars's missing water
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 research on Mars's water and where they think the water
Ep. 40: Reducing toxic metals in food
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 episode of Stereo Chemistry, host Kerri Jansen and C&
Ep. 39: How research on aging could keep us healthier longer
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 how modern science could make that a reality. An
Ep. 38: Nobel laureates Frances Arnold and Jennifer Doudna on prizes, pandemics, and Jimmy Page
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 shifted the way they approach their work. A script o
Ep. 37: Historians pursue centuries-old chemical secrets—Green reading glass, Bologna stones, and Greek fire
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 about solving them. A script and additional resource
Ep. 36: How will Biden's election impact chemistry?
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 Biden-Harris team? And will this administration gra
Ep. 35: Grad students, lab injuries, and workers' compensation—it's complicated
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 they've already racked up thousands of dollars in
Ep. 34: Chemists confront the helium shortage
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 behind the wobbly helium market and what scientists
Ep. 33: On being #BlackInChem
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 episode of Stereo Chemistry, host Kerri Jansen and repo
Ep. 32: Should organic chemistry's name reactions go the way of mouth pipetting?
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 the majority of name reactions honor white men, som
Ep. 31: A world without Rosalind Franklin
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 world might be different without the now-famous Photo
Bonus episode: Talking TSCA—is the chemical law living up to expectations?
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 human health and the environment. In this bonus ep
Ep. 30: The chemical culprit in 2019's mysterious vaping illnesses—what we still don't know
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 a chief suspect: vitamin E acetate. The compound w
Ep. 29: This virus is here now, it's going to stay with us
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 clear is which, if any, of these treatments will wo
Bonus episode: That just isn't how you land on the moon without crashing
Fifty years ago this week, an explosion on the Apollo 13 moon mission stranded three astronauts hundreds of thousands of miles from home. You probably know that Fred Haise, Jim Lovell, and Jack Swigert made it home safely (water landing shown, with two of the astronauts in white). You may not know the chemist behind the rocket engine that saved them, which began its life as an apparatus for measur
Ep. 28: So that's why we threw a robot into the back of a truck
Chemistry is going the way of computing: It's getting smaller and faster. High-throughput experimentation, or HTE, is part of this push. Borrowing from biologists and biochemists, HTE has brought in microplates and multichannel pipettes to miniaturize reactions, as well as robots to run those reactions rapidly without sacrificing precision. But it's also been around for decades. So why are so many
Bonus episode: We're watching it very closely
As the novel coronavirus responsible for causing COVID-19 continues to spread, questions about the virus, the disease, and its impacts on our daily lives mount. To help you stay current with the science, policy, and business implications of this outbreak, C&EN has made all of its coronavirus coverage freely available at cenm.ag/coronavirus. And in the latest bonus episode of Stereo Chemistry, we d
Bonus episode: We saw a lot of that scientific sage savior syndrome
Stereo Chemistry talked with six chemists who spent a year in Washington on a policy fellowship to find out what they learned and what advice they would give to other scientists who are interested in science policy. Check out Andrea Widener's AAAS policy fellows story on C&EN at https://cen.acs.org/policy/Lessons-learned-from-a-year-in-Washington/98/i4. And learn more about the AAAS Science and T
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