Distillations | Science History Institute
Each episode of Distillations podcast takes a deep-dive into a moment of science-related history in order to shed light on the present.
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Exploring 'Health Equity Tourism'
10/24/2023
Exploring 'Health Equity Tourism'
In the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a new public interest in health inequities research. With this new focus, there also has come new funding with many researchers and institutions clamoring to receive lucrative funding and recognition in the field, but there are no official guidelines to distinguish a health equity expert. In this episode we sit down with Dr. Elle Lett who coined the term "health equity tourism" to describe when privileged and previously unengaged scholars enter the health equity field without developing the necessary expertise. Credits Hosts: Senior Producer: Producer: Associate Producers: & Audio Engineer: “Innate Theme” composed by . Additional music by
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The Mothers of Gynecology
04/18/2023
The Mothers of Gynecology
Of all wealthy countries, the United States is the most dangerous place to have a baby. Our maternal mortality rate is abysmal, and over the past five years it’s only gotten worse. And there are huge racial disparities: Black women are three times more likely to die than white women. Despite some claims to the contrary, the problem isn’t race, it’s racism. In this episode we trace the origins of this harrowing statistic back to the dawn of American gynecology—a field that was built on the bodies of enslaved women. And we’ll meet eight women who have dedicated their lives to understanding and solving this complex problem. Credits Host: Senior Producer: Producer: Associate Producer: Audio Engineer: “Innate Theme” composed by . Additional music by .
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Correcting Race
04/11/2023
Correcting Race
Certain medical instruments have built-in methods of correcting for race. They’re based on the premise that Black bodies are inherently different from White bodies. The tool that measures kidney function, for example, underestimates how severe some Black patients’ kidney disease is, and prevents them from getting transplants. Medical students and doctors have been trying to do away with race correction tools once and for all. And they’re starting to see some success. About Innate: How Science Invented the Myth of Race “Correcting Race” is Episode 9 of , a podcast and magazine project that explores the historical roots and persistent legacies of racism in American science and medicine. Published through , the Science History Institute’s highly acclaimed digital content platform, the project examines the scientific origins of support for racist theories, practices, and policies. Innateis made possible in part by the . | | Credits Hosts: and Senior Producer: Producer: Associate Producer: Audio Engineer: “Innate Theme” composed by . Additional music by . Resource List e, by Cynthia Delgado, Mukta Baweja, Deidra C Crews, Nwamaka D Eneanya, Crystal A Gadegbeku, Lesley A Inker, Mallika L Mendu, W Greg Miller, Marva M Moxey-Mims, Glenda V Roberts, Wendy L St Peter, Curtis Warfield, Neil R Powe , by Theresa Gaffney , by Shannon Hong , by Lundy Braun , by Usha Lee McFarling , by Darshali A. Vyas, Leo G. Eisenstein, and David S. Jones , by Anh Nguyen , by Vanessa Grubbs , by Nwamaka Denise Eneanya, Wei Yang, Peter Philip Reese
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"That Rotten Spot"
04/04/2023
"That Rotten Spot"
When the plague broke out in San Francisco in 1900 the public health department poured all of their energy into stopping its spread in Chinatown, as if Chinatown were the problem. This episode reveals why they did it, what it has to do with race science, and what it tells us about the history of public health. Credits Host: Senior Producer: Producer: Associate Producer: Audio Engineer: “Innate Theme” composed by . Additional music by .
