Is it safe to use teflon pans?

How can the same element make both pencil lead and diamonds? This week we wrap up our pencil chemistry mini-series by answering a surprisingly tricky question: how do erasers actually erase? Then we dive into one of chemistry’s coolest ideas. Graphite and diamond are both made en ...  Show more

#158 Rebroadcast Gemstones come in all sorts of colors, but how do they get them? Are different stones super different at the molecular level? How do these different colors happen naturally? And how can those colors be replicated in lab-made gemstones? Let's get into it. Referenc ...  Show more

What forces people to lose trust in science? How does this affect the process of science itself? What are scientists doing to make this worse? How can we fix it? In this special episode themed from my latest book, I discuss these questions and m ...

What is chemistry? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice take fan questions on exothermic reactions, PFAS, ice cream, sugar, fire, and more with Kate Biberdorf, aka Kate the Chemist.

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: 

Why is it so hard to get a picture of the Milky Way? How much of our galaxy have we mapped? What the heck is a "barred spiral" and what does that have to do with our core? I discuss these questions and more in today's Ask a Spaceman!

Today it’s great to chat with Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch on the podcast. Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, which has sold over a million copies and is currently being adapted as a television series. In a ...  Show more