The History of Chemistry
Chemistry is everywhere, and involves everything. But how did chemistry get to be what it is? I'm Steve Cohen, a chemist and writer, bringing you The History of Chemistry. This podcast explores the development of chemistry from prehistoric times to the present, including the people and societies who made chemistry what it is today. The History of Chemistry is for you, whether you hated chemistry in high school, or got a PhD in inorganic chemistry. We'll explore how chemistry affected art, music, language, politics and vice-versa. Whether it's ancient Greek philosophers, medieval alchemists, or modern laboratory apparatus, it's all here. Don't forget to support my series at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry !
Show episodes
In this episode we touch on how chemistry has directly influenced religion. Our example is how knowledge of chemistry affected a rabbi"s decision to allow a certain brand of carbonated beverage to claim that it is kosher, that is, fit to be ingested by Jews who follow traditional Jewish laws and customs regarding food.
What if we could make flexible electronics for clothing or medical sensors? We examine the history of this quest from the 1990s onward, focusing on liquid-metal electronics. We explore what that means, the pros and cons, and how it might work. Then we talk about creating electronic components using wood (really!), whic
The history of chemistry in water microdroplets is discussed. We start with the observation by R. Graham Cooks that certain chemical reactions went faster inside ultra-small droplets of liquid relative to beaker-sized amounts. We examine the years-long arguments between Dick Zare and Himanshu Mishra over peroxide forma
In this episode we examine the history of non-lithium batteries. We talk of changing the anode material and cathode material, whether separately or together. This involves changing the graphite anode to silicon, changing to sulfur anodes, air-based cathodes, different solvent molecules to assist transport of lithium io
In which we learn about the beginnings of chemistry applied to art conservation, from the initial attempts by Edward Forbes, but especially when he hired Rutherford John Gettens. We discuss Harvard University"s Pigment Collection, plus various analytical tools chemists use to examine art, both light-based and non-light
Dear Listener, I have been posting episodes weekly for two and a half years. I need a short break. I promise I will be back very soon. I have many more episodes already written and recorded for you. Please stay tuned. Until then….brave the elements! Support the show Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehist