343 episodes

Distillations is the Science History Institute’s critically acclaimed flagship podcast. We take deep dives into stories that range from the serious to the eccentric, all to help listeners better understand the surprising science that is all around us. Hear about everything from the crisis in Alzheimer’s research to New England’s 19th-century vampire panic in compelling, sometimes-funny, documentary-style audio stories.

Distillations | Science History Institute Science History Institute

    • History

Distillations is the Science History Institute’s critically acclaimed flagship podcast. We take deep dives into stories that range from the serious to the eccentric, all to help listeners better understand the surprising science that is all around us. Hear about everything from the crisis in Alzheimer’s research to New England’s 19th-century vampire panic in compelling, sometimes-funny, documentary-style audio stories.

    Traffication: An Interview with Paul Donald

    Traffication: An Interview with Paul Donald

    The impact of cars on wildlife extends beyond roadkill, affecting species that never venture near roads. Car noise disrupts bird communication and behavior, and tire and brake dust from pollutes waterways with microplastics. In this wide-ranging interview, we talk to the author of Traffication: How Cars Destroy Nature and What We Can Do About It, Paul Donald about how he coined the term "traffication," the history of road ecology, and what we can do about the problem.
    Credits Host: Alexis Pedrick
    Senior Producer: Mariel Carr
    Producer: Rigoberto Hernandez
    Associate Producer: Sarah Kaplan
    Audio Engineer: Jonathan Pfeffer
    “Color Theme” composed by Jonathan Pfeffer. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

    • 45 min
    Dyes, Drugs, and Psychosis

    Dyes, Drugs, and Psychosis

    In 1856, Henry Perkin's attempt to synthesize quinine led to something very different: a vibrant purple dye. Perkin’s mauve revolutionized the fashion industry when Queen Victoria wore a dress of the color to her daughter's wedding. And in an ironic twist, synthetic fabric dyes ultimately led to synthetic drugs, including the first antipsychotic. This drug, known by its trade name Thorazine, was a gamechanger. “Nobody thought there could be a drug that would treat schizophrenia effectively,” says sociologist Andrew Scull, “and then suddenly there was.” In this episode we explore the enduring relationship between dyes and drugs, and the role that mistakes and serendipity still play in drug development.
    Credits
    Host: Alexis Pedrick
    Executive Producer: Mariel Carr
    Producer: Rigoberto Hernandez
    Associate Producer: Sarah Kaplan
    Audio Engineer: Jonathan Pfeffer
    “Color Theme” composed by Jonathan Pfeffer. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

    • 35 min
    Pink: An Interview with Dominique Grisard

    Pink: An Interview with Dominique Grisard

    The color pink has long been in vogue, and when Barbie hit theaters in 2023, its appeal only increased. But its popularity dates back much further than the Mattel doll. In this bonus episode, Dr. Dominique Grisard, a gender studies professor at the University of Basel, discusses the hue and its ties to femininity, class, and Whiteness, as well as how pink has been used to subdue men in detention centers.
    This episode was inspired by our museum exhibition, BOLD: Color from Test Tube to Textile, on view through August 3, 2024.
    Credits Host: Alexis Pedrick
    Senior Producer: Mariel Carr
    Producer: Rigoberto Hernandez
    Associate Producer: Sarah Kaplan
    Audio Engineer: Jonathan Pfeffer
    “Color Theme” composed by Jonathan Pfeffer. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

    • 23 min
    Can Color Heal Us?

    Can Color Heal Us?

    For centuries people have been drawn to the potential healing powers of colored light. From a civil war general to a Thomas Edison wannabe, people have touted it as a medical miracle. Despite claims to the contrary, though, colored light won’t regrow limbs or heal burns. And yet, we are still drawn to the idea that somehow it can fix us. Today there are actual medical studies investigating the health benefits of colored light. So is there any validity to the claims of the past? Can color really heal us?
    This episode was inspired by our museum exhibition, BOLD: Color from Test Tube to Textile, on view through August 3, 2024.
    Credits Host: Alexis Pedrick
    Senior Producer: Mariel Carr
    Producer: Rigoberto Hernandez
    Associate Producer: Sarah Kaplan
    Audio Engineer: Jonathan Pfeffer
    “Color Theme” composed by Jonathan Pfeffer. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

    • 39 min
    The Word for Blue

    The Word for Blue

    In his epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer mentions the colors black, white, red, and yellow. But despite numerous mentions of the brilliant Greek sea and sky, the word blue never makes an appearance. 
    This omission set off a debate between perception and language that would repeat itself over and over again throughout history: was there something wrong with the ancient Greek’s eyes? If they didn’t name blue, did that mean they couldn’t see it?
    We treat color like it's a clear measure of whether or not our brains are working the same. We expect an answer we can all agree on. Only it turns out some colors elude us. So when it comes to blue, are we truly seeing things differently or just seeing the same thing and describing it differently?
    Credits Host: Alexis Pedrick
    Senior Producer: Mariel Carr
    Producer: Rigoberto Hernandez
    Associate Producer: Sarah Kaplan
    Audio Engineer: Jonathan Pfeffer
    “Color Theme” composed by Jonathan Pfeffer. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

    • 39 min
    New Season Trailer! Coming June 4th

    New Season Trailer! Coming June 4th

    Check out our new season, dropping weekly on Tuesdays, starting June 4th.

    • 2 min

Top Podcasts In History

עושים פסיכולוגיה
רשת עושים היסטוריה
המאה ה-20: שנה בשעה  The 20th century: a year in an hour
כאן | Kan
כשבגרוש היה חור
רשת עושים היסטוריה
שורשים עמוקים
המשרד למורשת, רשות טבע והגנים ורשות העתיקות
הארץ על הדרך
הכתבות המעניינות של סוף השבוע, מוקלטות באולפני המרכז לתרבות מונגשת
السيرة النبوية -احمد عامر
omar

You Might Also Like

The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean
Sam Kean
Detours
GBH
Sidedoor
Smithsonian Institution
Throughline
NPR
Radiolab
WNYC Studios
The Allusionist
Helen Zaltzman