Tiny Matters

Multitude

Science shapes every facet of our lives, but so much of its influence is overlooked or buried in the past. Tiny Matters is an award-winning science podcast about the small science of big things. From the microbes behind deadly diseases to the molecules informing our search for extraterrestrial life, hosts and former scientists Sam Jones and Deboki Chakravarti embrace the awe and messiness of science and its significance both today and in the past, asking questions like, "how was IVF invented?," "what do glaciers tell us about Earth’s ancient past?," and "why is smallpox the only human infectious disease we’ve eradicated?"

Tiny Matters is created by the American Chemical Society, a non-profit scientific organization based in Washington, D.C., and is produced by Multitude. New episodes every Wednesday, wherever you listen to podcasts.

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183 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes183

Newest first

Jul 5, 2023 · 1 min
Want to win a Tiny Matters mug? Send us your questions!
Sam and Deboki will be raffling off Tiny Matters coffee mugs in an upcoming Q&A episode. Entering the raffle is easy! Just send your question(s) to tinymatters@acs.org. Questions can be about pretty much anything — a previous episode, some science thing you're dying to know the answer to, a question about podcasting, or about Deboki's and Sam's past lives as researchers or what helped them get into science communication as a career... the sky’s the limit! Just sending in a question enters you into the raffle, and if Sam and Deboki answer your question during the Q&A episode your name will be entered into the raffle twice. At the end of the episode, Sam and Deboki will draw 5 names out of a hat and send each of those people their very own snazzy Tiny Matters mug. Submit questions to tinymatters@acs.org through the end of the day on Friday, August 11th, 2023. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jun 28, 2023 · 30 min
Hurricane Katrina and the Ohio train derailment: Science, confusion, and human influence
In this episode of Tiny Matters, Sam and Deboki unravel two very different environmental disasters: Hurricane Katrina and this year’s Ohio train derailment. They’ll cover the science underlying those events, the confusion and misinformation that followed them, and how human influence infiltrates all of these disasters, even ones deemed “natural." The Tiny Show & Tell stories are here and here. And to support Tiny Matters, pick up a mug here! All Tiny Matters transcripts are available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jun 14, 2023 · 25 min
A fungal pandemic is unlikely in humans. That’s not true for other species.
A few months ago, we did a bonus Q&A about the HBO series The Last of Us, a show about a pandemic caused by a fungus that turned people into terrifying zombies. After that bonus episode aired, we received emails from people who wanted to learn more about fungi and the fungal infections on the rise, like white nose syndrome in bats and Candida auris in humans. This episode is all about fungal pandemics in a huge range of organisms — how they take hold and the fight to stop them. You can find Emily Monosson's book Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic here. Pick up a Tiny Matters mug here! All Tiny Matters transcripts are available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
May 31, 2023 · 30 min
Could psychedelics transform mental healthcare?
In the mid-20th century, psychedelic research to treat conditions like depression began to take off, yet by 1970 almost all of that work came to a screeching halt. But guess what? It’s back, and access to guided therapy to treat various mental health conditions is becoming a reality. The link to The New York Times article about Roland Griffiths is here. The Tiny Show & Tell stories are here and here. Pick up a Tiny Matters mug here! All Tiny Matters transcripts are available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
May 17, 2023 · 31 min
Treating depression: Then versus now, and the SSRI debate
There's a whole lot of information (and misinformation) out there about depression, as well as debate surrounding how it's treated. In this episode, Sam and Deboki unpack this complex mood disorder that impacts over 300 million people across the globe as well as the effectiveness of SSRIs and the work being done to find better drugs. A link to David Hellerstein's new book The Couch, The Clinic and the Scanner: Stories from Three Revolutionary Eras of the Mindis here. The Tiny Show & Tell stories are here and here. Pick up a Tiny Matters mug here! All Tiny Matters transcripts are available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
