A new episode of the podcast “Fall Asleep to Science” just dropped. It is 73-minute-long episode covering every that is taught in the first semester of a general chemistry course at university.
Listen to this episode to learn about the classification of matter, important scientific laws in chemistry, properties of gases, different types of reactions, thermochemistry, electromagnetic effects in atoms, atomic structure, equilibrium reactions, and properties of solutions.
Happy listening!
The source material for the content of this episode can be found in the following textbook:
Tro, N. (2021). Chemistry: A molecular approach (4th ed.). Pearson Education Limited.
A new episode of Fall Asleep to Science just dropped. Listeners will learn about the Ideal Gas Law, Boyle’s Law, Charles’ Law, Gay-Lussac’s Law, and Avogadro’s Principle. The differences between real and ideal gases will be explained, and an explanation of the Van der Waals equation and Virial equation for real gases will be given. Further discussed is the difference between state and path variables, closed and open systems, the sign conventions used in physical chemistry, the Zeroeth Law of Thermodynamics, the First Law of Thermodynamics, the Joule-Thompson experiment, and the role of endothermic and exothermic processes in chemical bonds.
Fall Asleep to Science aims to provide a soothing audio for listeners to fall asleep to while learning about science topics at the college-level.
An episode of Fall Asleep to Science about the history of genetics was recently published. In this episode, listeners will hear about the development of genetics as a science, discover the four major theories on inheritance that have existed since about 450 BC, and learn about the major contributors to our understanding of genetics. This episode journeys through time to learn how the human genome was first sequenced, then explores chromosomes and the cellular stages of reproduction in meiosis and mitosis.
Genetics is all about the fundamental basic principles of inheritance, including what they are and how they come about.
It is the Science of Potential, the transfer of biological information from cell to cell, parent to offspring, and generation to generation.
Genetics is concerned with why and how biological information transfers, because biological information transfer is the basis for differences and similarities recognized in groups of living organisms
Genetics explains the physical and chemical nature of biological information and asks,
● What are the sources of genetic information? And
● What are the differences?
To put the study of genetics into perspective, the pedigrees of animals and plants started 6000 years ago with initialization of breeding regimes. In fact, the oldest known genetic records are on horses…
For centuries, humans have asked questions such as:
Where did we come from?
Are we alone?
Whither are we going?
Why am I here?
If you have ever asked yourself any of those questions in any form, you may be a budding astrobiologist.
Throughout history, famous philosophers have asked themselves the big questions listed above, but there has never been an adequate way to empirically address them — until now.
Astrobiology is a growing field that is garnering more and more support. Private organizations, such as the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science and the Mars Society, host communities of scientists exploring questions related to the origins of life and the future of life in space. NASA has a division dedicated to astrobiological research, and conferences like AbGradCon are popping up to grow the field of astrobiology.
So, what is it exactly?
Astrobiology addresses questions about the origin of life, life in the universe, and the future of life in space and on Earth. It encompasses every subdivision of science and tests the imagination to think about life from different perspectives.
Whether you are a geologist, chemist, biologist, astronomer, mathematician, physicist, or philosopher, there is a need for you in the field of astrobiology.
Though previously studied separately, it is the collaboration among all these disciplines that will move astrobiology further. Institutions such as the Earth-Life Science Institute in Tokyo, Japan have recognized this need and intentionally seek interdisciplinary collaborations. From the formation of planets to the bacteria in hot springs, every detail is important.
So, if you are curious about if humans could survive on Mars or why Earth is the only planet we know of that has life, you may want to look into astrobiology.
To get started, give this episode of Fall Asleep to Science a listen, then go look into the organizations I mentioned. Let me know what you discover!
How did you hear about astrobiology? What do you want to know?
Do you know of other organizations that research astrobiology?
Share your knowledge here, or consider subscribing to help the community of astrobiology grow!
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