What happens when a chemist ventures onto Reddit to answer the internet’s most pressing science questions? Why does carbon get its own entire branch of chemistry, what makes fireworks burn different colors, and can an invention work even when its inventor has no idea why? Melissa and Jam tackle those mysteries, plus laboratory disasters, stress recovery, wireless charging, and one surprisingly complicated “Am I the Jerk?” dilemma. It’s chemistry support for the internet, because Reddit clearly has plenty of need for it.

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Timestamps

00:00 — Chemistry Support: answering Reddit’s science questions
01:30 — A chemist’s biggest “oh shoot” laboratory moments
05:36 — Jam’s alarming muriatic acid spill story
09:28 — Can inventors discover something without knowing how it works?
11:49 — Why does wireless charging feel like magic?
16:50 — Why does carbon get its own branch of chemistry?
24:30 — Why do metals make flames different colors?
26:51 — What are some science-backed ways to recover from stress?
28:10 — Completing the body’s stress cycle
31:42 — Why rest isn’t optional—even for busy people
32:03 — “Am I the Jerk?”: A student, a failed class, and an awkward favor
36:01 — What grades really tell professors about their students

References from the Episode:

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Is your air conditioner secretly doing chemistry while you’re inside pretending summer doesn’t exist? How does it turn hot air into cool air, and why does part of the AC blow out even more heat? In this episode, Melissa and Jam crack open the mysterious black box of air conditioning to explore refrigerants, phase changes, energy transfer, and the surprisingly clever science keeping your house livable. Plus: frozen AC coils, summer survival drinks, and the beginning of Hibiscus Girl Summer.

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Timestamps

00:00 — Could we survive a Texas summer without air conditioning?
01:52 — Opening the mysterious black box that is your AC
02:50 — Traditional air conditioners vs. swamp coolers
03:33 — The two chemistry concepts behind air conditioning
04:38 — Understanding energy transfer through human collisions
05:49 — Phase changes explained using a crowded theater
10:30 — How an AC removes energy from hot air
14:20 — What happens inside the refrigerant coils
15:46 — Cooling and recycling the refrigerant
18:50 — Do refrigerators work the same way?
23:19 — Why would ice form inside a broken AC?
28:42 — Our favorite treats and drinks for surviving hot weather

References from the Episode:

Thanks to our monthly supporters
Sara Hull
Dog Day Dan
Bri .
Summer Alden
Amanda Raymond
Kyle McCray
Justine
Ash
Vince W
Julie S.
Heather Ragusa
Autoclave
Dorien VD
Scott Beyer
Jessie Reder
J0HNTR0Y
Cullyn R
Erica Bee
Elizabeth P
Rachel Reina
Letila
Katrina Barnum-Huckins
Suzanne Phillips
Venus Rebholz
Jacob Taber
Brian Kimball
Kristina Gotfredsen
Timothy Parker
Steven Boyles
Chris Skupien
Chelsea B
Avishai Barnoy
Hunter Reardon

Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

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#044 Rebroadcast

You know what we're talking about. That spectacular fizzy geyser. This week, Melissa and Jam explore what makes diet coke and mentos go crazy together. Is it love? Is it hate? Is it chemistry? Why diet coke specifically? Or more importantly, why mentos? Let's get into it.

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References from this episode

1. Diet Coke and Mentos: What is really behind this physical reaction? - American Journal of Physics 76, 551 (2008)
2. Diet Coke and Mentos: What is really behind this physical reaction? - Tonya Coffey
3. Spurting Science: Erupting Diet Coke with Mentos - Scientific American - Science Buddies

Thanks to our monthly supporters
Sara Hull
Dog Day Dan
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Summer Alden
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Justine
Ash
Vince W
Julie S.
Heather Ragusa
Autoclave
Dorien VD
Scott Beyer
Jessie Reder
J0HNTR0Y
Cullyn R
Erica Bee
Elizabeth P
Rachel Reina
Letila
Katrina Barnum-Huckins
Suzanne Phillips
Venus Rebholz
Jacob Taber
Brian Kimball
Kristina Gotfredsen
Timothy Parker
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#135 Rebroadcast

Well guess what, Melissa is a PhD Doctor now! And you know what that means? She gets to tell us more details about the research she did to get her PhD. Listen to hear what Melissa found as she dove deep into the question "" for the past few years.

References from this episode

1. National Research Council, (2012), Discipline-based education research: Understanding and improving learning in undergraduate science and engineering, The National Academies Press.
2. Graulich N., (2015), The tip of the iceberg in organic chemistry classes: How do students deal with the invisible? Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 16(1), 9–21.
3. Xu X. and Lewis J. E., (2011), Refinement of a chemistry attitude measure for college students. J. Chem. Educ., 88(5), 561–568.
4. Gibbons R. E. and Raker J. R., (2019), Self-beliefs in organic chemistry: Evaluation of a reciprocal causation, cross-lagged model. J. Res. Sci. Teach., 56(5), 598–618.

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Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

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Thanks to our monthly supporters

Sara Hull
Dog Day Dan
Bri .
Summer Alden
Amanda Raymond
Kyle McCray
Justine
Ash
Vince W
Julie S.
Heather Ragusa
Autoclave
Dorien VD
Scott Beyer
Jessie Reder
J0HNTR0Y
Cullyn R
Erica Bee
Elizabeth P
Rachel Reina
Letila
Katrina Barnum-Huckins
Suzanne Phillips
Venus Rebholz
Jacob Taber
Brian Kimball
Kristina Gotfredsen
Timothy Parker
Steven Boyles
Chris Skupien
Chelsea B
Avishai Barnoy
Hunter Reardon

Support this podcast on Patreon
Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

Watch our episodes on YouTube

Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.