Everyday Chemistry: Recent Episodes
Megan Gould Larsen
Science is everywhere, and learning about it should be fun. Have you ever stopped to think about how something works? This podcast is just about noticing - and explaining - the everyday experiences we all have using science.
Why scientists view numbers a little differently and what makes a number “significant”. Would you rather be accurate or precise?
Necessity may be the mother of invention but entropy is the mechanism. Also, what molecules can teach us about finding motivation to get started.
Where do the colors come from? How else do scientists use that information? Why do I always say “astronomists” instead of astronomers?
How to apply the scientific method to life and what we learn from scientific theories - lessons I learned from my dad.
How our brains trick us into thinking something is true without questioning our assumptions. Is a boiling substance hot? Does boiling water always burn? Where would we find water on Mars? Plus some life advice for those teenagers that I love and teach.
“This energetic reaction is spontaneous with a highly active metal that leads to precipitation through deposition.” Can you translate that into muggle? How breaking down language makes you a better scientist.
Why do we cook with wooden spoons? Why does the sand get hot at the beach while the water stays cold? Hello, heat capacity!
And not just because you’ve probably spilled food and lost toys back there...but because it will help your fridge work better. So how does a refrigerator work?
Turns out, it’s actually full - so let’s talk about gases. Airplane rides, chip explosions, and much more all relate to gas laws.
How does a chemist play a trick on April Fool’s Day? Turns out you might have what it takes hiding in your kitchen.
How do memories mix with emotion? How can you be better at recalling information when you need it? Do teachers really remember all of their students?
What if the Earth wasn’t round? What would it look like? What would happen as it spun and moved in space? What could even make it that shape?
Don’t try this at home unless you are prepared to clean up a huge mess or you want to splatter paint sugar water on your ceiling!
Don’t you wish someone would invent a machine that just told you what to do with your life? How do you know if you’re choosing the right thing? Also, should we all become chemistry teachers?
Can you count to infinity? How about a billion? Is a billion really that much bigger than a million?
Why did you pick your favorite color? Would you still pick it in the dark? Do we all see colors the same?
What can you spell with the periodic table of elements? How do the elements get named, anyway? Also, bacon.
As a newlywed I made up my own temperature scale in an attempt to communicate to my husband if it was too hot or too cold for me. Here’s what I learned.
How do microwaves work? Do they need doors? Why do I always have random cold spots in my microwaved food?
A quick rundown on some of my biggest failures, and why I’m glad I failed. This episode could also be called “why I found grad school so challenging”
How chemistry makes cooking a bit more fun - and how we can see the same situation from a new angle.