Orbitals: Chemistry Podcast

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A Bittersweet Farewell and Enthusiastic Hello: A New Science Podcast Is Headed Your Way!

We have some bittersweet news: Orbitals is coming to a close. BUT there’s a new science podcast headed your way in 2022! It’s called Tiny Matters, and it's a show about things small in size but big in impact. Every other Wednesday, hosts Sam Jones and Deboki Chakravarti uncover the little stuff that makes the big stuff possible, answering questions like, “how does our brain form memories?” and “why haven’t we terraformed Mars yet?"

The first full episode drops on Wednesday, January 26, 2022.

Recent Episodes

Ep.30: Solutions 112 | The Sweet Chemistry of Vanilla Memories

Ep.29: Bacteria are cleaning up our toxic waste | Orbitals 410

Ep.28: The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 | Orbitals 409

Ep.27: Sweat: The Taboo Fluid That Keeps Us Alive | Orbitals 408

Ep. 26: It's Raining PLASTIC?! | Orbitals 407

Ep.25: The Icepick Surgeon With Author Sam Kean | Orbitals 406

Ep.24: Pub Chemistry: Let Us Help You Be Less (or More) Awkward Post-Quarantine | Orbitals 405

Ep.23: Why Are Doctors Still Prescribing Opioids? | Orbitals 404

Ep. 22: Combating The Climate Crisis: From Blackout Curtains to Feeding Cows Seaweed | Orbitals 403

Ep. 21:  What Is Life? Does It Exist Beyond Earth? | Orbitals 402

Ep. 20: Why Don't We Have Infant Formula That's As Good As Breast Milk? | Orbitals 401

Ep. 19: The Pesticide That Launched the Environmental Protection Agency

Ep. 18: Preventing COVID-19: The Science and Scientists Behind Protective Equipment | Orbitals 308

Ep. 17: What If Half of Earth's Soil Disappeared? | Orbitals 307

Ep. 16: The American Chamber of Horrors | Orbitals 306

Coronavirus Drugs: Where Are We and What's Next? | BONUS episode

Could a Polio Vaccine End This Pandemic? | BONUS episode

Ep. 15: What's In the Stuff We Put In Us and On Us?: Ingredients with George Zaidan| Orbitals 305

Ep. 14: Cause of Death: Poisons Pt. 2 | Orbitals 304

Coronavirus Vaccine: Where Are We and What’s Next? | BONUS episode

Ep. 13: Brief Hiatus and...Wash Your Hands | Orbitals 303

Ep. 12: The Rise of Forensic Toxicology: Poisons Pt. 1 | Orbitals 302

Ep.11: Sabotaging the Nazi Atomic Bomb: Chat with Author Sam Kean | Orbitals 301

Ep.10: Parasite Seeking Host: The Nose Knows | Orbitals 206

Ep.9: Body Farms: What Can We Learn From a Decomposing Corpse? | Orbitals 205

Ep. 8: Thalidomide: The life-saving drug that caused a pharmaceutical nightmare

Ep. 7: Amphetamines: From troubled past to present

Ep. 6: Antibiotics - It's Complicated

Ep. 5: We Filled Up the Periodic Table, Now What?

Ep. 4: A Morning with Dr. Frances Arnold

Ep 3: How do We Get Back from Mars?

Ep 2: The Curious Tale of Pine Mouth Syndrome

Ep 1: Do Drugs Actually Expire?