Tiny Matters
By Multitude
<p>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 from the American Chemical Society about tiny things — from molecules to microbes — that have a big and often surprising impact on society, past and present. From deadly diseases to forensic toxicology to the search for extraterrestrial life, hosts and former scientists Sam Jones and Deboki Chakravarti embrace the awe and messiness of science and its significance, 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?" New episodes every Wednesday wherever you listen to podcasts.</p>
31 episodes
All Episodes
Deep-Sea Mining's Ecological Uncertainties and Legal Ambiguities
Deep-sea mining promises vast mineral wealth but faces immense ecological uncertainties, legal ambiguities, and technological hurdles, making its true costs potentially devastating.
View Episode Notes →
Delayed Understanding Yields Long-Term Scientific and Safety Advantages
Uncover the hidden dangers of chemical and biological agents, revealing how delayed scientific understanding leads to life-altering consequences and costly downstream failures.
View Episode Notes →
Soap's Hidden Costs: Art Degradation and Ecological Disruption
Soap's hidden costs: it slowly degrades priceless art through metal soap formation and fuels ecological disruption by spreading invasive species like strawberry guava.
View Episode Notes →
Hidden Complexities: Camelid Antibodies and Ancient Statues Reveal Nuance
Discover how unique camel antibodies unlock medical breakthroughs and how science reveals ancient statues were once vibrantly, even garishly, painted.
View Episode Notes →
Tiny Matters Recommends "The Interface" Podcast for Decoding Tech's Hidden Impacts
Decode technology's subtle impact on privacy, truth, and daily life. Understand the hidden costs of convenience and reclaim agency in our increasingly digital world.
View Episode Notes →
Why Understanding Tech's Daily Impact Matters
Demystify technology's impact on your life. This podcast cuts through the hype to reveal how tech rewires your work, politics, and daily routines, empowering informed engagement over passive consumption.
View Episode Notes →
Nitrogen Fixation's Hidden Costs and Urine's Sustainable Nutrient Cycle
Discover how a miracle of chemistry feeding billions creates pollution, and how human urine offers a surprising, sustainable path to fertilize our future.
View Episode Notes →
Scientific Progress Evolves Through Trial, Error, and Discomfort
Scientific progress is a non-linear journey; today's radical solutions become tomorrow's conventional wisdom, revealing the limitations of current knowledge for future challenges.
View Episode Notes →
Racist Gynecology Origins Fuel Black Maternal Mortality Crisis
Racist myths about Black bodies, originating in gynecology's exploitative past, fuel ongoing neglect and mistreatment, directly causing preventable Black maternal deaths today.
View Episode Notes →
Podcast Explores Chemistry's Past Discoveries Forging Today's Innovations
Uncover chemistry's hidden connections, from urine-based discoveries to electric cars, revealing how past breakthroughs forge today's innovations and shape our future.
View Episode Notes →
Enduring Data Storage Contrasted With Biological Mysteries
Store humanity's knowledge for billions of years with 5D storage, yet we still struggle to understand the biological causes of severe morning sickness.
View Episode Notes →
Expedition Medicine: Foresight, Preparation, and Cascading Consequences
Expedition medicine reveals that seemingly minor ailments rapidly escalate at altitude, demanding foresight beyond obvious symptoms to prevent catastrophic failures.
View Episode Notes →
AI Amplifies Misinformation, Obscuring Human Dynamics
AI can amplify misinformation and obscure human dynamics, risking passive consumption of algorithmically curated realities. Understand how technology shapes perception to navigate the information landscape critically.
View Episode Notes →
Nature's Adaptations Subvert Human Control and Redefine Systems
Human control efforts often create more complex, unpredictable systems, leading to ingenious and disruptive adaptations. Learn to anticipate this co-opting of solutions for a strategic advantage.
View Episode Notes →
Wind Energy's Trajectory: Policy, Perception, and Systemic Integration
Wind power's true cost is hidden in policy, economics, and perception, revealing that patient, systemic development, not just rapid expansion, unlocks its enduring power.
