Chemistry For Your Life Podcast By Melissa and Jam Bleav cover art

Chemistry For Your Life

Chemistry For Your Life

By: Melissa and Jam Bleav
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A podcast that helps you understand the fascinating chemistry hidden in your everyday life. Have you ever wondered why onions make you cry? Or how soap gets your hands clean? What really is margarine, or why do trees change colors in the fall? Melissa is a chemist, and to answer these questions she started a podcast, called Chemistry for your life! In each episode Melissa explains the chemistry behind one of life’s mysteries to Jam, who is definitely not a chemist, but she explains it in a way that is easy to understand, and totally fascinating. If you’re someone who loves learning new things, or who wonders about the way the world works, then give us a listen.© For Your Life 2023, All rights reserved. Chemistry Science
Episodes
  • More bird chemistry?!

    More bird chemistry?!
    Mar 26 2026

    Birds… but chemistry.
    What does compost have to do with eggs? How are birds basically doing chemistry experiments to make their colors? Why would a bird eat dirt… or rub ants all over itself?? This episode is a grab bag of wild, fascinating bird facts that connect back to chemistry you already know. No quiz, just vibes.

    Support this podcast on Patreon
    Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

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    00:00 Bird Chemistry Vibes
    02:02 Compost Egg Incubators
    02:58 Feather Colors Chemistry
    06:20 Seeing Ultraviolet Light
    08:11 Clay Eating Detox Trick
    09:28 Hot Bodies Fast Reactions
    14:23 Preening Oil Waterproofing
    16:15 Rainy Day Birdwatching
    16:44 Anting Bird Hygiene
    19:17 Seabird Feather Sunscreen
    20:14 More Bird Chemistry Ahead
    20:41 Bird Phobia Banter
    21:19 Documentary Media Swap
    22:22 Mississippi Kite Swoops
    28:19 Do Birds Recognize Faces
    31:12 Photo IDs and Backyard Hawks
    32:34 Chicken Show Family Lore
    33:00 Wrap Up and Support

    Support this podcast on Patreon
    Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

    References from the Episode:

    Thanks to our monthly supporters

    • Amanda Raymond
    • Emily Morrison
    • Kyle McCray
    • Justine
    • Emily Hardy
    • Ash
    • Vince W
    • Julie S.
    • Heather Ragusa
    • Autoclave
    • Dorien VD
    • Scott Beyer
    • Jessie Reder
    • J0HNTR0Y
    • Jeannette Napoleon
    • Cullyn R
    • Erica Bee
    • Elizabeth P
    • Rachel Reina
    • Letila
    • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
    • Suzanne Phillips
    • Venus Rebholz
    • Jacob Taber
    • Brian Kimball
    • Kristina Gotfredsen
    • Timothy Parker
    • Steven Boyles
    • Chris Skupien
    • Chelsea B
    • Avishai Barnoy
    • Hunter Reardon
    Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    36 mins
  • What even is DEET?

    What even is DEET?
    Mar 19 2026

    #053 Rebroadcast

    This week, Melissa and Jam revisit one of their fav episodes on the topic of mosquitos. What is DEET? What part does it play in repelling mosquitos? How do repellants repel mosquitos in the first place? Is it just straight witchcraft? Let's do it.

    Support this podcast on Patreon
    Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

    References from this episode

    1. Staph Retreat - Radiolab - WYNC
    2. https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/rachel-carson-silent-spring.html
    3. https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/reregistration/fs_PC-080301_1-Apr-98.pdf
    4. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-it-true-that-the-deet/
    5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24892824/
    6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11693870/
    7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26827259/
    8. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)31167-4?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982219311674%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
    9. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)31167-4?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982219311674%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
    10. https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/biochemistry/does-DEET-fend-off-malaria/97/web/2019/10

    Thanks to our monthly supporters

    • Amanda Raymond
    • Emily Morrison
    • Kyle McCray
    • Justine
    • Emily Hardy
    • Ash
    • Vince W
    • Julie S.
    • Heather Ragusa
    • Autoclave
    • Dorien VD
    • Scott Beyer
    • Jessie Reder
    • J0HNTR0Y
    • Jeannette Napoleon
    • Cullyn R
    • Erica Bee
    • Elizabeth P
    • Rachel Reina
    • Letila
    • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
    • Suzanne Phillips
    • Venus Rebholz
    • Jacob Taber
    • Brian Kimball
    • Kristina Gotfredsen
    • Timothy Parker
    • Steven Boyles
    • Chris Skupien
    • Chelsea B
    • Avishai Barnoy
    • Hunter Reardon
    Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    37 mins
  • How do birds fly? And how is chemistry involved?!

    How do birds fly? And how is chemistry involved?!
    Mar 12 2026
    Birds fly all the time. We see it constantly. But how does it actually work? Is it just "Bernoulli’s" principle? Is the air pushing up? Are the wings pushing down? And what’s happening at the molecular level when a bird takes off? Let’s talk about feathers, airflow, collisions between air molecules, and why the way flight is usually explained might not actually be the whole story. Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife Timestamps: 00:00 — The Question Have you ever actually wondered how birds fly? A kid’s question sparks the episode.01:00 — “Isn’t this physics?” Why a chemistry podcast is talking about aerodynamics.02:00 — A disclaimer about flight explanations Melissa explains why common explanations of bird flight can be misleading.04:00 — The weird analogy that starts it all What does oobleck (cornstarch and water) have to do with bird wings?06:00 — Air isn’t nothing Thinking about air as billions of tiny molecules interacting with wings.09:00 — The classic explanation of lift Bernoulli’s principle and why it’s often used to explain flight.13:00 — Why that explanation isn’t the whole story What’s missing from the “air moves faster over the top” idea.18:00 — Collisions at the molecular level What air molecules are actually doing when a wing moves through them.22:00 — Pushing air downward Why deflecting air matters for creating lift.26:00 — Wing shape and angle How airfoil shape and angle of attack change the behavior of airflow.30:00 — Flapping vs gliding Why bird flight isn’t the same as airplane flight.34:00 — Turbulence and airflow patterns What’s happening behind the wing as the bird moves through the air.37:00 — Bringing chemistry into the picture How thinking about molecular motion helps make sense of the physics.39:00 — Final recap So… what actually keeps birds in the air? Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife References from the Episode: Thanks to our monthly supporters Amanda RaymondEmily MorrisonKyle McCrayJustineEmily HardyAshVince WJulie S.Heather RagusaAutoclaveDorien VDScott BeyerJessie RederJ0HNTR0YJeannette NapoleonCullyn RErica BeeElizabeth PRachel ReinaLetilaKatrina Barnum-HuckinsSuzanne PhillipsVenus RebholzJacob TaberBrian KimballKristina GotfredsenTimothy ParkerSteven BoylesChris SkupienChelsea BAvishai BarnoyHunter Reardon Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    40 mins
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