May 3, 2023 · 27 min
The future of electronics: How small can we go?
The first computer was created in 1945 and came in at double the size of a one-bedroom apartment. Just 50 years later, the architecture of the computer on a chip that measured just 7.44 by 5.29 millimeters in size. And now, computers have gotten smaller and smaller [looks down at Apple Watch]. So how did we go from apartment-sized calculators to the tiny devices we use to look up cat pictures when we’re bored? And just how much smaller can we go? Links to the Tiny Show & Tell stories here and here. Want to drink your coffee (or beverage of choice) in style? Pick up a Tiny Matters mug here! All Tiny Matters transcripts are available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Apr 19, 2023 · 44 min
Are we alone in the universe?
The question of whether or not life exists on other planets is an important and interesting one. But maybe the more intriguing question is, “what if it does?” In this episode of Tiny Matters, Sam and Deboki chat with science writer Jaime Green about what it would mean for life to exist beyond Earth. Her book, “The Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos,” is a mix of history, astronomy, biology, philosophy, and sci-fi, and just hit store shelves. To order a copy, check out local bookstores and other options here. Pick up a Tiny Matters mug here! All Tiny Matters transcripts are available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Apr 5, 2023 · 30 min
Algae transformed Earth. Next stop: Mars?
Since the very beginning of the space age, people have been wondering if algae could provide a life support system beyond our planet. From dozens of studies over the last 60 years, we’ve figured out that algae probably can thrive for up to a year in space. But what if we wanted to live permanently on another planet, like Mars? This episode is all about algae: how it shaped early Earth, how we might use it to terraform planets in the future, and how it’s being used in biomanufacturing to hopefully get us away from relying on fossil fuels. Links to the Tiny Show & Tell stories here and here. Pick up a Tiny Matters mug here! All Tiny Matters transcripts are available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Mar 22, 2023 · 28 min
Shipworms, sponges and snail venoms: The search for marine medicine
For millennia, humans have looked to the sea to find medicine. Today, medical treatments that come from the ocean have been clinically approved for pain, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease, and over a dozen more are in clinical trials. In this episode of Tiny Matters, Sam and Deboki are tackling marine natural products—things like proteins, fats, and other molecules that aquatic organisms produce—that humans are hoping to use to treat the diseases that plague us. Links to the Tiny Show & Tell stories are here and here. Pick up a Tiny Matters mug here! All Tiny Matters transcripts are available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Mar 10, 2023 · 17 min
"The Last of Us" fungi Q&A with mycologist Giuliana Furci
If you’ve been watching HBO’s The Last of Us, you might have some questions about fungus zombies and maybe fungi in general. In this bonus episode, Sam calls up field mycologist Giuliana Furci for a little fungi 101 and to talk fungi fact vs. fiction in the show. We promise there will be no jump scares! Pick up a Tiny Matters mug here! All Tiny Matters transcripts are available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Mar 8, 2023 · 28 min
Microplastics and PFAS (aka 'forever chemicals') are everywhere. What does that mean for our bodies and environment?
Around 400 million tons of plastic are produced annually, which is the estimated weight of all of humanity! Plastic-covered beaches and litter on the side of the road is gross and depressing, but it turns out that stuff is just the visible tip of the iceberg. Plastic breaks down into tiny, tiny pieces that have now been found in almost every ecosystem on the planet—from the bottom of the ocean to mountain ranges in Europe. They’ve also been found in us. This episode of Tiny Matters is all about microplastics and both the molecules that stick to them and the ones they release, like forever chemicals (aka PFAS). Find Imari's upcoming book about plastics here. If you're looking for more info on microplastics monitoring and policy, check out this episode of Stereo Chemistry from our friends at C&EN. If you're in the United States: for data on your region's drinking water go to the Environmental Working Group's website here. The Tiny Show & Tell stories this week can be found here and here. Pick up a Tiny Matters mug here! All Tiny Matters transcripts are available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Feb 22, 2023 · 29 min
