Chemistry podcasts

The episode examines what happens chemically when cooked starch cools and is reheated. Melissa and Jam discuss glucose polymers, insulin, digestion, crystallization, resistant starch, and interactions with gut microbes. They review studies involving foods such as bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes, and explore the proposed effects of repeated reheating. The discussion connects everyday cooking questions to food chemistry and the evidence behind claims about leftovers.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Historian of chemistry Alexander Kraft joins Charlotte Gerischer to examine alchemy and its relationship to the emergence of experimental chemistry. They discuss influential figures, the search for the philosopher's stone and the ideas and practices that persisted as chemistry developed into a scientific discipline.

Hosted by Charlotte Gerischer

The Chemical Breakdown team looks ahead to the 2026 Nobel prize in chemistry. Host Mariana Kneppers discusses possible research areas and laureates with Jamie Durrani and Neil Withers, with additional predictions from the Chemistry World team. Topics include skeletal editing, GLP-1 research and analytical techniques, alongside how previous prizes shape expectations. This is a predictions episode published before the prize announcement, rather than a report of confirmed winners.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Jonathan Webb discusses lithium-ion battery chemistry with Neeraj Sharma of UNSW, explaining why prolonged full charging or deep discharge can shorten battery life and what the underlying processes mean for phone and electric-vehicle battery engineering.

Hosted by Jonathan Webb

Taylor Sparks and Andrew Falkowski speak with University of Arizona researcher Marat Latypov about aluminium's transition from a scarce, expensive metal to a widely used engineering material. They discuss extraction, corrosion resistance, precipitation hardening, electrical wiring and automotive applications, and the technical difficulties of recycling mixed scrap.

Hosted by Taylor Sparks, Andrew Falkowski

Benjamin Thompson and Shamini Bundell discuss two scientific stories from the Nature Briefing. The first concerns a technique for detecting lead that may help researchers read damaged Roman scrolls from Herculaneum without unrolling the fragile, charred material. The second examines a biodegradable, paper-inspired edible battery and its potential use in medical devices inside the body. The publisher’s episode page and official podcast feed both identify this 25 September 2026 episode; the discussion lasts 11 minutes 32 seconds.

Melissa and Jam answer questions about household natural gas, organic-chemistry careers, topical pain-relief gels and pharmaceutical crystal forms. The episode also revisits previous explanations and discusses chemistry education and the history of the field.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Melissa and Jam examine the chemistry and cell biology proposed to explain red-light therapy. They discuss photobiomodulation, mitochondria, collagen and the limitations of available studies, alongside the distinction between regulatory clearance and evidence for a particular consumer device.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Lin Ma discusses the development of batteries for electricity grids, including the promise and limitations of sodium-ion systems. The conversation considers safety, materials choices and the role of storage in electricity systems that depend increasingly on renewable generation.

Hosted by Hamish Johnston

Mariana Kneppers, Neil Withers and Phillip Broadwith discuss molecular glues and efforts to target cancer-related proteins previously considered difficult to drug. They also explore how analysis of fibres and dyes helps researchers investigate and conserve the Bayeux Tapestry.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Carolyn Bertozzi explains why sugars on cell surfaces matter for communication between cells and how new chemical methods make these complex molecules accessible to research. The discussion connects this work to neuroscience, biological aging and drug development.

Hosted by Nicholas Weiler

Nature staff discuss an AI tool for assessing the effects of nine billion human genetic mutations, followed by research challenging assumptions about Bunsen burners and contamination near laboratory work areas. This episode is part of Nature Podcast’s Briefing Chat series and is available from the publisher on Acast.

C&EN journalists examine the chemistry behind sustaining human activity beyond Earth. Topics include obtaining useful resources, designing materials and understanding the practical constraints of living and working in space. The episode connects chemical research with planetary resources and engineering.

Hosted by Craig Bettenhausen

The concluding episode of Unexplainable’s Life from Scratch series asks how researchers should judge risks when attempting to redesign living systems. Kate Adamala, David Relman and John Glass discuss synthetic biology and concerns about mirror life, whose molecular handedness would differ from that of existing organisms. The conversation considers the limits of anticipating biological consequences, the responsibilities of researchers and reasons to pause particular lines of work.

The Chemistry World team examines research on CAR-T immunotherapy for bladder tumours, including results in mice and the challenges of treating solid cancers. A second discussion considers how incorrectly assigned spectral features may have affected interpretations of defects in carbon materials.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers

Science journalist Verena Tang joins Melina von Wenczowski to discuss how chemical concepts can be communicated accurately and engagingly. Everyday food and cooking provide examples for explaining chemistry, challenging misleading associations with harmful substances and connecting scientific explanation with an audience's practical experience.

Hosted by Melina von Wenczowski

Melissa and Jam explain how evaporating water can cool a building and why the same approach works much better in dry climates than humid ones. They connect swamp coolers to older cooling techniques and examine newer ideas, including ice-based systems intended to reduce pressure on electricity grids.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Tim Wahlberg of CAS speaks with Rafael Rosengarten about the role of curated chemical knowledge in AI-assisted drug discovery. They examine scientific data quality, harmonisation and expert curation, and consider how reliable information can help researchers formulate questions and evaluate answers from large language models.

Hosted by Rafael Rosengarten

Melissa and Jam trace the chemistry of refrigerants from early hazardous compounds to chlorofluorocarbons and their replacements. They explain why a substance that cools effectively can still create environmental problems, and discuss the tradeoffs among ozone protection, climate effects, flammability and regulation.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Mariana Kneppers, Mason Wakley and Jamie Durrani discuss changes affecting UK science policy and investigate the chemistry of deteriorating concrete in Ireland. The materials discussion examines the roles of mica, iron-sulfide minerals, oxidation and subsequent chemical reactions in structural damage.

Hosted by Mariana Kneppers