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Black Pills
03/28/2023
Black Pills
In 2005 the FDA approved a pill to treat high blood preassure only in African Americans. This so-called miracle drug was named BiDil, and it became the first race-specific drug in the United States. It might sound like a good a good thing, but it had the unintended consequence of perpetuating the myth that race is a biological construct. Credits Hosts: and Senior Producer: Producer: Associate Producer: Audio Engineer: “Innate Theme” composed by . Additional music by . Resource List , by Dorothy Roberts , by Osagie K. Obasogie , by Jonathan Kahn , by Jay Cohn , by Jay S Kaufman, Susan A Hall , by Angela Saini
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Bad Blood, Bad Science
03/21/2023
Bad Blood, Bad Science
The word “Tuskegee” has come to symbolize the Black community’s mistrust of the medical establishment. It has become American lore. However, most people don’t know what actually happened in Macon County, Alabama, from 1932 to 1972. This episode unravels the myths of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Syphilis Study (the correct name of the study) through conversations with descendants and historians. Credits Hosts: and Senior Producer: Producer: Associate Producer: Audio Engineer: “Innate Theme” composed by . Additional music by . Resource List , by David Montgomery , by Vanessa Northington Gamble
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The African Burial Ground
03/14/2023
The African Burial Ground
In 1991, as crews broke ground on a new federal office building in lower Manhattan, they discovered human skeletons. It soon became clear that it was the oldest and largest African cemetery in the country. The federal government was ready to keep building, but people from all over the African diaspora were moved to treat this site with dignity, respect, and scientific excellence. When bioarchaeologist Michael Blakey took over, that's exactly what they got. But it wasn't easy. Credits Host: Senior Producer: Producer: Associate Producer: Audio Engineer: “Innate Theme” composed by . Additional music by . Resource List , by Michael Blakey by Michael Blakey , by Andrea E. Frohne , documentary film by David Kutz , by Erik R. Seeman , by multiple authors
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Return, Rebury, Repatriate
03/07/2023
Return, Rebury, Repatriate
In 2019, Abdul-Aliy Muhammad, a community organizer and journalist, learned that the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology had a collection of skulls that belonged to enslaved people. As Muhammad demanded that the university return these skulls, they discovered that claiming ownership over bodies of marginalized people is not just a relic of the past—it continues to this day. Credits Host: Senior Producer: Producer: Associate Producer: Audio Engineer: “Innate Theme” composed by . Additional music by . Resource List , by Abdul-Aliy Muhammad , by Abdul-Aliy Muhammad , by Abdul-Aliy Muhammad , by Abdul-Aliy Muhammad , by Paul Wolff Mitchell , by Stephan Salisbury , by Maya Kassutto , by Paul Wolff Mitchell , by Bronwen Dickey , by Christopher D.E. Willoughby , by Christopher D.E. Willoughby , prepared by Dechert LLP and Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads LLP, for the city of Philadelphia , prepared by the Tucker Law Group for the University of Pennsylvania , film by Jane Mancini and Karen Pomer L, film by Jason Osder , archival collection at Temple University's Urban Archives
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The Vampire Project
02/28/2023
The Vampire Project
In the 1990s a liberal population geneticist launched the Human Genome Diversity Project. The goal was to sequence the genomes of “isolated” and “disappearing” indigenous groups throughout the world. The project did not go as planned—indigenous groups protested it, and scientists and anthropologists criticized it. This episode examines what went wrong and asks the question: can anti-racist scientists create racist science? About Innate: How Science Invented the Myth of Race “The Vampire Project” is Episode 4 of , a podcast and magazine project that explores the historical roots and persistent legacies of racism in American science and medicine. Published through , the Science History Institute’s highly acclaimed digital content platform, the project examines the scientific origins of support for racist theories, practices, and policies. Innate is made possible in part by the . Credits Hosts: and Senior Producer: Producer: Associate Producer: Audio Engineer: “Innate Theme” composed by . Additional music by .