View Episode Notes →
Dandelion Rubber and Fentanyl Vaccine: Science Tackles Supply Chains and Addiction
Discover how Russian dandelions are revolutionizing tire production and a novel fentanyl vaccine offers a new path to combat addiction, showcasing science's power to create resilient industries and health solutions.
View Episode Notes →
The Deceptive Simplicity of "Does It Work?"
Discover how centuries of struggle against human bias shaped medical testing. Understand the non-obvious implications of how treatments are tested to gain an advantage in healthcare decisions.
View Episode Notes →
Mammalian Menstruation Rarity and Pervasive Mycotoxin Threats
Discover the rare biological enigma of mammalian menstruation and the silent, pervasive threat of fungal toxins in our food supply, revealing life's hidden complexities.
View Episode Notes →
Climate Optimism as a Strategy for Action
Climate optimism is a strategic imperative, not naive hope. Discover how focused action and individual visionaries are creating tangible solutions and driving planetary progress.
View Episode Notes →
Iron Lung's Limits Led to Positive Pressure Ventilation Revolution
Discover how the iron lung first made humans dependent on machines for survival, introducing critical ethical questions and paving the way for modern life support.
View Episode Notes →
Planet Visionaries Showcases Practical Solutions for Climate Optimism
Discover tangible climate solutions and inspiring innovators. Planet Visionaries fosters a practical optimism by showcasing human-driven progress against environmental challenges.
View Episode Notes →
Planet Visionaries Podcast Reframes Climate Crisis to Actionable Optimism
Move beyond climate anxiety. Discover inspiring, tangible solutions from scientists and activists actively solving environmental challenges, empowering strategic action.
View Episode Notes →
Unacknowledged Labor and Co-evolutionary Arms Races
Women's hidden astronomical calculations unlocked the Milky Way's size, while passion vines deploy toxins, fake eggs, and ant armies against butterflies in a survival arms race.
View Episode Notes →
PANDAS and Polio Vaccine History Ignite Scientific Fascination
Infections profoundly alter brain function, turning childhood germaphobia into a scientific passion, while polio vaccine history reveals complex trade-offs between efficacy and risk.
View Episode Notes →
From Lethal Rabbit Tests to Rigorous fMRI Analysis
Discover the surprising evolution of pregnancy tests, from lethal rabbit dissections to modern strips, and learn how flawed fMRI studies reveal the critical need for rigorous data analysis in science.
View Episode Notes →
Circadian Clocks Synchronize Life Rhythms with Environmental Cues
Synchronize your life with internal biological clocks and external cues to optimize resource allocation, enhance defenses, and maintain health. Understand how timing impacts everything from cell division to survival.
View Episode Notes →
Planet Visionaries: Human Stories Drive Conservation Engagement
Inspiring individuals across the globe reveal how resilience, empathy, and hope drive conservation, making complex environmental challenges accessible and actionable through human stories.
View Episode Notes →
Vibrational Insect Communication and Polar Bear Adaptations Revealed
Polar bears have black skin for heat absorption, and 93% of insects communicate via vibrations, revealing hidden natural worlds beyond human perception.
View Episode Notes →
Planet Visionaries: Human-Centric Stories Drive Global Conservation
Discover inspiring human stories behind global conservation efforts. Learn how individuals driving environmental solutions offer lessons in resilience, empathy, and hope for our planet.
View Episode Notes →
Human-Centered Conservation Stories Inspire Global Action
Inspiring conservationists share human stories from Arctic to Amazon, revealing resilience and empathy lessons that make global challenges approachable and actionable.
View Episode Notes →
Experimental Archaeology Reveals Ancient Ingenuity and Modern Relevance
Ancient wound salves with onion, garlic, and wine combat modern drug-resistant bacteria, and Tuli pottery glazed with seal oil and blood shows advanced chemical survival skills.
View Episode Notes →