What are LEDs and how are they different from...

Why does a pencil work so perfectly? Why does graphite leave marks on paper instead of just crumbling apart? And what do pancakes, honeycombs, geckos, and intermolecular forces have to do with any of it? This week we follow a simple pencil all the way down to carbon atoms, graphe ...  Show more

What happens when you mix bleach and ammonia? Why does perfume smell amazing on one person and weird on another? And why is getting a job so hard right now? This week we’re answering a huge batch of listener questions about chemistry, sunscreen, scents, books, careers, birds, and ...  Show more

Raeleen goes on an adventure, Ariel went on an adventure a year ago, and we have some big book news!Links mentioned:New Directions Publishing (they sent some books to Raeleen): https://www.ndbooks.com/Lucy Maud Show News: https://variety.com/2025/tv/global/anne-of-green-gables-me ...  Show more

We've both read books about women who are bullied at work this week! Support The Podcast: Sign up to the bookmark subscription! https://store.dftba.com/products/books-unbound-bookmark-subscription Our beautiful merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/books-unbound Ariel's T-sh ...  Show more

The Appalachian region may not readily seem like a fire-prone region, but parts of it certainly are. Fire can be an important tool in sustaining biodiversity, but modern understanding of its role is limited. That is why people like Dr. Don Hagan study the effects of prescribed fi ...  Show more

What happens when you fall into a black hole? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice give us the step-by-step on spaghettification, explain Schrodinger's cat, and explore quantum tunnelling… Or do they? 

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-fr ...