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Healing the voice with synthetic vocal cords

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:05:00 -0400

Synthetic vocal cords may someday heal the voices of singers like Julie Andrews – whose legendary voice was permanently damaged in a 1997 operation. Filmed in the lab of 2012 ACS Priestley Medalist and MIT Institute Professor Robert Langer, our latest video explains how artificial polymer vocal cords may help repair damaged vocal tissue.

Singers like The Who’s Roger Daltrey and Andrews are not the only ones that stand to benefit from this research. Nearly six percent of the U.S. population has a vocal disorder, often caused by vocal cords that have stiffened due to scarring. In collaboration with Steven Zeitels, professor of laryngeal surgery at Harvard Medical School, Langer and Harvard Instructor of Surgery Sandeep Karajanagi developed a polymer that mimics the vibration of human vocal cords.

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The Electronic Nose: Sniffing Out the Dangerous Stuff to Keep Our Noses Safe

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:47:00 -0400

In the past decade, our cell phones have evolved into multi-functional, always online digital assistants and gaming devices. Nate Lewis, Professor of Chemistry at Caltech, is working on technology that may turn your next smartphone into a bomb-sniffing, disease-diagnosing "electronic nose."

Like a canary in a coal mine, chemical vapor sensors — or electronic noses — can sniff out chemicals that might be hazardous or undetectable by human noses. These e-noses have potential applications in public safety as bomb or toxin detectors. They could even sense diseases on a patient's breath, providing faster diagnosis for deadly illnesses like tuberculosis and lung cancer. Caltech grad student Heather McCaig showed us around Nate's lab to give us the inside scoop on this promising technology.

So in the future, don't be surprised when you step into the doctor's office for a diagnosis and they tell you, "Did you know there is an app for that?"

Beyond the blue bins: The journey of recyclable materials

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 07:37:00 -0400

Just in time for Earth Day, check out our latest video that reveals the journey recyclable materials take beyond those blue curbside bins. Take a tour of a typical recycling center to see out how these facilities sort the mountains of recyclables they receive everyday.

The video shows how the Montgomery County Maryland Recycling Facility in suburban Washington, DC, serves as one of the first links in the recycle-reuse chain. It receives more than 80,000 tons of mixed plastic, aluminum and other recyclables every year, and uses staff and machinery to sort out the various materials.

Getting More Out of the Sun's Rays: Artificial Photosynthesis

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:59:00 -0400

Photovoltaics, otherwise known as solar cells, are an important source of energy around the world, converting solar radiation into electricity which we use every day to power our lights, computers, and appliances. But even the most advanced solar cells can only use a fraction of the sun's energy What if we could use the unused solar energy to also produce fuel? Matt Shaner, a graduate student in the Lewis Research group at Caltech, shows us a demo of an intriguing new technique in the production of hydrogen, a promising alternative fuel. Plants convert the sun's energy into sugar through photosynthesis. In this process, hydrogen is produced when the sun's rays hit a piece of silicon, a material often found in photovoltaic cells.

Produced by the American Chemical Society

The Periodic Table Table Featuring Theo Gray

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:04:00 -0400

Some people collect stamps. Wolfram Research co-founder and author Theo Gray collects elements. Step into his office, and you'll see a silicon disc engraved with Homer Simpson, a jar of mercury, uranium shells and hundreds of other chemical artifacts. But his real DIY masterpiece is the world's first "periodic table table." Within this masterfully constructed table-top lay samples of nearly every element known to man, minus the super-radioactive ones.

Theo Gray is 2011 winner of the ACS Grady Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public. The Periodic Table Table is a testament to Theo's love for chemistry -- as well as his Ebay buying habits -- and is full of fascinating stories. Come see for yourself in the latest episode of Bytesize Science.

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ChemMatters - Digestion: The Incredible Disassembly Line

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:54:00 -0400

You could call digestion a disassembly line. Your body takes whatever morsel of food you give it, breaks it down, wrings out all the nutrients it can, and discards the waste. It's an amazing example of chemistry in action, and it happens 24/7.

Our body relies on three major types of food: carbohydrates, fats and proteins. In this latest episode of ChemMatters, find out how the body breaks down these big three food groups and puts their nutrients to use.

Alternate Download Link: ChemMatters - Digestion: The Incredible Disassembly Line (Zip file with MP4 video)

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Super Bowl Sunday Science: The Chemistry of Cheese

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:13:00 -0400

This Sunday, an estimated 58 percent of Americans will order pizza for Super Bowl parties around the country. To celebrate Game Day classics like pizza, cheese dips and nachos, we went to Wisconsin -- the American dairyland that produces 35 percent of the country's cheese -- to find out the chemistry behind cheesemaking.