Detection dogs: Sniffing out explosives, invasive pythons and...disease?
In this episode of Tiny Matters, Sam and Deboki go on a detection dog deep dive. These are dogs who can sniff out basically anything, from explosives to invasive pythons to diseases like cancer and COVID-19. How are they trained? Are certain breeds better at recognizing certain odors? And, come to think of it, how do any of us smell things? Links to the Tiny Show & Tell stories here and here. Pick up a Tiny Matters mug here! All Tiny Matters transcripts are available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Feb 15, 2023 · 44 min
Hank Green on dad emails, the business of scicomm, and the value of niche
Maybe you know Hank Green from Vlogbrothers or CrashCourse. Maybe he taught you something on TikTok. Maybe you’ve read one of his books. Or maybe you know him from about a dozen other things. Hank does a lot, so Sam and Deboki were psyched to get a chance to chat with him. Even more about Hank at https://hankgreen.com/ Episode transcripts at acs.org/tinymatters See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Feb 8, 2023 · 27 min
The hunt for a rare microorganism
For centuries, scientists have looked through microscopes to witness the worlds of tiny creatures and cells that exist all around us. In this episode, Sam and Deboki learn what it takes to hunt down a rare microbe and why it matters for how we understand evolution and the connections between species today. Links to the Tiny Show & Tell stories here and here. Episode transcripts at acs.org/tinymatters See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jan 25, 2023 · 1 min
Tell us what YOU want to learn about in 2023!
Over the last year we've talked about the microbiome, the evolution of lactose intolerance, why we've only eradicated one infectious disease, if sugar is actually addictive, vampire science, and so, so much more. There are lots of tiny things out there that have a big impact. So what do YOU want to hear about? What science questions are on your mind? Let us know! tinymatters@acs.org See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jan 11, 2023 · 26 min
False memories, a surprising Civil War corpse, weekly dino fossil discoveries, and more! Faves from the first year of Tiny Matters
Today, we're taking a look back at a handful of our favorite episode moments from the first year of Tiny Matters. Want to tell us your favorite? Have suggestions for topics for 2023? Email us! tinymatters@acs.org. Here's the article in The Conversation that Deboki mentions. Episode transcripts at acs.org/tinymatters See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Dec 28, 2022 · 1 hr 8 min
Radiolab's Latif Nasser on his love of science history, storytelling, and Wikipedia rabbit holes
In the final episode of Tiny Matters for 2022, Sam and Deboki chat with Latif Nasser about his experience as the co-host and director of research at Radiolab, his love of science history and telling surprising stories about everyday things, and much, much more. Episode transcripts at acs.org/tinymatters See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Dec 14, 2022 · 24 min
The Ig Nobel Prize: Levitating frogs, constipated scorpions, and other science that makes you laugh then think
The Ig Nobel Prize celebrates discoveries and inventions that are unusual and imaginative. Think of it as the younger, more fun sibling of the revered Nobel Prize. Ig Nobel Prize winners are often recognized for research that might not make it into a more traditional science journal—one that doesn’t publish studies about levitating frogs or constipated scorpions. You’re in for a fun one. Links to the Tiny Show & Tell stories here and here. Episode transcripts at acs.org/tinymatters See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Nov 30, 2022 · 27 min
Does the microbiome deserve so much hype?
The ‘microbiome’ is very trendy right now. Maybe you’ve seen supplements marketed on social media or on store shelves that supposedly “support a healthy gut microbiome.” But what exactly is a microbiome? What does it have to do with your health? And is your gut microbiome actually connected to your brain?! Links to the Tiny Show & Tell stories here and here. Episode transcripts at acs.org/tinymatters See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Nov 16, 2022 · 33 min
Lava bombs, the northern lights, ancient skull surgeries, and more! It's a vacation show & tell
Sam and Deboki went on vacations to Greece and Norway and (not so shockingly) found science along the way. Get ready to hear all about the northern lights, ancient skull surgery, lava bombs, and more! Episode transcripts at acs.org/tinymatters See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.