Distillations podcast
The History of the School Lunch
A familiar rite of passage that’s been more than 100 years in the making.
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.
Science, Interrupted
The story of the 1975 Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA.
ALS Patients Take on the FDA
Research on the deadly disease progressed dramatically after the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge, but a huge blow came when the most recent treatment was taken off the market.
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.
Cancer Virus Hunters: An Interview with Gregory J. Morgan
Seen as outcasts, some persistent scientists went against the grain to study viruses they suspected caused cancer.
The Ames Test
Environmentalists championed biochemist Bruce Ames for his test’s ability to weed out potential cancer-causing chemicals. Then he seemingly turned his back on them.
Is Ozempic Different?
The weight-loss drug has become well known, but many others have come before, often with horrific results.
Traffication: An Interview with Paul Donald
In this episode, Distillations spotlights a significant factor impacting our environment and the world’s ecology: roads.
Dyes, Drugs, and Psychosis
The first antipsychotic was discovered through a series of mistakes, starting with—of all things—a breakthrough dye.
Pink: An Interview with Dominique Grisard
In this bonus episode, the gender studies professor discusses the popular color and its history, including ties to prison experiments.
Can Color Heal Us?
For centuries people have been fascinated by the potential healing powers of color, but is there any truth to it?
The Word for Blue
From Homer’s Odyssey to the internet’s great dress debate, our perception of the color blue has both fascinated and frustrated us.
Exploring ‘Health Equity Tourism’
With a new public interest in health equity research, who is actually receiving recognition and funding in the field?
The Mothers of Gynecology
Why are Black women in America three times more likely to die during childbirth than White ones?
Correcting Race
A group of medical students wants to take racial bias out of the equation.
‘That Rotten Spot’
When the plague struck San Francisco in 1900, public health officials blamed Chinatown, as if the disease itself had a racial component.
Black Pills
If there’s no such thing as biological race, why would the FDA approve a drug just for Black patients?
Bad Blood, Bad Science
The word “Tuskegee” has become shorthand for the Black community’s mistrust of the medical establishment. But what really happened?
The African Burial Ground
A seminal archaeology project proves it is possible to study human remains ethically.