Lithium mining’s water use sparks bitter conflicts and novel chemistry
Release Date: 09/13/2022
Inflection Point: The mind-bending innovations that built quantum computing
Stereo Chemistry
Hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel back in time to relive three historical moments that were meaningful to the development of quantum computers. They also bring in C&EN reporter Mitch Jacoby to discuss scientific advances enabled by quantum chemistry. C&EN’s Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert...
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C&EN Uncovered: Will Emerging Technology Lead Us Into A New Antibiotic Golden Age?
Stereo Chemistry
Are we on the cusp of a new era of Biochemical discovery? In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host Craig Bettenhausen speaks with C&EN reporter Max Barnhart about his recent C&EN cover story on the frontiers of bioprospecting for new antibiotics. Uncovered offers a deeper look at subjects from recent stories pulled from the pages of Chemical & Engineering News. Check out on the recent advancements of Bioprospecting. Subscribe to Stereo Chemistry now on , , or wherever you listen to podcasts. Credits Executive producer: David Anderson Host: Craig Bettenhausen...
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Bonus Episode: 'Inflection Point' traces the serendipitous origins of PFAS
Stereo Chemistry
Inflection Point leans on C&EN’s 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this new show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our present and will change our future. In our second episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel back in time to relive three events that ultimately led to the proliferation of PFAS. They also bring in C&EN...
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C&EN Uncovered: Can altering ocean chemistry fight climate change?
Stereo Chemistry
Can climate catastrophe be stymied by tweaking seawater chemistry? In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host Craig Bettenhausen speaks with C&EN reporter Fionna Samuels about her recent C&EN cover story concerning Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) as a method to combat climate change by increasing ocean alkalinity to absorb more CO2. Uncovered offers a deeper look at subjects from recent stories pulled from the pages of Chemical & Engineering News. Check out on engineering our oceans to mitigate the effects of Climate Change. Subscribe to Stereo Chemistry now on , , or...
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C&EN Uncovered: Turning tides for endotoxin testing
Stereo Chemistry
The drug industry may finally phase out using horseshoe crab blood. What took so long? In this episode of C&EN Uncovered, host Craig Bettenhausen speaks with C&EN assistant editor Laurel Oldach about the use of horseshoe crab blood in pharmaceutical endotoxin testing, the challenges of transitioning to synthetic alternatives, and the regulatory hurdles involved. Stereo Chemistry offers a deeper look at subjects from recent stories pulled from the pages of Chemical & Engineering News. Check out Laurel’s story on the fight over horseshoe crab blood at . Subscribe...
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Bonus episode: Introducing Inflection Point
Stereo Chemistry
The new podcast Inflection Point leans on C&EN’s 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this new show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our present and will change our future. In our first episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel back in time to relive three events that ultimately led to the development of green...
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C&EN Uncovered: Indoor air monitoring goes to school
Stereo Chemistry
The COVID-19 pandemic put the importance of indoor air quality in stark relief. The air in schools was of particular concern, and that concern spurred collaboration between researchers and school staff to find interventions to improve air quality to safeguard the health of students and staff. Data from indoor air monitors revealed that filter-based portable air cleaners were effective at removing airborne particulates. Ongoing research and monitoring will determine whether this effort is making a beneficial health impact and will be used to decide how to manage indoor air quality going...
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Stereo Chemistry: How the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was won
Stereo Chemistry
On Oct. 9, the 2024 Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded to David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John M. Jumper for their work in prediction and design of protein structures. C&EN’s executive editor for life sciences, Laura Howes, joins a special episode of Stereo Chemistry to discuss why the trio won, the significance of their work around proteins, and how she accurately predicted the win in C&EN’s annual “Who Will Win?” webinar. Stereo Chemistry offers a deeper look at subjects from recent stories pulled from the pages of Chemical & Engineering News. Check out Laura’s...
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C&EN Uncovered: PhD to CEO, how chemistry entrepreneurs are making the jump
Stereo Chemistry
In the 20th century, corporate powerhouses like Bell Labs and DuPont Central Research funded R&D from their balance sheets, creating a clear path for postdoctoral scientists to innovate beyond their university research. In 2024, with the decay of corporate laboratories, graduates are taking the commercial start-up route more and more. C&EN, business reporter Matt Blois discusses several such start-ups, exploring how the founders are making the transition from PhD to CEO and mapping the various routes they've taken to secure funding to continue their research. C&EN Uncovered, a...
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C&EN Uncovered: Solvent Waste Levels, EPA Regulations, and Disposal
Stereo Chemistry
On average, from 2011 to 2021, academic labs generated around 4,300 metric tons of hazardous waste each year. One of the largest lab-used solvents discarded is dichloromethane and more than half of that waste ends up burned. In today’s episode, policy reporters Krystal Vasquez and Leigh Krietsch Boerner dive into the processes academic labs use to dispose of said waste, the consequences of new EPA regulations around dichloromethane, and what solutions academic institutions are coming up with to accommodate these new rules. C&EN Uncovered, a project from C&EN’s podcast, Stereo...
info_outlineReplacing gas cars with electric ones is a main pillar of plans to fight climate change. But the lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars come with a cost. Communities near the Salar de Atacama in Chile, where about a quarter of the world’s lithium is extracted from salty aquifers, say mining companies pose a serious threat to the local environment and their access to water. Mining companies strongly dispute those claims. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, we’ll explore the environmental factors at play in the salar and the differing perspectives on how best to measure impact. And we’ll hear from a new group of mining start-ups that claim they can use chemical methods—as yet unproven—to extract lithium without the same impact on water.
This is the first episode in a new series exploring the future of water.
A transcript of this episode, along with English translations of all Spanish dialogue, is available at bit.ly/3QGlQpu.
Sign up for C&EN’s email series “Advancing in the Art of Science Communication” at bit.ly/scicommadvanced.
Credits
Executive producer/host: Kerri Jansen
Writer: Matt Blois
Audio editor: Mark Feuer DiTusa
Story editors: Michael McCoy, Manny I. Fox Morone, Ariana Remmel
Sensitivity editor: Sofía Jarrín
Audience editor: Dorea I. Reeser
Copyeditor: Heather Holt
Translator: Fernando Gomollón Bel, Juan José Sáenz de la Torre
Logo design: William A. Ludwig
Episode artwork: SQM
Music (in order of appearance): "Tinker Toys" by Colton Dewberry, "Pebbles Dance" by Roie Shpigler, "Earth & Heavens" by Sémø and Ian Post, "Street Dreams" by Julian Hartwell, "There's No One Else Just Like Me" by Shahar Guttman, "Eternal Sunshine" by Stanley Gurvich
Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us @cenmag or email [email protected].