It's time to crack into one of life's great mysteries: eggs. So what happens when we cook them?! How do they go from clear goo to white jiggle? This is a question we received long ago, and with topics this serious, we don't yoke around. So we waited until we could bring in an eggsperienced egg chef, Jason Cress, to figure out this topic with us. In Jam's opi ... Show More
May 21
How do pencils write on paper?
Why does a pencil work so perfectly? Why does graphite leave marks on paper instead of just crumbling apart? And what do pancakes, honeycombs, geckos, and intermolecular forces have to do with any of it? This week we follow a simple pencil all the way down to carbon atoms, graphe ... Show More
46m 46s
May 14
Ask a Chemist: What things should you never mix? (and other questions)
What happens when you mix bleach and ammonia? Why does perfume smell amazing on one person and weird on another? And why is getting a job so hard right now? This week we’re answering a huge batch of listener questions about chemistry, sunscreen, scents, books, careers, birds, and ... Show More
34m 57s
Apr 2025
Explosive Science with Kate the Chemist
<p>What are chemical reactions like in space? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice team up with Kate the Chemist to explore how cesium helps us tell time, the elusive quest for the periodic table’s “island of stability,” how AI is revolutionizing chemistry, and more!</p><p>NOTE: St ... Show More
54m 29s
Feb 2025
Cosmic Queries – Stoner Edition with Janna Levin
<p>Is anything real? Is time just a construct? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Matt Kirshen answer your far-out questions about black holes, dark matter, and the universe with astrophysicist Janna Levin. </p><p><i>(Originally Aired Tuesday, March 8 2022)</i ... Show More
49m 12s
Feb 2025
Valentine’s Day Isn’t Just for Romance—The Science of Deep Friendships
Love isn’t just about romance. This Valentine’s Day, we’re exploring the power of deep nonromantic bonds. Host Rachel Feltman sits down with Rhaina Cohen, a producer and editor for NPR’s podcast Embedded and author of The Other Significant Others, to discuss the history and psych ... Show More
17m 2s
Feb 2025
Eggs aren't expensive enough
At least if we want to stop the next pandemic. Vox's Kenny Torrella explains.
This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.
Transcript at vox.c ... Show More
26m 45s