Tiny Tech

Episode 022 If the cells in your body get hot, they get a little uncomfortable and don’t work as well. Unlike us, however, they can’t just drink some ice-cold lemonade to cool off.

Episode 021 Remember when you were a kid, drawing all over your desk with your trusty number 2 pencil and then trying to rub off the black graphite marks with your hands?

Episode 020 Iron is a key nutrient and a beneficial dietary supplement. But scientists are busily investigating new medical uses of iron.

Episode 019 Batteries are an amazing technology. Each battery is a little chemical reactor: when power is needed, the chemical reaction proceeds, and electricity is generated.

Episode 018 There are many reasons for getting a tattoo: personal expression, remembrance of a family member, or just for fun. But what if I told you that there could be a medical reason for getting a tattoo?

Episode 017 Ever wonder how a solar cell works? When sunlight strikes a solar cell, its energy is transferred to electrons, which jump out of their original locations and move through the solar cell, creating an electrical current.

Episode 016 Protecting the environment is a worthy goal. Scientists in the chemical industry are investigating “green chemistry,” which is the invention of chemical manufacturing processes that consume less energy.

Episode 014 Raman spectroscopy can yield important information about the structure and chemical composition of a material by simply shining a laser light onto the material and measuring the scattered light that returns.

Episode 015 The dark “mag-stripe” on your credit card is made of iron-containing particles, each of which is a magnet with a north and south pole.

Episode 013 In the modern world, titania (also known by its chemical formula, TiO2) can be found in a variety of products. This is because titania is great at absorbing UV light, making it ideal for use in protective coatings like paint or sunscreen.

Episode 012 Sometimes molecules end up with excess energy. This energy can come from many sources, including absorption of light, chemical reactions or passage of an electrical current.

Episode 011 An important way to save energy in chemical manufacturing is to use catalysts that allow the process to run at a lower temperature.

Episode 010 Ordinary microscopes bend light with lenses so that we can see small objects.

Episode 009 I don’t know about you, but I get crabby if my shoes are too small for my feet. Well, electrons don’t get crabby, but they do change properties if they are confined in small spaces.

Episode 008 A key ingredient in many products, from pencil leads to tennis racquets, is the chemical substance graphite.