Afleveringen
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Water, the most important chemical for us, deserves its own episode describing the history of how chemists understand it. We start with pre-Enlightenment views of water as an element, then as a compound, then how electricity affected our understanding, then with dissolved salts, the crystal structure of ice, water's actual molecular structure, and how hydrogen bonding affects it.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
We start with a 1927 patent awarded to George Washington Carver, an agricultural chemist, for a locally-sourced Prussian blue. We learn a bit about Carver's life, education, and hobby of painting which may have led to the patent. We examine the patent in some detail, and then hear how it's been revived by a modern artist. Then we discuss other blue pigments throughout history, ending with the newest blue, an accidental discovery in a laboratory in 2009.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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In which we discuss the history of scientists attempting to determine a half-life of a specific radioactive isotope of samarium, and why that determination is so important for other branches of science. We learn of the poor quality of the observation, how at least one result was retracted, and how a new way to measure half-lives offers hope for a resolution to this problem.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
This is a brief history of how chemists understand the way liquids wet things. The first glimpse was by Francis Hauksbee in the early 1700s, and how water rises in narrow tubes. Through the 18th century, natural philosophers described surface tension. The 19th century brought understanding of wetting via macroscopic observations and descriptions. The 20th century added insights of quantum mechanics and the influence of surface roughness. Finally we discuss the 20th-century observation of superhydrophobicity, both natural and eventually artificial.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
In which we talk about the history of fractals and how they relate to chemistry. There is a brief overview of what a fractal is and how it developed in mathematics. Then we talk of how fractals apply to chemistry, including surface reactions, descriptions of molecular structures both artificial and natural, growth of polymers, and even how the concentrations and flows of minerals in streams follow a fractal variation with time.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
It's an ancient story, but fossils have been with us since time immemorial. In this episode, we hear about the history of chemists and their interpretation of fossils. Scientists first began considering fossils as evidence of past life in the 17th century. We hear about the fossil record, and the oldest fossils, then the oldest fossils with organic matter preserved, and the chemical controversy over how collagen can remain for millions of years.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
Refrigeration always has been closely intertwined with chemistry. In this episode we explore the history of refrigerants, from the first hints of artificial cooling in the mid-1700s, through the invention of the first practical refrigerator 8 decades later. We talk about a variety of refrigerants through the 20th century. Finally we examine some other newer or less-common methods of cooling.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
Magnetic tape was an integral part of the new, growing recording industry. Herein we talk about the chemical history of magnetic recording, from the first idea in 1888, onward. We encounter Poulsen, Pfleumer, Stille, Nagai, Mullin, and an array of corporations as well. Finally we discuss a bit about digital computers and the history of magnetic tapes for data.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
Here we talk about supersized sandwich compounds and their history, beginning with ferrocene in the 1950s. We go from single-decker to double-, triple, and quadruple-decker sandwich compounds through the 1970s and 1980s, a variety of "breads" and "fillings," and then even bigger as we move to the 21st Century.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
Herein we examine the cubical hydrocarbon, cubane, and its role in chemical history. We talk of difficulties in synthesis, possible uses as an explosive, its use as an isostere to benzene in medicinal compounds, and polymers of cubane. Patreon supporters can download a supplemental sheet to see some of the molecular structures I discuss.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
In which we talk about how chirality, or handedness, has diffused through chemistry since its discovery in the 19th century, starting with Louis Pasteur. We look at work by Arnaldo Piutti and Emile Fischer. We discuss not only organic compounds, but amino acids, proteins, DNA, and inorganic chiral compounds. Ultimately we have to bring up the question of the biochemical handedness of life. Patreon supporters may download a supplemental sheet of some of the molecular structures mentioned in this episode.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
In which we talk about the history of using ammonia, the nitrogen analog of methane, as a fuel. We start two centuries ago with Goldsworthy Gurney, move to the mid-19th century when horseless carriages began to appear in Europe. World War II spurred necessary fuel adjustments to public transportation. We then examine post-war research. We tackle some pros and cons of using ammonia as fuel, as well as the ecological spectrum of ammonia sources.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
Here we talk about how chemists historically have viewed the way life began: as chemicals self-organizing. The earliest serious chemical views began in the 1870s, with synthesis of proteins. Ideas through the decades included warm ponds, auto-catalytic enzymes, genes (whatever they were), a primitive reducing atmosphere, lightning bolts, and DNA or RNA.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
Contrary to popular belief, chemists have always found involvement in politics. Herein are some examples of chemists getting involved politically, whether willingly or unwillingly, from the past 250 years, starting with Englishman Joseph Priestley.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
We look at the history of some recent problems in recycling materials. First we examine the history of wind farms, and how to recycle the fan blades. Second we talk about recent history and problems of recycling polyethylene terephthalate. Then we discuss the persistent and growing problem of electronics waste. Finally, we briefly touch on recycling of spent batteries.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
Given the environmental catastrophe into which we now zombie-walk, here is a bit about the history of extracting greenhouse gases directly from the air. Extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere began in the 1930s, but proposals to do it environmentally only began about 25 years ago, with the first large-scale systems appearing in the 2020s. We also talk a little about pulling a worse gas, methane, from the atmosphere.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
We hear about the history of hydrogen gas as a fuel, starting in the early 1800s with François Isaac de Rivaz. We continue through the 19th and 20th centuries, with dual-burning vehicles, airplanes, and fuel-cells. We talk of advantages and disadvantages of such engines, and the ecological spectrum of hydrogen gas.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
In which we talk about the history of differently abled chemists, from around the year 1600 to the present. We mention some differently abled chemists, and how the American Chemical Society and Royal Society of Chemistry handle things, plus hope for continued improvement in the future.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
We hear about the recent history of quantum computing to do quantum calculations on molecules. First we briefly discuss different types of computers. Then we talk about the kinds of calculations chemists want to do with quantum computers. We also learn about some ways chemists currently use to simplify the mathematics for quantum calculations.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook -
In which we [cue theremin!] discuss how chemistry is presented in science-fiction stories. We start with Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," move through Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, then to 20th-century writers like Isaac Asimov. Kurt Vonnegut, Fred Hoyle, H. Beam Piper, and many others. We talk of "Star Trek," "Battlestar Galactica," and David Foster Wallace.
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Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at [email protected] Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook - Laat meer zien
