From Polymers To Planets: Headlines From ACS Spring 2019 – Science Friday

04/05/2019
a gloved hand in a lab, holding two transparent materials over the same picture of leaves. Underneath the material on the left, you can see the leaves somewhat clearly; under the material on the right, the image is more blurred
A new transparent wood becomes cloudier (right) upon the release of stored heat. Credit: American Chemical Society.

This week, the American Chemical Society held a national meeting in Orlando, Florida, giving a chance for thousands of chemistry professionals to present their latest work, including storing information in polymers, instructional lab experiments performed in virtual reality, and efforts to create a transparent, heat-storing material from wood.

SciFri director Charles Bergquist attended the meeting and joins Ira to share some highlights in this week’s News Roundup. They’ll also talk about some of the other news from the week in science, including an independent confirmation of methane observations on the surface of Mars.

See a video of the transparent wood in action:

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Segment Guests

Charles Bergquist

As Science Friday’s director, Charles Bergquist channels the chaos of a live production studio into something sounding like a radio program. Favorite topics include planetary sciences, chemistry, materials, and shiny things with blinking lights.

Meet the Producers and Host

About Charles Bergquist

As Science Friday’s director, Charles Bergquist channels the chaos of a live production studio into something sounding like a radio program. Favorite topics include planetary sciences, chemistry, materials, and shiny things with blinking lights.

About Ira Flatow

Ira Flatow is the host and executive producer of Science Friday. His green thumb has revived many an office plant at death’s door.

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