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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, "Can you de-extinct a species?," "Will we ever live on Mars?," and "After decades, why don't we have a cure for HIV?"

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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  • 46 episodes
  • Avg 26 min
  • English

Episodes 46

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  • May 6 · 41 min

    [BONUS] Antarctic dinosaurs, blood restriction therapy, and an HIV prevention breakthrough: Tiny Show and Tell Us #46

    In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we welcome our first‑ever guest, podcast producer and dinosaur enthusiast Steven Ray Morris. Together, we dive into three wildly different stories. First, we explore a major advancement in HIV prevention: a newly approved twice‑yearly injectable drug called Lenacapavir. We chat about how it works, why it’s a huge shift from daily pills or monthly shots, and the challenges around global access. Next, Steven takes us deep into the (mostly chilly) past — to Antarctic dinosaurs! What scientists are learning about these dinos is shifting what we think we know about where, and how, dinosaurs lived. Finally, Deboki breaks down the science behind blood flow restriction therapy, a rehabilitation technique that helps injured muscles rebuild strength using lighter loads. As always, Tiny Matters is not giving anything that could be interpreted as medical advice! Deboki also reveals she’s into weightlifting. So yeah, don’t mess with Deboki! You can find Steven and See Jurassic Right lots of places! Including Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Patreon and Etsy. Check out Spirits here or wherever you get podcasts! We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured. A transcript and references for this episode can be found 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.

  • #108
    April 29 · 43 min

    Deep-sea mining: Environmental uncertainty, ‘Law of the Sea,’ and shark potatoes

    In this episode, we dive into the murky, high‑stakes world of deep-sea mining — the practice of extracting valuable metals from the ocean floor. Deep-sea mining has been “just around the corner” for decades. So what’s the holdup? With the help of deep-sea ecologist Andrew Thaler and oceanography researcher Michael Dowd, we discuss what makes the deep ocean such a challenging place to operate, and unpack why polymetallic nodules have drawn so much interest, and why removing them could permanently alter ecosystems we barely understand. The episode also looks ahead, asking whether deep-sea mining is even necessary and what it could mean not just for Earth’s oceans, but for future resource extraction in places like Antarctica and the Moon. It’s a story about science, but also Victorian research ships, CIA cover stories, “shark potatoes,” and vast, untouched ecosystems. Check out Dreaming Against the Machine here or wherever you listen to podcasts. Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter! All Tiny Matters transcripts and references 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.

  • April 22 · 15 min

    [BONUS] The history of Turner Syndrome and engineering food for bees: Tiny Show and Tell Us #45

    In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we trace the history of Turner Syndrome — from early clinical observations to the discovery of its chromosomal cause — highlighting how scientists began connecting symptoms to genetics long before DNA was fully understood. Then we follow up on a listener note about lab safety by explaining, at a molecular level, why dimethylmercury and prions are so dangerous to the human body. Ending on something more hopeful, we explore new research showing how engineered yeast could help give honey bees the nutrients they need to thrive. Team bees! Check out American Medieval here or wherever you listen to podcasts! We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured. A transcript and references for this episode can be found 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.

  • #107
    April 15 · 30 min

    How soap shaped civilizations — and ‘ruined’ famous art

    In the heart of The Hague, Netherlands, the museum Mauritshuis displays some of the world’s most iconic art in its Royal Cabinet of Paintings, including ones from Rembrandt and Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. But there’s another oil painting by Vermeer that is also quite famous, called View of Delft — it's of his hometown, created around 1660. The painting is a cityscape — the only one Vermeer ever painted — a snapshot of the Dutch city of Delft from across the Schie River. In it you see the city’s beautiful architecture on full display, including buildings with striking red roofs. Well, at least they used to be red. Today they have a pink-ish hue and if you looked at the painting up close, you’d see that they are covered in white spots. And what may come as a surprise is that they are, in fact, soap. In today’s episode of Tiny Matters, we’re going to talk about the weird chemistry of soap, what ancient soap was like, and why scientists are finding soap in old oil paintings. Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter! All Tiny Matters transcripts and references 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.

  • April 8 · 16 min

    [BONUS] Camel antibodies and colorful Greco-Roman statues: Tiny Show and Tell Us #44

    In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we explore the strange world of camelid antibodies—tiny, heavy-chain-only immune molecules that turned out to be incredibly useful for research and medicine. Then we chat about archaeochemistry and how pristine white Greco-Roman statues were once "garishly" painted. Using modern chemical techniques, scientists are revealing traces of vivid pigments like Egyptian blue. But how definitive are these reconstructions? Drama! Check out Wow if True here or wherever you listen to podcasts! We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to tinymatters@acs.org *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured. A transcript and references for this episode can be found 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.

  • #106
    April 1 · 42 min

    Stinky white gold, Haber-Bosch, and ‘peecycling’: How fertilizer shapes our world

    Fertilizer… boring? Not on our watch! In this episode of Tiny Matters, we trace the history of fertilizer from the ‘Guano Wars’ to the invention of the Haber-Bosch process, one of the most impactful chemical breakthroughs in human history. Today, scientists and communities are rethinking how we handle nutrients, and asking: could our own urine help close the nutrient loop? We chat with chemist Leila Duman about why nitrogen is so hard to “fix,” how industrial fertilizer feeds billions (while unfortunately polluting waterways), and why the Haber-Bosch process is still essentially perfect. Then we head to Vermont’s Rich Earth Institute, where researchers are turning human urine into safe, effective fertilizer and reimagining waste as a resource. Check out Pale Blue pod! Send us your science facts, news, or other stories for a chance to be featured on an upcoming Tiny Show and Tell Us bonus episode. And, while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter! All Tiny Matters transcripts and references 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.

Showing 41–46 of 46 episodes