Chemistry For Your Life

Melissa and Jam explore the science behind shooting stars, unraveling the chemistry that turns space rocks into brilliant streaks of light in our night sky. They discuss how meteors heat up and glow …

#067 Rebroadcast (Originally Aired October 2020)

Guess what time of year it is. It's spooky time! One thing we see a lot of during this time of year, is things that glow. And you better believe that'…

Melissa and Jam delve into the fascinating chemistry behind fireflies' bioluminescence. They explore how fireflies produce light through a complex series of chemical reactions involving specific mole…

Melissa and Jam dive into a variety of listener-submitted questions. They discuss the science behind fluffy shave ice versus mainland shaved ice, the effectiveness and safety of ozone treatments for …

Melissa and Jam explore the science behind why sweat is salty. They discuss personal experiences with sweating, the types of sweat glands, and the chemical processes involved in sweat production. The…

#050

This week, Melissa and Jam once again look under the armpits of society, this time to explore sweat. Is it cool? Well does it keep us cool? How? At what cost? Is there more to sweat than meets t…

In this continuation of our two-part series, Melissa and Jam dive into the intriguing chemistry behind color film and Polaroid photography. The episode picks up from the previous discussion on black …

Melissa and Jam tackle a variety of questions and corrections from their listeners. They dive into topics such as the effectiveness of baking soda and vinegar as cleaning agents, the science behind k…

Melissa and Jam delve into the fascinating chemistry behind film photography. They reminisce about their childhood experiences with analog cameras and discuss the shift to digital cameras. Melissa, a…

#027 Rebroadcast
Originally Published January 23, 2020

This week, Melissa and Jam dive into the chemistry of something that may not seem like chemistry at first: hair. Curly hair to be specific. What…

Melissa and Jam dive into the definition and implications of organic foods. They explore what organic means according to USDA standards, dissect common misconceptions about pesticide use, and discuss…

This episode of 'Chemistry for Your Life' features Melissa and Jam tackling various chemistry questions sourced from the 'Explain Like I'm Five' subreddit. They aim to explain complex chemistry conce…

Melissa and Jam discuss the multifaceted debate surrounding the use of the widely known weed killer, Roundup, specifically its active ingredient, glyphosate. Prompted by a listener's question, they e…

#212

Melissa and Jam explore the concept of ozone and its impact on air quality in airplanes. Melissa explains the chemical reaction of ozone, why it's significant in organic chemistry, and how it ca…

#110 Rebroadcast
Originally Published August 26, 2021

We've all heard about it. And most likely you've heard that it's in danger. But what is the ozone layer in the first place? And once we learn tha…

Question and Response #67

Melissa and Jam dive into a series of chemistry-related questions from their audience. From understanding why wintergreen mints spark in the dark to the science of pregnancy…

#211

Melissa and Jam delve into the chemistry behind increased flatulence on airplanes. They explore how changes in air pressure affect gas expansion in the human body, leading to more frequent gas r…

Chemistry at Home: Chromatography Rebroadcast
Originally Published June 29, 2020

Here's another bonus episode dedicated to teaching a specific chemistry experiment you can do at home. This month, we …

#210

Melissa and Jam dive into the science of home pregnancy tests. They explore the process in which these tests detect the presence of the hormone HCG, which signals a positive pregnancy result. Th…

Ask a Chemist #66

Melissa and Jam dive into a range of listener-submitted questions exploring everyday chemistry. Topics include the chemistry behind toasting herbs, the effect of gravity on elementa…