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Distillations podcast
Deep Dives into Science Stories, Both Serious and Eccentric
Arts & Culture Early Science & Alchemy Environment Health & Medicine Inventions & Discoveries People & Politics
People & Politics

The Fraud That Transformed Psychiatry

Psychology professor David Rosenhan made waves with his “On Being Sane in Insane Places” study, but decades later its legitimacy was questioned.

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Distillations is the Science History Institute’s critically acclaimed flagship podcast. We take deep dives into stories that range from the serious to the eccentric, all to help listeners better understand our world. Hear about everything from the crisis in Alzheimer’s research to New England’s 19th-century vampire panic in compelling, sometimes-funny, documentary-style audio stories. Don’t miss the new season, dropping June 4, 2024.

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Cropped image of a letter in Lady Ranelagh's handwriting. There is slight discoloration and yellowing around where the paper was folded.
Early Science & Alchemy

The Almost Forgotten Story of Katherine Jones, Lady Ranelagh

The woman beside the father of chemistry.

Vintage illustration of a man sitting in chair watching a 1950s TV. He has a bucket of beers next to him. A woman is closer to the TV in another chair. Her shoes are off. They are both staring at the image of the TV which appears to be a picture that takes up the whole wall.
Arts & Culture

Sci-Fi Radio Drama

A cautionary tale of technology run riot.

Vintage ad for margarine featuring a knife spreading margarine on one piece of bread out of the loaf. The ad copy talks about the benefits of margarine.
People & Politics

Butter vs. Margarine

One of America’s most bizarre food battles.

Painting of a toddler dressed in a white nightgown with a red cap holding a kitten while an old woman in a long skirt and blouse gestured kindly at her. The old woman is seated and there is another cat walking around what appears to be a old cottage kitchen.
Arts & Culture

Grandmothers Matter

Some surprisingly controversial theories of human longevity.

Painting of a older man with a white beard standing in front of shelves of medicine. He appears to be wearing an early 20th century suit.
People & Politics

Refugee Doctors

Escape is only the first challenge.

A photo of a group of Amish men and women from the back. They are standing in a field.
Health & Medicine

High-Tech and Amish

Using 21st-century medicine to maintain a 300-year-old way of life.

Logo for the March for Science featuring one illustrated hand raised in a fist. It is red. the other hand is white and clenching a Erlenmeyer flask.
People & Politics

Political Science

Out of the lab and into the streets.

Photograph of the arms of two men. One has a panther tattoo and the other has a scar in the shape of an animal. It looks like a tattoo that has been removed.
Arts & Culture

Rethinking Ink

Lasers, tattoo removal, and second chances.

Engraving of a robot in side profile with mouth slightly ajar. The robot's body is made up of cogs, pieces of wood, bits of chain and other tools.
Inventions & Discoveries

Making Senses

How biohackers are using artificial perceptions to enhance reality.

A vintage ad for deodorant called Mum Cream. It features a woman crying and hiding her face while a man looks over at her, frowning. The ad copy focuses on how the deodorant stops perspiration.
Arts & Culture

The Smell of Shame

How deodorant became omnipresent in America.

Photo of a shelf display of vintage soda bottles. Some bottles are clear, while others are tinted green or blue.
Health & Medicine

Fizzy Water

The unnatural history of a carbonated drink.

Sketch of a sports bra with parts labeled by number.
Inventions & Discoveries

Second Skin

The unexpected origin of the sports bra.

Anatomical drawing of a baby in the womb being removed with forceps.
Health & Medicine

(Natural) Childbirth

Once upon a time all births were natural. A lot has happened since then.

Old illustration of a woman making tortillas with tools and handwritten notes.
Arts & Culture

The Ancient Chemistry Inside Your Taco

Dive into the world of nixtamalization, a chemical process that allowed the Mesoamerican empires to thrive and tacos to taste good.

Engraving of a man at a table with another man standing next to him giving instruction. On the table is a small animal and a series of tools with letter labels.
Health & Medicine

Power in the Blood: When Religion and Medicine Meet in Your Veins

Blood is powerful, but it can also be dangerous.

Image depicting a woman dancing with farm animals and fruits with the lyrics "DDT is good for me!"
Environment

DDT: The Britney Spears of Chemicals

We loved it. We hated it. Now we kind of maybe like it again.

Detail of an engraving from a 17th-century text depicting a figure that is both male and female holding the letter Y.
Inventions & Discoveries

Sex and Gender: What We Know and Don’t Know

Society has long had strict ideas about sex and gender binaries, but even nature doesn’t always comply.

Painting of two men in an alchemical laboratory examining a flask.
Early Science & Alchemy

Science and the Supernatural in the 17th Century

Travel back in time with us and find out what the world was like when science and the supernatural weren’t so far apart.

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