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Keepers of the Flame
02/21/2023
Keepers of the Flame
In the 1970s Barry Mehler started tracking race scientists and he noticed something funny: they all had the same funding source. One wealthy man was using his incredible resources to prop up any scientist he could find who would validate his white supremacist ideology—and make it seem like it was backed by a legitimate scientific consensus. About Innate: How Science Invented the Myth of Race “Keepers of the Flame” is Episode 3 of , a podcast and magazine project that explores the historical roots and persistent legacies of racism in American science and medicine. Published through , the Science History Institute’s highly acclaimed digital content platform, the project examines the scientific origins of support for racist theories, practices, and policies. Innate is made possible in part by the . Credits Hosts: and Senior Producer: Producer: Associate Producer: Audio Engineer: “Innate Theme” composed by . Additional music by . Resource List , by Paul Lombardo , by William Tucker , by Barry Mehler , by Angela Saini
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Calamity in Philadelphia
02/14/2023
Calamity in Philadelphia
In 1793 a yellow fever epidemic almost destroyed Philadelphia. The young city was saved by two Black preachers, Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, who organized the free Black community in providing essential services and nursing the sick and dying. Allen and Jones were assured of two things: that stepping up would help them gain full equality and citizenship, and that they were immune to the disease. Neither promise turned out to be true. About Innate: How Science Invented the Myth of Race “Calamity in Philadelphia” is Episode 2 of , a podcast and magazine project that explores the historical roots and persistent legacies of racism in American science and medicine. Published through , the Science History Institute’s highly acclaimed digital content platform, the project examines the scientific origins of support for racist theories, practices, and policies. Innate is made possible in part by the . Credits Hosts: and Senior Producer: Producer: Associate Producer: Audio Engineer: Richard Allen voiceover by “Innate Theme” composed by . Additional music by . Resource List , by Alicia Ault , by Mathew Carey , by Rana A. Hogarth , by Absalom Jones and Richard Allen , by Richard Newman , by Benjamin Rush , produced by Dr. Mark Tyler Transcript
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BONUS EPISODE: Cheddar Man
02/10/2023
BONUS EPISODE: Cheddar Man
In 2018 ancient DNA researchers revealed their analysis of a 10,000 year old skeleton called Cheddar Man. He was the oldest complete skeleton ever discovered in England, and the revelation that he had dark skin challenged assumptions many people had about what the earliest people in Britain looked like.
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Origin Stories
02/07/2023
Origin Stories
It might seem as though the way we think about race now is how we’ve always thought about it—but it isn’t. Race was born out of the Enlightenment in Europe, along with the invention of modern western science. And it was tied to the politics of the age—imperialism and later slavery. This episode traces the origins of race science to the Enlightenment, examines how the Bible influenced racial theories, and considers how we still have a hard time letting go of the idea of race. About Innate: How Science Invented the Myth of Race “Origin Stories” is Episode 1 of , a podcast and magazine project that explores the historical roots and persistent legacies of racism in American science and medicine. Published through , the Science History Institute’s highly acclaimed digital content platform, the project examines the scientific origins of support for racist theories, practices, and policies. Innate is made possible in part by the . Credits Hosts: and Senior Producer: Producer: Associate Producer: Audio Engineer: "Innate Theme" composed by . Additional music by . Special thanks to our colleagues, and , for their help with this episode. Resource List , by Michael Blakey , by Lundy Braun , by Terence Keel , by Dorothy Roberts "," song by Cedarmont Kids , by Rana Hogarth , by Hartmann Schedel , by Angela Saini Find the .
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New Season Trailer! Innate: How Science Invented the Myth of Race
01/20/2023
New Season Trailer! Innate: How Science Invented the Myth of Race
Our new season, Innate: How Science Invented the Myth of Race, drops on February 7th.
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Mechanochemistry
07/13/2022
Mechanochemistry
What comes to mind when you think of a chemistry lab? Maybe it’s smoke billowing out of glassware, or colorful test tubes, or vats of toxic substances. Chemistry and hazardous solvents just seem to go hand in hand. But chemists like James Mack think there’s a greener way: It’s called mechanochemistry, a kind of chemistry that uses physical force to grind materials instead of solvents. And it’s getting the attention of such huge corporations as Exxon Mobil. Still, some chemists are not ready to give up their traditional techniques. “I thought they were married to the molecules,” says Mack, who is pictured above placing vials into a machine that uses fast-spinning ball bearings to pulverize molecules. “Little did I know they were actually married to the flask.” Credits Host: Reporter, Producer, and Audio Engineer: Senior Producer: Producer: Associate Producer:
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Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius as Written by Our Genetic Code
03/01/2022
Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius as Written by Our Genetic Code
The Disappearing Spoon, a between the Science History Institute and New York Times best-selling author Sam Kean, returns for its third season on March 8, 2022. To celebrate, our producer, Padmini Parthasarathy, sat down with Kean to talk about his book The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code. This interview is a great companion piece for the new season of The Disappearing Spoon, which tackles all sorts of strange and interesting stories about the geniuses we know well—from Einstein and his great scientific blunder that turned out to be correct, to Monet and the cataracts that almost made him put down his brush forever. Listen as Kean talks about violin protégé Niccolo Paganini, whose genes were both a blessing and a curse, the scientific arms race that led to the mapping of the human genome, and the sometimes-murky lines between human and non-human. Credits Hosts: and Senior Producer: Producer: Associate Producer: Audio Engineer: Photo:
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The Sinister Angel Singers of Rome
12/07/2021
The Sinister Angel Singers of Rome
How a simple operation—castrating little boys—produced the greatest singers the world has ever known.