Featured in the video is John Lucey, Ph.D., director of the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lucey explains how cheese makers leverage chemistry to transform milk into cheese. It involves special "starter cultures" of microbes that convert lactose, or "milk sugar;" into lactic acid; enzymes that "clot" milk proteins into a gel; separation of the solid curds from the watery whey and other steps.

Lucey explains how food scientists use analytical chemistry techniques to test the levels of fat, protein and flavor compounds in cheese to ensure a tasty, nutritious product. Like the New England Patriots and New York Giants teams on the TV screen, cheese also has to pass "performance tests" — not for its time on the 40-yard dash, but to ensure that cheese has the perfect amount of melt and stretch for those Super Bowl XLVI pizzas and other treats.

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Phytochemicals: Why You Should Eat A Rainbow of Fruits and Veggies

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:17:00 -0400

Phytochemicals, or plant chemicals, are found in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, each one with an associated color. Did you know that blueberries get their blue hue from a chemical called delphinidin? Did you also know that that same chemical is a known cancer fighter? Find out more about why phytochemicals are so beneficial to your health in this video featuring Linda Van Horn, professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and discover why it's a healthy decision to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables!

Bytesize Demo: Elephant's Toothpaste

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:41:00 -0400

Hydrogen peroxide is constantly breaking down into water and oxygen, though it isn’t the most exciting reaction to watch. But add a little dish soap and a catalyst called potassium iodide, and suddenly you get the eruptive, awesomely messy reaction known as Elephant’s Toothpaste!

A toast to the chemistry of Champagne

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:56:00 -0400

Just in time for those New Year’s Eve toasts, check out our latest video on the chemistry of champagne!

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ChemMatters: Flavor chemistry - The science behind the taste and smell of food

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:26:00 -0400

Why do people have different reactions to the same food? One person may love chocolate while another may find it too sweet. Some people love cheese while others find it totally nasty. Uncover the chemistry behind the taste and smell of food, and find out how scientists apply this knowledge to develop artificial flavors.

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Thanksgiving Chemistry: Tryptophan & Pop-Up Timers

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:59:00 -0400

Does tryptophan really cause the bleary-eyed daze after a Thanksgiving meal? Why does that timer pop up from the Thanksgiving turkey at just the right moment?

For answers to those and other questions that could spark dinnertime conversation next Thursday, check out our latest videos uncovering the chemistry behind Thanksgiving.

The first video in the series debunks the long-held holiday myth that a compound in turkey known as tryptophan makes people especially drowsy after a Thanksgiving meal. The other three videos feature Diane Bunce, Ph.D., professor of chemistry at The Catholic University of America and recipient of the ACS Helen Free Award for Public Outreach.

Our First Ever Bytesize Demo: The Briggs-Rauscher Reaction

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:05:00 -0400

To kick off our new series of Bytesize demo videos, we went to the guy who literally wrote the book on chemistry demos: University of Wisconsin-Madison Chemistry Professor and 2012 ACS President Bassam Shakhashiri, author of the popular “Chemical Demonstrations” textbooks. Check out the first Bytesize Demo to see a stunning “chemical oscillating reaction” that changes from a beautiful amber color to a very dark blue and back again (and again and again).

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Sweet Science: Candy Chemistry

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:56:00 -0400

Just in time for Halloween, we’ve scared up two new episodes that highlight the chemistry behind candy.

The videos feature Richard Hartel, Ph.D., professor of food engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In one video, Hartel carefully boils a mixture of sugar, water and corn syrup at temperatures over 300 degrees Fahrenheit to produce hard candy. The video demonstrates how the molten liquid candy cools to form what from a technical standpoint actually is a glass. Unlike window glass made of silica, this tasty glass is made of sugar.

In the other video, Hartel explains how the sugar crystal structure of candy corn gives this Halloween favorite its’ characteristic creamy texture. Check both of the videos out, but be warned — you’re probably going to get a sweet tooth.

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ChemMatters: The Chemistry of Bad Breath and Acne

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:30:00 -0400

Here is some good news for you: you can blame the sounds and odors that come from your body on bacteria. Yup -- those little critters are the ones responsible for a lot of what goes on inside our bodies. People can be uptight about all these bodily sights and smells, but understanding the science behind what may appear gross may make these things a little less gross.

So without further ado, check out the latest episodes of ChemMatters on the chemistry behind bad breath and acne.

ChemMatters - The Chemistry of Bad Breath:

Alternate Download Link: ChemMatters - The Chemistry of Bad Breath (Zip file with MP4 video)

ChemMatters - The Chemistry of Acne:

Alternate Download Link: ChemMatters - The Chemistry of Acne (Zip file with MP4 video)