A sugar pill shouldn't work as well as a real drug ... except sometimes it does. In this episode, we explore the fascinating science of the placebo effect and how expectations can shape biological outcomes. From open-label placebos and AI healthcare chatbots to the nocebo effect, we unpack what scientists know, what they still don't understand, and why the placebo response is still largely mysterious. 

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In this episode of Tiny Matters, a listener who works in a pathology lab explains how even the ickiest specimens become ho-hum with time, sending Sam and Deboki down a rabbit hole of pathology history and the bizarre life of Rudolf Virchow, the “father of pathology” who was also rumored to have brought worm-filled sausages to a duel. Then, a listener's sourdough experiments spark a conversation about yeast and how these microscopic organisms are the chemists behind tasty bread, beer, wine, and more.

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A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

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In medieval Europe, people who worked with early cannons and gunpowder were viewed as untrustworthy, boorish outsiders. But just a few centuries later, as they began creating elaborate fireworks displays for royalty, they went from outcasts to artists. From black powder to modern low-smoke pyrotechnics, in this episode of Tiny Matters we look at the chemistry, engineering, and artistry behind one of humanity's favorite forms of celebration. We also learn how scientists are reinventing pyrotechnics with cleaner-burning compounds that deliver brighter colors and fewer emissions. And check out this video from our friends at Headline Science to get a behind the scenes tour of the Science History Institute’s new exhibit: Flash! Bang! Boom! A History of Fireworks.

Check out Simple and Clean here or wherever you listen to podcasts!

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

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This week on Tiny Show and Tell Us, a listener introduces us to "FARTs" — a silly acronym for galactic gas outflows — and sends us down a rabbit hole of dying stars and recycled cosmic gas in the early universe. Then we discuss the decades-long search for broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) that can target many HIV strains at once. One bNAb that looks promising is in clinical trials right now! 

We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to [email protected] *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

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We tend to think of space as vast and mostly empty, yet the region just above Earth is far from it. In this episode, we explore the surprising congestion of low Earth orbit, where tens of thousands of satellites and millions of pieces of debris are hurtling around at incredible speeds. From a major satellite collision in 2009 to the looming threat of the Kessler Effect — where Earth’s orbit becomes so densely packed that collisions set off an unstoppable chain reaction — we unpack how even tiny fragments can cause massive damage to spacecraft, disrupt critical services, and potentially put astronauts and even us Earth dwellers at risk. We talk with scientists about creative solutions that could help tackle this growing problem, including space lasers, and we ask an important question: who is responsible for keeping space clean?

Check out American Medieval here or wherever you listen to podcasts!

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

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In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we unpack a tragic NASA accident in 1981 when technicians, preparing for the maiden voyage of Space Shuttle Columbia, were accidentally poisoned by nitrogen gas. Then guest Mischa Stanton takes us deep inside the human ear. We talk about how vibrations turn into thoughts via the cochlea and basilar membrane and dive into the fascinating world of logarithmic perception.

Find Mischa at mischastanton.com.

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A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

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When Artemis II lifted off this past April, marking humanity’s return to the Moon, people across the world were captivated. It was a triumph decades in the making, but also shaped by painful loss. In this episode of Tiny Matters, we trace the legacy of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on its 40th anniversary, unpacking what went wrong both scientifically and organizationally, and how the event necessarily helped reshape NASA’s safety culture. We hear firsthand from astronaut Terry Hart, who flew on Challenger less than two years before the accident, and from NASA’s acting Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance, Nathan Vassberg, about how Challenger — and later, Columbia — reshaped the way NASA thinks about risk, and how those lessons were applied to Artemis II. We also hear from Vanessa Bentley, professor of applied ethics who teaches a course dissecting the conflict between managers and engineers that led to the tragedy.

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In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we dive into the Plankton Manifesto and why these drifting, diverse organisms are so essential to life on Earth. Then we trace the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) roots of MRI, through a listener’s personal experience as a patient and chemist.

Check out This Guy Sucked here or wherever you get podcasts!

We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to [email protected] *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

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Did you know that over 75% of silent films have disappeared? The culprit: highly flammable film! We open this episode of Tiny Matters with a poker bet, a decades long grudge, and a garage full of film before we hop into the rise of nitrate (nitrocellulose) film and how it shaped film history. We chat with Robert Shanebrook, who literally wrote the book on Kodak film, and with collection manager Deborah Stoiber at the George Eastman Museum, the world’s oldest photography museum and one of the oldest film archives. We talk about the science of preserving and conserving the nitrate films that have survived, and why it’s so important for keeping cultural memories alive. Did you know that ‘George Eastman, Kodak, and the Birth of Consumer Photography’ is a National Historic Chemical Landmark? Read more about it here. 

Check out Wow if True here or wherever you listen to podcasts!

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

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In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, a listener asks: Could we still be carrying air from our very first breath? Deboki unpacks residual lung volume, gas exchange, and a forensic technique used to determine whether or not someone drowned. Then, the conversation turns to women’s health and bleeding disorders after a listener shares their experience living with Von Willebrand disease — the most common bleeding disorder. Sam explores what the condition is, how it was discovered, why it disproportionately affects women, and how normalizing heavy, painful periods is not just frustrating but has serious medical consequences.

Check out Pale Blue Pod here or wherever you get podcasts!

We need your stories — they're what make these bonus episodes possible! Write in to [email protected] *or fill out this form* with your favorite science fact or science news story for a chance to be featured.

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

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In the early 1930s, a “new and improved” eyelash dye called Lash Lure blinded more than a dozen women, ultimately forcing the FDA to pass new regulations on cosmetics. Nearly a century later, beauty remains far safer than it was in the past, but you could argue that beauty marketing has become far more insidious, with vague language and chemophobic claims to push consumers toward products. In this episode, we chat with cosmetic chemist and science communicator Michelle Wong to unpack the booming “clean beauty” industry, including a conversation about parabens and fragrances and how chemophobia (a fear of chemicals) early in life can become a gateway to broader anti-science thinking, including anti-vax. You can follow Michelle at @LabMuffinBeautyScience on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube where she makes longer explainer videos. 

Check out Wow if True here or wherever you listen to podcasts!

A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

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