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Disappearing Spoon: The Murderous Origins of the American Medical Association
11/30/2021
Disappearing Spoon: The Murderous Origins of the American Medical Association
In this episode of The Disappearing Spoon, Sam Kean talks about the strange origin story of the American Medical Association. The creation of this powerful medial society can be traced back to a dual between two doctors at Transylvania University in Kentucky.
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The Big ‘What If’ of Cancer
11/23/2021
The Big ‘What If’ of Cancer
How a feisty, suicidal Nobel laureate infuriated both Hitler and Stalin, and stalled cancer research for fifty years along the way.
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Disappearing Spoon: The Harvard Medical School Janitor Who Solved a Murder
11/16/2021
Disappearing Spoon: The Harvard Medical School Janitor Who Solved a Murder
In a building full of dead bodies, how can you tell a murder victim from an unlucky stiff?
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Disappearing Spoon: Burn After Watching
11/09/2021
Disappearing Spoon: Burn After Watching
The world’s first plastic made Hollywood possible—and killed thousands of people along the way.
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History’s First Car Crash Victim
11/02/2021
History’s First Car Crash Victim
How a steam-powered automobile in 1869 snuffed out the life of the brilliant female naturalist and astronomer Mary Ward.
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Real Life Zombies
10/26/2021
Real Life Zombies
What a bizarre psychological disorder can teach us about memory, human nature, and our sense of who we are.
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How Climate Change Will Remake the Human Body
10/19/2021
How Climate Change Will Remake the Human Body
Scientists know how other animals’ bodies will change in warmer climates, but how will human beings respond?
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The ‘Mary Poppins’ Cancer
10/12/2021
The ‘Mary Poppins’ Cancer
The life of chimney sweeps was nasty, poor, brutish, filthy dirty, and usually short, thanks to a rare cancer of the genitals.
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Disappearing Spoon: Kangaroo (and Pig and Monkey and Dog and Donkey) Courts
10/05/2021
Disappearing Spoon: Kangaroo (and Pig and Monkey and Dog and Donkey) Courts
The long, wacky, and surprisingly thought-provoking history of trying animals in human courts.
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Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science
09/28/2021
Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science
An interview with Sam Kean about his latest book, The Icepick Surgeon.
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What Causes Alzheimer's?
09/21/2021
What Causes Alzheimer's?
Vox's Unexplainable podcast interviews Distillations about how Alzheimer’s research has stubbornly focused on a single theory for decades.
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What the All Souls Trilogy Teaches Us about Alchemy, Family, and Knowledge Hierarchy
08/24/2021
What the All Souls Trilogy Teaches Us about Alchemy, Family, and Knowledge Hierarchy
Distillations sat down with Jen Daine and Cait Parnell, the hosts of the All Souls podcast, Chamomile and Clove; art historian Stephenie McGucken; and medievalist actor, journalist, and author Sarah Durn to talk about the series’ alchemical roots, the material culture in the TV show, and how the book’s found-family theme mirrors the fandom.
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Chasing Immortality
08/17/2021
Chasing Immortality
Since humans have been living—and inevitably dying—we’ve also been trying to figure out how not to die. Or at least how to keep the party going a little longer.
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