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Chemistry For Your Life


Chemistry For Your Life

Why do onions make you cry?

Thu, 30 Nov 2023

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#016 Rebroadcast

This week Melissa and Jam explore the chemistry of onion tears, the emotional reaction we all have, against our will, when cutting onions. Grab some tissues, this one's gonna burn.

References from this episode



  1. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf60174a009  

  2. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acschembio.7b00336


  3. https://www.nature.com/articles/419685a  

  4. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/science/onions-crying-chemicals.html

  5. http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/pso/psov.htm

  6. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170620122950.htm

  7. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/scicurious-brain/ignobels-2013-the-tearless-onion/

Thanks to our monthly supporters


  • Elizabeth P

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  • Suzanne Phillips

  • Nelly Silva

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  • Lyn Stubblefield

  • Jacob Taber

  • Brian Kimball

  • shadow

  • Emerson Woodhall

  • Kristina Gotfredsen

  • Timothy Parker

  • Steven Boyles

  • Chris Skupien

  • Chelsea B

  • Bri McAllister

  • Avishai Barnoy

  • Hunter Reardon


★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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Why does(n't) turkey make you sleepy?

Thu, 23 Nov 2023

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#174

For many folks in the US, today is a day where we eat Turkey! And many times the factoid/rumor makes the rounds that eating turkey makes you sleepy... but does it? Let's get into it, and fair warning, it's not as simple as you think.

We want to give a  special thank you to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for this weeks episode! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!

References from this Episode


  1. Biochemistry, 4th edition, by Garrett & Grisham,

  2. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-does-turkey-make-you-sleepy/

  3. https://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/tryptophan/4010774.article


Thanks to our monthly supporters


  • Elizabeth P

  • Sarah Moar

  • Rachel Reina

  • Letila

  • Katrina Barnum-Huckins

  • Suzanne Phillips

  • Nelly Silva

  • Venus Rebholz

  • Lyn Stubblefield

  • Jacob Taber

  • Brian Kimball

  • shadow

  • Emerson Woodhall

  • Kristina Gotfredsen

  • Timothy Parker

  • Steven Boyles

  • Chris Skupien

  • Chelsea B

  • Bri McAllister

  • Avishai Barnoy

  • Hunter Reardon


★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

Watch our episodes on YouTube

Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.

Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.



Bonus: Acronyms and Mom Memories (chemmunity style)

Thu, 16 Nov 2023

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Bonus Episode: Chemmunity Style

For this month's bonus episode we don't have questions, so we're recording an episode in the style of our secret supporter-only podcast. Check it out and enjoy an extra episode.



Thanks to our monthly supporters


  • Elizabeth P

  • Sarah Moar

  • Rachel Reina

  • Letila

  • Katrina Barnum-Huckins

  • Suzanne Phillips

  • Nelly Silva

  • Venus Rebholz

  • Lyn Stubblefield

  • Jacob Taber

  • Brian Kimball

  • shadow

  • Emerson Woodhall

  • Kristina Gotfredsen

  • Timothy Parker

  • Steven Boyles

  • Chris Skupien

  • Chelsea B

  • Bri McAllister

  • Avishai Barnoy

  • Hunter Reardon


★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

Watch our episodes on YouTube

Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.

Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.



Why do we stir things to dissolve them?

Thu, 09 Nov 2023

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#173

What is freeze-drying? How can something be both frozen and dried? How does it differ from just freezing, or just drying? And is it just for astronauts? Let's get into it!

We want to give a  special thank you to Bri McAllister for illustrating molecules for this weeks episode! Please go check out Bri’s art, follow and support her at entr0pic.artstation.com and @McAllisterBri on twitter!

References from this Episode

  1. https://www.acs.org/middleschoolchemistry/lessonplans/chapter5/lesson6.html#:~:text=The%20added%20energy%20in%20the%2Csucrose%20molecules%20to%20vibrate%20faster.


Thanks to our monthly supporters


  • Elizabeth P

  • Sarah Moar

  • Rachel Reina

  • Letila

  • Katrina Barnum-Huckins

  • Suzanne Phillips

  • Nelly Silva

  • Venus Rebholz

  • Lyn Stubblefield

  • Jacob Taber

  • Brian Kimball

  • shadow

  • Emerson Woodhall

  • Kristina Gotfredsen

  • Timothy Parker

  • Steven Boyles

  • Chris Skupien

  • Chelsea B

  • Bri McAllister

  • Avishai Barnoy

  • Hunter Reardon


★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

Watch our episodes on YouTube

Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.

Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.



Why does water form droplets?

Thu, 02 Nov 2023

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#020 Rebroadcast

This week Melissa and Jam explore the chemistry of water and intermolecular forces. Why does it form into droplets? Why can you fill a glass of water just above the rim and it not spill over? How are some things water proof or water resistant?

References from this episode


  1. General Chemistry: Principles, Patterns, and Applications - Saylor foundation

  2. Chemistry, Edition 2 - Flowers, Theopold, Langley, Robinson

  3. Lotus Leaf Inspires Waterproofing Scheme, Scientific American - Laura Wright

  4. Melissa's Previous Knowledge


Thanks to our monthly supporters


  • Elizabeth P

  • Sarah Moar

  • Rachel Reina

  • Letila

  • Katrina Barnum-Huckins

  • Suzanne Phillips

  • Nelly Silva

  • Venus Rebholz

  • Lyn Stubblefield

  • Jacob Taber

  • Brian Kimball

  • shadow

  • Emerson Woodhall

  • Kristina Gotfredsen

  • Timothy Parker

  • Steven Boyles

  • Chris Skupien

  • Chelsea B

  • Bri McAllister

  • Avishai Barnoy

  • Hunter Reardon


★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

Watch our episodes on YouTube

Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife.

Want to start your own podcast? Use Transistor and you'll have the best podcast platform available. We use it and we are totally in love with it.


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