Distillations Episode 97: Immortality
Series: Distillations - The Chemistry Podcast
From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
Length: 00:10:57
If you could live forever, would you? Though most believe this to be a hypothetical question, there are some scientific processes that impart eternal life, or something like that, to actual creatures on earth. First we look at how some animals’ bodies produce a kind of anti-freeze that allows them to survive suspended animation. Next up, producer Aries Keck introduces us to a kind of jellyfish that can live forever. Finally, we wrap up this episode with the story of an alchemical adept fabled to roam Europe for centuries.
Also in the Distillations - The Chemistry Podcast series
Distillations Episode 147: Babies
(00:13:43)
From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
Big eyes, soft skin, squeezable cheeks. No doubt, babies are adorable. But in this episode we take a break from our cooing to examine some more serious aspects of parenthood. ...
Distillations Episode 146: Something in the Air
(00:14:22)
From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
Sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose? We all know what that means: allergies. On this show we look at pet dander, a common cause. Then we talk to a researcher dissecting the ...
Distillations Episode 145: Asbestos
(00:14:03)
From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
Asbestos, once a miracle product, is now a plague on the aging infrastructure to which it's bound. In this episode we explore a Pennsylvania town where a wide swath of ...
Distillations Episode 144: Mystery of Mass (Spec)
(00:13:18)
From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
In this episode we look at the diverse history of mass spectrometry, starting with a single question: exactly what is it? Then we dip into CHF's oral history collection to ...
Distillations Episode 143: Fairyland of Chemistry
(00:09:56)
From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
In this episode we travel back in time to the Victorian era, when innovative teachers used fairies to convey complicated ideas in chemistry. We adapted one of these whimsical ...
Distillations Episode 142: Mid-century Mutants
(00:14:40)
From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
On today's show we look at the real and imagined implications of genetic modification in the middle of the 20th century.
Distillations Episode 141: Disaster Recovery
(00:13:42)
From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
On this episode we look at how environments recover after natural and manmade disasters. First, we hear about how ecosystems repair themselves after hurricanes. Then we see ...
Distillations Episode 140: Swapping Spit
(00:12:41)
From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
Pucker up! On this episode we investigate the kiss. First, what's in the saliva we share with each other? Then we interview Sheril Kirshenbaum, author of The Science of ...
Distillations Episode 139: The Brain on Sports
(00:11:37)
From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
On this episode of Distillations we look at the science of sports. First, we learn how athletes go the distance, chemically speaking. Then we look into the brain of a fan. ...
Distillations Episode 138: Your Genome
(00:13:29)
From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
On this episode of Distillations we go straight to the source ... your DNA. First, we learn how technological advances are putting the dream of a $1,000 genome within reach. ...
Related Pieces
Piece Description
If you could live forever, would you? Though most believe this to be a hypothetical question, there are some scientific processes that impart eternal life, or something like that, to actual creatures on earth. First we look at how some animals’ bodies produce a kind of anti-freeze that allows them to survive suspended animation. Next up, producer Aries Keck introduces us to a kind of jellyfish that can live forever. Finally, we wrap up this episode with the story of an alchemical adept fabled to roam Europe for centuries.
Broadcast History
Podcast on June 18, 2010.
Timing and Cues
0:00 Opening Credits
0:31 Introduction
1:10 Chemical Agent: Animal Anti-Freeze
3:25 Feature: Immortal Jellyfish
7:03 Comte De Saint-Germain
10:24 Closing Credits
Additional Credits
This episode was written and researched by James Voelkel and Michal Meyer.
Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Additional music from Music Alley and Magnatune. Additional music includes “Something Like Jellyfish,” by K.M.Krebs, “The Opening–Olivia’s diegetic Baroque,” by Film Composer–David Beard, “Bach’s Invention 13–Commodore 129,” by aprigliano, and “Bach Bach Bgawk!,” by Jeremy Jacobs.
Related Website
